Hints
There is much more to a wedding car service than just a quick drive to the ceremony.
While you may be able to persuade friends with nice cars to drop you off at the venue, utilising the services of one of Melbourne’s many professional wedding car companies can reduce much of your wedding day stress.
There are two parts to the process of choosing wedding cars:
Planning your Wedding Day and Transport
The Theme
When you begin to consider your transport, firstly think about what type of car and colour will suit the theme and style of your wedding and will also suit the venues that you have chosen. You will need to take in to consideration any personal preferences your partner may have and then of course the practicalities for the day. (If the bride is wearing a full hooped dress, then maybe a two seater modern coupe is not be the best choice!)
The Cars
You will also need to have finalised on the make up of your bridal party. The more bridesmaids and groomsmen you have, the more (or larger) cars you will need. Also you will need to have a reasonable understanding of the timeframes for the day but actual times can be confirmed at a later stage. Over recent years, the traditions have changed a little and it is now more common for both parents to arrive at the church in the bridal car. The drive to the ceremony can be a relaxed “family” time in the midst of what is often a hectic wedding day schedule (But don’t forget that the brides parents will still need their own transport following the ceremony.) If you require an extra car to carry the bridal party after the ceremony, this car could also be used to collect the groom and groomsmen to drive them to the venue. Remember that the groom generally should be at the venue 20 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the ceremony.
The Photography
If, after the ceremony, you are planning on travelling around for bridal party photographs, try and arrange for the family photographs to be taken first and preferably at the ceremony venue. Often because of the large number family photographs required and the time that it takes to organise each shot, these photos can take far more time than you may have considered and allowed. If you have very young children as part of your bridal party, it may be prudent to leave them with family whilst you have your photographs taken as children can become very restless with the tedium of photography.
When travelling around for the bridal party photographs, it pays to plan the venues in advance with your photographer and have options available should the weather be inclement. Try and keep the distances you will need to travel between locations to a minimum as this will give the photographer more time to be creative and precise.
If you have more than two hours available for your bridal party photographs, schedule a coffee stop half way through. Not only will it give the photographer an opportunity to take some café shots but it will also provide the bride and bridesmaids an opportunity to rest their sore feet. (remember you have new shoes on!)
When planning your photographs, it does pay to allow a little more time than you may at first think as generally we find this is where most delays occur and a rushed photo session can affect the quality of the final photographs.
The Departure
Lastly, you must consider how you are going to leave the reception and begin your honeymoon. Many wedding car companies offer a post reception collection service. This is a particularly nice way to leave the reception and being driven to your hotel in comfort and style can perfectly round off your big day.
Choosing a Wedding Car Service
In Melbourne, you are very lucky with the huge choice you have for wedding cars. Just about any variety of car and colour (or horse and carriage) you can imagine is available to you.
However there are some basic rules that you should follow to ensure that you both minimise the risk of something going horribly wrong on the day and of ensuring that you receive the level of service that you deserve.
Questions to ask about the services when choosing a transport operator:
- Can I see the cars before I book?
- Do you have two or three matching cars?
- Do you have a minimum booking?
- Are the cars licenced by the Victorian Taxi Directorate (there should be current year sticker affixed to the windscreen)
- How many passengers is each car licenced to carry?
- Do all of the cars have current RWC’s? (12 month expiry for SV licenced cars and 24 month expiry for RH licenced cars)
- Do all your drivers have Vic Roads Drivers Certificates?
- Will the cars I book be the one(s) that actually turn up on the day?
- What insurance cover do you have?
- Do you have a contingency plan for mechanical failure?
- Are the cars air-conditioned and heated?
- Do you provide a late night collection service?
- Can you provide me with references?
- Are you a member of the Wedding Car Association and bound by their Code of Ethics?
- How much is the deposit?
- What happens if I cancel?
- When is the balance due and how can I pay?
- What is your policy if we go over time?
- Do you have a surcharge if we are outside the metropolitan region and do you charge travel time getting to the first pick up ?
- What other services do you provide?
As with most decisions you make, there will always be a certain amount of risk involved. You can minimise this risk by asking yourself a few basic questions before making your choice:
- Do I feel comfortable with this operator and would I like them to be part of the biggest day of my life?
- Do the cars look like they are clean and well maintained?
- Does this business look reputable and will it still be here when my wedding comes around?
If the answer to these questions is yes and you are satisfied with all of the responses you have been provided, then you should be able to trust your wedding to this operator.
Book your cars as early as you can to ensure you get the cars you want. Bookings are heavier during the September to April months and for the better operators, weekend time slots fill quickly.
In most cases, vehicles used to transport wedding parties are required to be licensed under the transport act 1983.
The Victorian Taxi Directorate is the responsible authority and can provide information and advice on licensing requirements and the licence status of particular vehicles.
Contact phone number for the directorate is 03 9320 4376
