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Limousine services provide a glamorous entrance and exit for weddings. In addition to the traditional stretch limo that people may see on TV, limousines may come in many other shapes and sizes, from classic cars to stretch SUV's.
| Tip: | As with other wedding-related services, exercise your Brides' Bill of Rights. Be sure to ask the vendor about the vehicle (make, model, year, insurance, etc.), services in addition to the ride and their possible additional charges, pictures of the vehicle, and the chauffeur. And get the deal in writing (a legally binding contract). Be sure to make your requests as specific as you can. |
 A stretch limo at a wedding chapel.
Services
 How many people are going to board the vehicle? Take this question into consideration when you reserve. Limousine renters provide at least three hours of transportation service (In other words, you usually cannot pay for less than three hours). The vehicle used in the rental may depend on the seating capacity you need for your wedding party. For example, buses and stretch SUV's can be used to seat more than ten people.
They may also offer other services as well, often for an additional fee:
- Red carpet
- Decorations (interior or exterior, including a "Just Married" sign)
- Beverages (including champagne)
- Transportation from the wedding chapel to the reception
- Transportation to the airport (for the honeymoon) or local honeymoon site
If you want these services, be sure to ask about them if the renter hasn't offered them already.
You may also want to ask about the renter's policy on decorations. (Decorating the getaway car is the best man's and groomsmen's responsibility.) Some renters can do this for you. Some may restrict the use of outer decorations (such as prohibiting attaching things anywhere except onto the glass).
Reservations and Fees
While you could rent a limousine as soon as 2 days before the wedding, you should plan 6 to 12 months ahead of time, especially if your wedding is in the spring, which is prom season, when prices go up since so many people rent limousines for proms around that time.
Make sure that you get your order as specific as you can, whom you're expecting to board the vehicle, what you want in your order, right where you want the vehicle, and right when you want the vehicle.
Renters charge around $100 an hour for one limousine. Depending on the seating capacity of the vehicle, you might have to pay as much as $333 an hour. You generally can only pay a minimum of 3 hours' service, although some renters may have special rates for more than 8 hours. You may have to pay an upfront deposit; if you do, you should not be paying higher than 25% of the total fee unless you trust the renter. Also, ask about any additional fees that may be involved, such as for extra services and tips.
Situations & Strategies
Renting a party bus or limousine may be a very fun way to transport the wedding party on the wedding day. However, many couples start to get a headache when trying to figure out how to get everyone back to their respective cars at the end of the day.
- One solution is to have the honor attendants have vans. The morning or evening before the wedding, the rest of the bridal party can drop off their individual vehicles at the reception site. The vans can be used to transport the bridal party members to the ceremony site. After the limousine or party bus has dropped them off at the reception venue, other members of the wedding party can get the honor attendants back to the church to retrive the vans.
- Another solution is to have everyone leave their vehicles at the ceremony site, then have the limousine or party bus drop everyone back off at the ceremony site.
- Yet another solution is to rent two limousines. The first can take the entire wedding party to the reception site. The second can take the couple to their honeymoon location while the first drops the wedding party off at the ceremony site. Considering most limousine rentals have a 3 hour rental minimum, this can be more cost-effective than it seems.
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When you're planning this, make a chart of who is planning on driving and how many others they can seat in their respective vehicles. Once you have the facts in front of you, it will be much easier to plan a solution that is best for your wedding party. |
See Also
External Links & Sources
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