Budget Weddings Forum

Do I need a limo?

Hey I know I'm posting a lot of questions lately. I will post more I promise. Anyway. I don't see the point or appeal in limos. My FH will be getting ready in a B&B 10 min away with his groomspeople. One of them may have a car but we're not sure whether to rely on that. My bridal party has cars, and our ceremony and reception is in the same place. I'm getting there early just to get ready and chill because they have a whole cottage as a bridal suite. But at the end of the night we will need a ride to go back to the same B&B. We think just a town car is necessary right? Do we actually need a limo? Him and his groomspeople can come in a taxi but I'm worried about the reliability in that... has anyone done this? Thanks!
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Re: Do I need a limo?

  • There's truly no reason to get a limo unless you really WANT one.  Let people drive their own vehicles, it'll make everyone happier at the end of the night.
  • We took two separate cars to the ceremony venue, rode together in my car to the reception venue, and just picked up his vehicle the next day. 
  • Everyone in our wedding drove themselves.  It was actually easier this way since one of the GM ended up needing to leave early, and not everyone was forced to go to the same place at the same time.
  • You definitely do not need a limo.

    Myself and my WP were at my mom's. My dad drove over and picked us all up in his then gf's SUV and took us to the ceremony. The men were at my dad's house and drove over in my dad's car. DH and I stayed at a hotel that night, so we borrowed my dad's car and used that. Just a regular Honda civic ;).

    No reason why you couldn't take a taxi either. The car is really not that important- as long as it is safe.
  • MCmeowMCmeow member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited January 2017
    Ok cool. People keep asking if we're getting a limo. And these wedding checklists make me feel guilty for not crossing it off already. And I admit it's fun when it's for a birthday or bachelorette or some other stress free day, (having champagne in a car while going on a wine tour is awesome) but when you're just trying to get from point A to B it seems so extra :p maybe we'll just schedule a Lyft a week ahead :wink:
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  • As long as you have a plan for a sober driver you're good. I think it's nice to provide transport for the bridal party as well if you can- especially if they are staying at a hotel or bnb for your wedding, but not essential. 
  • MCmeowMCmeow member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited January 2017
    As long as you have a plan for a sober driver you're good. I think it's nice to provide transport for the bridal party as well if you can- especially if they are staying at a hotel or bnb for your wedding, but not essential. 

    They're all local. Or at least in the next borough. I'll ask them what they prefer. I definitely want them to enjoy themselves, whether that means drinking a lot or not, ha.
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  • To me, the main reason to get a limo is not for the fancy car, but for the sober driver (and a warm/cooled car, if the weather is a factor).  A taxi or a chauffeured sedan will accomplish the same thing. 
  • You aren't obligated to get transportation for anyone. It's one of those "nice but not necessary" kinds of things. 

    If you don't have the money, don't worry about it. All you need is a sober ride home - whether that means one of you stops drinking early or you call an Uber. As far as your WP goes, just tell them where to be and when. They're big boys and girls, they can figure it out for themselves. 
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  • H drove us to and from our wedding. It was perfect for us but some people thought it wasn't right since he couldn't drink as much as he wanted. H usually only has a glass of wine so it was fine. He also has a nice car so it worked for the fun factor.

    My sister rented a mini van and my Dad drove all the bridesmaids to the ceremony/reception and then all were staying in the hotel. He drove two home the next day and others got rides from family/called a taxi.

  • Just let your wedding party know in advance that you will not be providing transportation to the wedding or reception & to plan accordingly. See if one of the GM, like the best man, can drive him to the ceremony. With you though, depending on the style of your dress, you will want to make sure that your veh is easy to get in and out of. You could always call different limo companies and see how much it would be for a towncar/SUV to drive you & maybe MOH to the ceremony & then come back later for you and FI at end of night. In the limo industry it's referred to as a pickup/drop. You get pickup at a certain time, dropped up & then they come back at a designated time later and doe the same.
  • Erikan73 said:
    Just let your wedding party know in advance that you will not be providing transportation to the wedding or reception & to plan accordingly. See if one of the GM, like the best man, can drive him to the ceremony. With you though, depending on the style of your dress, you will want to make sure that your veh is easy to get in and out of. You could always call different limo companies and see how much it would be for a towncar/SUV to drive you & maybe MOH to the ceremony & then come back later for you and FI at end of night. In the limo industry it's referred to as a pickup/drop. You get pickup at a certain time, dropped up & then they come back at a designated time later and doe the same.
    100% to the bolded. I was in a wedding where the bride's family paid for everything except transportation for the bridal party and alcoholic beverages (separate etiquette issue). ALL of our friends at the time were big drinkers, and it was a large wedding party and a long day. We didn't find out until the day of that we'd have to drive ourselves and it was a mess. We also had to drive across three counties throughout the day, in tiny cars and huge poofy dresses. At the end of the night I'm sure whoever brought me to the hotel shouldn't have been driving, but we were in a super rural area with no taxi service (and this was years before smart phones, so no Uber either). 

    Transportation isn't necessary, but by all means, give your WP a heads up! 
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited February 2017
    No one NEEDS a limo!  Not necessary for any wedding.  The tackiest wedding I ever saw had eight of them, all in a row, parked outside the church.  I wonder who they were trying to impress?
    Now, you might WANT a limo, and that is perfectly OK, but nobody actually needs one.  You are good.
    We rented a big Cadillac, and FOB drove a few people around who needed rides.  Most just drove their own cars.   (We were from out of town.)
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • Erikan73 said:
    Just let your wedding party know in advance that you will not be providing transportation to the wedding or reception & to plan accordingly. See if one of the GM, like the best man, can drive him to the ceremony. With you though, depending on the style of your dress, you will want to make sure that your veh is easy to get in and out of. You could always call different limo companies and see how much it would be for a towncar/SUV to drive you & maybe MOH to the ceremony & then come back later for you and FI at end of night. In the limo industry it's referred to as a pickup/drop. You get pickup at a certain time, dropped up & then they come back at a designated time later and doe the same.
    100% to the bolded. I was in a wedding where the bride's family paid for everything except transportation for the bridal party and alcoholic beverages (separate etiquette issue). ALL of our friends at the time were big drinkers, and it was a large wedding party and a long day. We didn't find out until the day of that we'd have to drive ourselves and it was a mess. We also had to drive across three counties throughout the day, in tiny cars and huge poofy dresses. At the end of the night I'm sure whoever brought me to the hotel shouldn't have been driving, but we were in a super rural area with no taxi service (and this was years before smart phones, so no Uber either). 

    Transportation isn't necessary, but by all means, give your WP a heads up! 
    I think that is just bad planning all around.

    If you are expecting the WP to come with you (royal you) to the ceremony, you have to give them a reasonable option to get home, which is either a ride from someone or a taxi (and you should still give a heads up about this so they have money ready). Or, let them drive themselves to the wedding so they can drive home, and they can manage their alcohol consumption accordingly.

    I think bringing your WP to a location and then leaving them there without a transportation option is quite rude, with not even a taxi as an option. Like what were you guys supposed to do? Obviously you picked up some random probably unsafe option....
  • MCmeowMCmeow member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited February 2017
    Yeah good points all around. I don't like the style of limo's anyway, although I understand the appeal for many people. Our wedding party knows all these important details ahead of time, we communicate these things with them to see what's convenient for all of us before making big decisions (Small bridal parties for the win :P). In fact one cousin was the one who mentioned how pointless limo's were before asking us what we were planning for transportation lol. Taxis are very easy to come by here, and Lyft would be the best option, pretty much everyone I know uses it. Our ceremony and reception is at the same park (A few steps away from each other) and the bridal suite is in the park as well, so my bridal party is coming as early as what's comfortable for them as long as it's before they should get ready (I recommended a time they should arrive), so the location part is pretty simple.

    So I think this is something we shouldn't stress about! We'll either use the pick up/drop off option from town car companies or just get a Lyft :D 
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  • SP29 said:
    Erikan73 said:
    Just let your wedding party know in advance that you will not be providing transportation to the wedding or reception & to plan accordingly. See if one of the GM, like the best man, can drive him to the ceremony. With you though, depending on the style of your dress, you will want to make sure that your veh is easy to get in and out of. You could always call different limo companies and see how much it would be for a towncar/SUV to drive you & maybe MOH to the ceremony & then come back later for you and FI at end of night. In the limo industry it's referred to as a pickup/drop. You get pickup at a certain time, dropped up & then they come back at a designated time later and doe the same.
    100% to the bolded. I was in a wedding where the bride's family paid for everything except transportation for the bridal party and alcoholic beverages (separate etiquette issue). ALL of our friends at the time were big drinkers, and it was a large wedding party and a long day. We didn't find out until the day of that we'd have to drive ourselves and it was a mess. We also had to drive across three counties throughout the day, in tiny cars and huge poofy dresses. At the end of the night I'm sure whoever brought me to the hotel shouldn't have been driving, but we were in a super rural area with no taxi service (and this was years before smart phones, so no Uber either). 

    Transportation isn't necessary, but by all means, give your WP a heads up! 
    I think that is just bad planning all around.

    If you are expecting the WP to come with you (royal you) to the ceremony, you have to give them a reasonable option to get home, which is either a ride from someone or a taxi (and you should still give a heads up about this so they have money ready). Or, let them drive themselves to the wedding so they can drive home, and they can manage their alcohol consumption accordingly.

    I think bringing your WP to a location and then leaving them there without a transportation option is quite rude, with not even a taxi as an option. Like what were you guys supposed to do? Obviously you picked up some random probably unsafe option....
    Yeah that really only scratched the surface of what a hot mess that wedding was (they are now divorced). At the end of the day, it was fun but seriously...consider the comfort of your wedding party!
  • I agree with you, you don't need limo.  The distance is short.  Is Uber an option in your area?  
  • closing this months old thread
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