Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Reception Forum
Wedding Reception Forum
New Discussion
Options

Transportation Shuttle

Knottie1437672450Knottie1437672450 member
First Comment
in Wedding Reception Forum
Hey yall. So my wedding and reception will be at the same venue, located about 2 miles from the hotel where we have blocked rooms. I'd really like to rent a Transportation company to shuttle guests to and from the venue, but I'm a little concerned about the minimum time requirements. The shuttle I've looked at has a 3 hour minimum.

Ideally, I would like for them to shuttle one hour prior to the wedding and two hours prior to the end of the reception, although I'm not sure if they will let me break up the 3 hours that way. I really can't afford to pay for 7 hours of consecutive service, 4 of which no one should be needing the shuttle.

I'm sure someone has been in this dilemma before....how was it handled?

Oh, and just as an FYI, my hotel does not offer a shuttle. That was the first thing I tried!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Transportation Shuttle

  • Options
    Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Well I think you need to talk to the service that you are wanting to book.  They have probably done this hundreds of thousands of times before so I am sure they will be able to give you better insight to what they can provide then we can.

    And if for some reason the only way you can get the service you need is to book 7 hours, then I would just nix the shuttle all together.  While providing transportation is a nice gesture, it definitely isn't necessary.  Your guests are adults and can figure out the best way to get to and from your wedding without a shuttle.

    Report Reply
  • Options
    JediElizabethJediElizabeth member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Talk to your hotel sales/events coordinator, too. I called the hotel where I plan to have my room block, and they offer a free shuttle as long as we reach a minimum number of booked rooms by a month before the wedding. I don't know if that's normal, or just something that this particular place does because it has a partnership with my venue, but it's worth a shot.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    We did have that issue.  We just sucked it up and paid for the entire time.   Having a shuttle was important to us so it was worth the cost.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
    Report Reply
  • Options
    knottie2b256f5c2ae42586knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper

    I would also like to provide transportation for my guests since most of them will be from OOT and I don't want them to have to rent a car just to drive to/from the venue. I know this is a potential problem I could run into as well.

    Let us know what you end up doing!

    (My wedding isn't until 2017 and I haven't even talked to a hotel yet, so I'm hoping they will offer a shuttle)

    Report Reply
  • Options
    JediElizabethJediElizabeth member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Jax43615 said:

    I would also like to provide transportation for my guests since most of them will be from OOT and I don't want them to have to rent a car just to drive to/from the venue. I know this is a potential problem I could run into as well.

    Let us know what you end up doing!

    (My wedding isn't until 2017 and I haven't even talked to a hotel yet, so I'm hoping they will offer a shuttle)

    Mine isn't either! I'm just a planner who likes to figure everything out as soon as humanly possible.

    I actually called my hotel up in July and was like "can I book a block for April 2017?" Because I was afraid they'd be full if I called in like a year. o.O 

    No, no I could not. They gave me basic information and told me 12 months was the absolute earliest I should call back. And even that was stretching it. But I did find out about the shuttle, so that was a win. 
    Report Reply
  • Options
    MandyMostMandyMost member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    lyndausvi said:
    We did have that issue.  We just sucked it up and paid for the entire time.   Having a shuttle was important to us so it was worth the cost.
    Everyplace I spoke with had a 6 hour minimum, that you could break up into 2 3-hour blocks. I don't think 3 hours is as crazy as it sounds to shuttle people to and from a venue. However, we used the shuttle for the bridal party as well as the "regular" guests.

    For a 5:30 wedding, we had the shuttle pick up the bridal party at I think 3:30, to drive them ~15 min (only 2 miles or so, but in the city) to the venue, so I could do pics with them at 4pm. The shuttle would then be back at the venue by 4pm  (assuming no traffic) and picked up guests I think at 4:45. Assuming it left a little late, even with no traffic it arrived after 5pm at the venue for the 5:30 ceremony, which I think is pretty typical. So that's 2 hours right there.

    We then planned for 2 runs at the end of the night, but ended up having 1 early run for a VIP guest who got sick, and then everyone else fit in for a single trip back to the hotel. I think everything ended at 11, so the shuttle was there starting at 9:30, and not done until after 11:30 by the time we all unloaded, so another 2 hours.  

    I guess we "wasted" 2 hours of the 6 hours we had the shuttle for, but it was worth it to us to have the transportation. 
    Report Reply
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its First Comment
    Call around, you will find someone to do it depending on the times. My husband use to be a limo driver. I remember a job where he picked up the guys & took to location, picked up girls & took to location. Then they had it come back at 11:30 and do 2 runs from the reception to the hotel. His company did it because they had a 5 hour window between when the first part of the job ended & when they needed him back. They even booked him for another job that fit that time opening. Now if your only going to have say a 3 hour window, they will probably make you pay for the whole time.
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards