Wherever you're hosting your wedding, ensuring that you and all of your guests are able to get there is a vitally important, but often underrated, part of the wedding planning process. You need to consider how your families and wedding party are getting to the ceremony, how you, the wedding couple, are going to make your grand entrance and grand exit, and any transport that might be needed in between. Maybe you're also planning on organising shuttles for all of your guests.

To book the right transport, you need to consider comfort and convenience, your wedding aesthetic, the size of your wedding party and needs of your guests.

for the couple, immediate family & wedding party

Once you've booked your accommodation, you then need to figure out how you'll be getting from there to your ceremony on time, and then from the ceremony to the reception, and then to make your grand exit at the end of the night. Unless you're staying onsite, in which case, your work is done! (For this step of wedding planning, anyway.) Organising transport isn't usually the highest on anyone's wedding planning priorities, but is an absolutely essential part of the ensuring that the day runs smoothly and to schedule.

The first things you need to figure out are the logistics.

How many locations are you organising travel to and from: is it just from your accommodation to the ceremony, or will they hang around to transport you from the ceremony to the reception? 

What's the distance between those venues? Look at the kms and also the expected time to help with scheduling - don't forget that you can change the date and time on Google maps to get an idea of the usual traffic conditions in that area for the day of the week and time of day that you'll be having your wedding. Or, if it's local, you can do a test drive of the route to get a feel for how busy it is.

Who needs transportation: is it just the wedding couple, or is it the wedding couple and their sides of the wedding party, or their immediate families? You need decide who will be riding with who and how many trips will be needed to get everyone where they need to be, depending on which vehicle you choose. Maybe you'd like two smaller cars for the couple and their parents to travel separately in, but all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen can go together in a van? Or maybe you want a romantic getaway car just for the couple after the reception ends? 

What options are available for parking? Does the venue have its own designated parking, or is there a loading zone where you can all be dropped off, or a public car park within walking distance? Don't forget to consider vehicle size when thinking about this, too -  a little car is going to have an easier time pulling into a parallel park to let people hop out than a 12 seater van will.

Once you know exactly where you're going, the configurations of who will be travelling with who, and the traffic and parking situation, you can look at what vehicles are available to suit.

Depending on if your guests are going to see you arriving or departing, your budget, and your interest in cars, you may choose to lean more towards practicality than flashiness when it comes time to book your wedding transport. If neither of you are particularly into cars, and you're not planning on making a grand entrance in front of all of your guests, this is an area where you might be able to save some money. However, if one or both of you do love cars, or you've always dreamt of making a dramatic, grand entrance, then putting some extra thought and care into which vehicle you choose and how it looks is absolutely the right thing to do.

Whichever vehicle type you choose, feel free to add some personal touches (with the blessings of the hire company, of course). The white ribbon over the bonnet is a classic on wedding cars, as is a 'Just Married' sign on the back. You can also organise champagne and personalised playlists in some vehicles, to help make the ride a proper part of the celebration.

Once you've selected your vehicle type and transport company, check the details thoroughly to ensure that the company, driver and vehicle are properly licensed, certified and insured. Confirm that they're planning on following the route that you've tested, and that you've allowed some buffer time to account for any traffic jams or other delays that might occur when organising pick up and drop off times. 

Also ensure that you have a back up plan for if a vehicle breaks down - will the company send out an emergency vehicle? Is there a guest, or a few guests, who could step in as transport? It's a bit of a nightmare to think about, but better to have an emergency plan and not need to use it than to end up in an emergency with no plan.

for the guests

In Australia, it's not the norm for the wedding couple to organise transport to the wedding for all of their guests, but it is common for them to provide suggestions and options for how to travel to the venue via car or public transport options. 

However, the use of shuttles from the ceremony to the reception, if they're held in different venues, or from the reception back to nearby accommodation at the end of the night, is becoming more common. This can be especially helpful for destination weddings or venues with limited parking, if you have guests that have mobility issues, or if you have guests that you know will be making the most out of your open bar. 

If you're not providing transport for your guests, make sure to include recommended transport options in the information you give them, either as part of their invitation or on your wedding website. Important things to let them know include: Which public transport options are available - trains, trams and buses - and the walking distance from those stops to the venue; If there's a guest car park, and if it has enough spots for everyone; What paid and unpaid parking is nearby, and if there are street and off-street parking options; The distance between any accommodation you've suggested and the wedding venue. 

You can usually wait a little longer to book your transport than you can your accommodation, but keep in mind that, like any wedding vendors, they will book out faster during certain times of year. Also check the calendar of local events for the area where you're getting married - if there's another big event, like a festival, race or convention, they may book out earlier than usual. It's recommended to book roughly 6 months before your wedding, although you can, of course, book earlier if you'd prefer.

Wedding transportation can be purely practical, but it can also be more than just a ride. As well as being a key part of the logistics of the day, it can also be a reflection of your style and add a sense of extravagant flair or fairytale romance. By considering comfort and convenience, and choosing a vehicle that matches your wedding aesthetic and the size of your wedding party, you’ll ensure everyone arrives to your big day safely and in style - and makes it back home again afterwards.