Guest transportation?

Re: Guest transportation?

• pantherRN member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  TBH, I think your budget is a little low. A vehicle for you, FI, and your BP could easily be $700-$900. For your guests, the best idea may be getting a school bus.

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• laurlaur414

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  I have to agree--your budget is definitely low. A van that fits 16 will be at least a $300 or $400. If you prefer a limo-ish vehicle, that will go up to at least $800 or $900. The vehicle for 8 will also run in the hundreds.
  
  I priced out a few 56-passenger buses for my wedding day. You you can rent them from some limo companies or from Lenzner Coach Lines. They are anywhere from $750-$900. Your best bet would be to try Lenzner Coach. I priced a huge bus from them for $800 something, but it was for 8 hours. The other places rent starting for 4 hours and adding more time will cost more. I assume if you are going to shuttle people back to their cars after the reception you will need more than 4 hours, especially if the driving takes 2 hours both ways.
  

  

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• cgyvhu member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  I second lenzer on big transportation vehicles, and second panther on your budget being too low...my guess is you will need 2K, about 1K for your big passenger vehicle and 1K for a bridal party vehicle.
  
  Also, I get that your wedding is small and you know your guests better than we do, but if I had to park somewhere, sit on a bus for an hour for a ceremony that lasts and hour tops, then had to take another hour bus ride back... I'd be annoyed.  And I'd likely skip your ceremony unless we were very close.  It's just too much travel, especially on a school bus.  I'd really suggest finding a closer place.
  
  

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• HoneySpider

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh_guest-transportation-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:116Discussion:7e2ae684-7c46-4a3b-9568-15fd1f4aa862Post:ce53996e-bd52-4567-a30a-4be86a21605c">Re: Guest transportation?</a>:
  [QUOTE] Also, I get that your wedding is small and you know your guests better than we do, but if I had to park somewhere, sit on a bus for an hour for a ceremony that lasts and hour tops, then had to take another hour bus ride back... I'd be annoyed.  And I'd likely skip your ceremony unless we were very close.  It's just too much travel, especially on a school bus.  I'd really suggest finding a closer place.
  Posted by mdphd[/QUOTE]
  
  My thought exactly. An hour each way is too much to ask people, even if you are providing transportation.

  

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• ginny814

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  I wouldn't even worry about this whole transportation issue because:

  
  

  1. Although the reception is an hour away from the ceremony, those who truly want to be there for both wouldn't mind making the drive.

  2. It may be more work for you - because of the distance, I'm sure a lot of people won't even go to the ceremony.  What would you do if you rented all of these vans/buses for 80 people when only 40-50 show up?  Would you be willing to ask every guest whether or not they will be going to the ceremony or be needing the ride?

  3. Those who live near the ceremony site probably won't want to use your transportation, beacuse that means they'd have to drive to the reception site first.

  
  

  Although your gesture is a kind one, I'm not sure a lot of your guests would be up for it;  for me, I'd probably want to drive on my own.  Maybe ask a few of your guests what they think.. an hour is quite a drive.. is there any way you can change your reception or ceremony location?

  
  

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• Flowerstar1023

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  Agreed. An hour each way is too long. I know people will want to be there, but what about older relatives or people with kids? I'd say find a closer place...

  Married since May 12, 2012

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• bgfst1 member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  An hour each way seems really really far. Are all your guests from in town? Because I would worry about OOT guests having to make such a big trip and not knowing their way around.

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• sarilynnep

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  I have to second pp.... Two hours extra driving time is hard on guests.... Do all your guests live near the church? If not then they would have to do a possible long drive to the church, then use the bus to get to the reception, then wait for it to take them back, then drive home. Its asking a lot of people.
  
  Most guests will probably want to drive themselves anyways. Guests don't always leave at the same time. Some will want to go home and sleep, others will want to party all night. So either guests would have to wait for the bus and be tired, or guests will have to leave way earlier than they wanted. 
  
  TBH, even though the ones who love you and your FI will be there no matter what, it doesn't mean they won't question why you have the ceremony and reception site so far apart.

  

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• MrsDydek member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  No offense but you guys need to re-read my post. It sounds like you just stoped reading after the first paragraph..

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• meagandpt member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  For our wedding, we needed a party bus that would hold 18 people comfortably so we were looking at 20-22 passanger party buses, because one vendor told me the key with a wedding dress and even your bridesmaid, count for a few extra to allow room for the dresses.  Limos and party buses were soooo costly that for 3 hours it was 1400 and that was CRAZY!  We actually called the bus station  and they have vans they HUGE passanger vans that are built just like a party bus but you sit beside each other instead of a circle facing each other.  We are actually paying LESS THAN 500 dollars for it to take us around for cocktail hour AND transport our guests to and from the hotel to the reception / wedding site!!!!!!   Its 75 dollars an hour I think. Our wedding is in Wheeling, WV but I would def try the Port Authority AND I know the companies that do the bus trips / tours Lenzer (totally misspelled) also do it for weddings with this type of bus!  They let you bring on all the alcohol you want too.  Hope this is helpful and fits into your budget.

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