On the wedding day, you may want to arrange separate transportation to the ceremony for just your wedding party and your parents to have them all in one place at the same time.
For limousines or town cars, negotiate rates with the booking agent and ask about cheaper rates on less-luxurious models. (Some companies actually charge less for untinted windows.) Be specific about the number of guests that cars hold and whether the cars have Jump seats (extra fold-down seats). Keep in mind that having a limo wait for you for several hours usually costs the same as having it return to pick you up (because it’s unlikely that they can book a job in between).
Of course, a limousine isn’t a necessity. Consider less-pricey vehicles such as a town car or larger vehicles such as a minivan or an SUV that hold more people and. consequently, can be less costly.
After the sheet listing contact information, the next page of the master wedding-day schedule delineates where members of the wedding party are during the day and how they’re getting there. Give this sheet to anyone whose name appears on it, as well as to the drivers.
Arranging Transportation for Guests
Unless you’re holding all your events in the hotel where your guests are staying (or within walking distance), if your budget permits, you might want to arrange to get everyone from one place to another, comfortably and safely. Although this may seem an unnecessary expense, it’ll be worth every penny in case of rain to not have 300 guests trying to hail taxis from the church at the same time.
Plan for the vehicles to leave from a central location and stagger the departure times to allow for stragglers. If you have elderly or handicapped guests, consider providing them with special transportation. Assign friends who want to be helpful to transportation patrol — corralling strays and checking that everyone is accounted for.
Directing Traffic
You also need to provide an addendum in case someone isn’t familiar with the town or venues. Include the address of and directions to the ceremony and reception as well as for such intermediate stops as the location where the bridal party is dressing. Cover all bases by giving directions from several key locations such as the airport, downtown, or the hotel where you’ve reserved rooms. To save yourself time, print out maps and routes by using an Internet map site.
