Getting the Wedding Party Around

dldelano

I am having a wedding in Atlanta, a city where neither I nor my family live. I have planned for everything to be nearby the Midtown area where there is access to cabs and other public transportation but I'm not sure what to do about getting the wedding party to/from the ceremony & reception (which are at the same place) the day of the wedding.

My mom says its important for my parents to drive me to the ceremony (I'm assuming in some sort of rental car, the nicer the better, right??). My fiance and I plan to leave the reception in his car (which he'll drive over earlier in the week with my dress!).

The distance from the hotel to the ceremony/reception is less than a mile. I know limos and such require a minimum amount of time typically? If I got a car service it would have nothing to do from 4pm until 11pm - it seems like a waste! And I'd need two going to the ceremony since the guys and girls will be on different photography schedules.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Suggestions?
Thank you in advance! The logistics of all this is what keeps me stressed!
Darcy

mbcdefg

I would talk to them and ask if they mind driving themselves. For a distance that short, I personally would not mind driving myself if I were a bridesmaid. And if they have dates, then their dates will probably be driving themselves around between the locations anyway, right?

How many people are in your wedding party? Could you rent a large SUV or two and ask one of them to drive each car, and then they can carpool?

I've been contacting limo companies in my area and have found that most typically require a three or four-hour minimum contract. I found one place that only requires two hours. I would hop on your local board and ask them for recommendations.

I don't think it's at all unreasonable to ask the wedding party members if they mind getting themselves around. I think it's just wise to talk to them about it first, rather than just say, "O.K., you need to drive yourselves." My local board was discussing something like this the other day, and most girls said something to the efect of, "I wouldn't mind doing almost anything for the bride, but what ticks me off is when she doesn't consult me about it before she makes the decision." So as long as you involve them in the conversation, I'd be willing to bet that they would be O.K. with driving themselves or carpooling.

MyNameIsNot

It's totally fine to just have them drive themselves.

Another option, we also had a lot of people from OOT, so we blocked some rooms at a hotel.  The hotel provided us with a free shuttle.  You could use that for everyone, including the WP. 

We used Doubletree on Holcomb Bridge, so too far out for you, but I think there's a Doubltree on 14th street.  They may offer the same deal. 

emilyinchile

I don't know if an airport town car/limo company would provide this service for you, but it's worth a try since obviously when they do airport runs they're basically a taxi service rather than having an hour minimum. Alternatively, you could call taxi companies and ask if they have any town cars they could send at a specific time.

SarahPLiz

As long as there is parking available at both places, I'd say let them drive themselves and carpool if they want,.

pooh8402

they can definitely drive themselves. I've never been chauffered around as a BM except when I was too young to drive.

umsldispatcher

This is exactly what my fiance and i are dealing with. my parents live about a mile from the church and the reception is 5 seconds up the road formt eh church however we are doing pictures between the ceremony adn reception but being on a budget makes it hard to get a limo service because of the large timeline. we may actually see about renting a big suv or 2 depending on the price. this is the last "big" thing we have to take care of and i think it is the hardest to do!

banana468

If it's not a long drive and they know the area, it's not a big deal to ask them to drive.  Just lay out your ideas well in advance.

swim1011

I think it's fine to have them carpool themselves there.  My ceremony/reception are 10 mins from the hotel, and truthfully, we just can't afford to pay for a rental as well.  It's not really worth it if you can't afford it! 

tiffspff

My parents rented a van and my dad drove my mom and myself and my bridesmaids to the site (ceremony and reception same site) then went back for my DH and the groomsmen.  We had a bus that took guests back to the hotel, so everyone rode the bus back at teh end of the night.  You may want to consider renting a van or something...