Wedding Reception Forum

How to handle transportation (I know similar questions have been asked)

I know similar questions have been asked, but haven't found one that really addressed all of my questions (I may just be impatient and bad at searching - sorry)

Our venue is about a 15-20 minute drive from the nearest hotel, kind of in the middle of nowhere (Nazareth Hall, Grand Rapids OH if anyone is curious). 

No hotels nearby offer a shuttle. I have never stayed at a hotel for a wedding unless it's out of town (a lot of our guests are local - but a 30-45 minute drive to home) so maybe they will want to stay in a hotel due to drinking.

How would you handle transportation? Would you get a shuttle? If so what kind? I found a large vehicle that could fit around 36 people that would work for a shuttle, and then I thought of the organization of it all and got overwhelmed. We would have to have it pick people up from the hotel starting at least a half hour before the ceremony (so... 4:30) and the reception will end at 10:30. So that would be 6 hours. And then I thought, they're not all going to fit on one shuttle so we would probably need to start at 4. So 6.5 hours. Would you then ask guests if they plan on using a shuttle to make sure everyone could fit? 

I'm sorry - I'm overwhelmed and probably over thinking everything. I just don't want anyone to get a DUI or complain that they had to drive too far. 

Our venue has a chapel on site, so the ceremony should be starting around 5, with reception from 5:30-10:30. We will have around 200 people, but I can't imagine more than 50 even wanting a shuttle. The wedding will be in the winter, so there could be snow or it could be nice (it's Ohio - no one knows)....

Any thoughts or suggestions (or a chill the heck out you're being crazy) would all be appreciated :)

Re: How to handle transportation (I know similar questions have been asked)

  • Ditto PP.  You can make a hotel block or two and list some cab companies, but if the majority of guests are local, I think most of them will be able to get themselves home (I wouldn’t get a hotel room if my home was another 15 minutes).
  • I would not get a shuttle. It's way more hassle and cost than it's worth. If you're worried about drinking and driving, ask a few cab companies for business cards and put them in the bathrooms. And with Uber and smart phones (cab companies at your fingertips) there's no excuse to drink and drive - don't take that on yourself.
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  • Let your guests provide their own transportation.  It is not all that far.
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