Wedding Party Transportation

chelcee22

Our reception is taking place 30-40 minutes from our ceremony (it's my childhood church and my dream venue, I wasn't willing to budge on either). Should we provide transportation for the wedding party from the ceremony to the reception? And if we do, how will they get back to their cars the next day? Should we provide transportation both ways? #logisticalnightmare

Grabows14

I have the same issue. The wedding party will be in the limo with us and their cars will be at the hotel attached to the reception hall. The guests will drive to and from church

RedJacks25

I'm not sure how etiquette-friendly this is, but I was in a wedding once where the reception was about 45 minutes from the ceremony. The wedding party went with the bride and groom in the limo, while the wedding party's guests/dates took their cars to the reception.

It worked for us, but again, probably not too nice etiquette-wise.

mlg78

We have a limo to take everyone from the church to the reception.  Everyone's dates will drive separately.  The one person without a date will have his parents there (he's 17...).

doeydo

You don't have to provide transport for them. but it would be nice I guess.  I would never want to share a limo with them but maybe that's just me.

mlg78

 

doeydo said:

You don't have to provide transport for them. but it would be nice I guess.  I would never want to share a limo with them but maybe that's just me.

Why wouldn't you want to share a limo with them?  Couples frequently do that with their wedding party.

doeydo

Because I would have just gotten married and there's the PDA/"wedding kiss" and then there's the newlyweds, alone make-out.   And just in general  I would like to take the opportunity for some time alone with the groom, which we probably wouldn't get a lot of on the wedding day.  

saric83

Check with your church to make sure you can even leave cars in the parking lot overnight and let your BP know right away, so they can plan accordingly.  Most of the churches in the metro area where I live tow any cars left in the lot overnight. 

chelcee22

Yep that's part of the issue too because the cars have to be gone before the morning service on Sunday. We're now considering renting a van to use to transport the BP from my parents house, where they'll leave their cars, to the church. Then they'll ride a party bus to the reception. Then get picked up at the hotel the next morning by the van again and taken back to their cars at my parents house. Is this crazy or what?! Would it be rude to ask them to please just drive?

KeptInStitches

You're not required to provide transportation. If you can, it's nice, but it's not required.

itzMS

If you provide transportation, please include their dates/spouses. No, it's not required. But it is the nice thing to do.

As someone who has had "car duty" multiple times being separated from my SO while he's riding in a limo 45 minutes to the venue...trust me...it's a royal pain in the ass for the dates/spouses of your wedding party.

Our wedding party either rode with us in the limo after the reception to their car(s) or they carpooled to the church both on the wedding day and then the next morning so one car was at the venue (hotel), and one at the church.

 

 

 

kefryar

My friend is doing something similar and put on the direction card "there will be someone to follow" to the reception. Basically we are all driving seperately and that was just her way of wording it.

saric83

I think you're fine not providing transport unless you are planning to stop for WP pictures anywhere along the way.  It's pretty common in my circle for peeps to have a limo or bus for WP (and SO when possible) and stop at a few bars and take pictures.  If you're not doing that, just have them drive themselves or with their SO to the reception spot. 

chelcee22

Thanks everybody! I really appreciate your help. We've decided to explain the situation to our BP and their SOs and then ask them how they would prefer to proceed, given the logistics. We're happy to rent the party bus if they want, or not if they would prefer to drive themselves and have their car after.