Photo: Cooper Carras
You may have your vintage wedding reception getaway car booked and ready to go, but have you thought about how your guests will get around? If your ceremony and reception are in two different locations, you should consider providing some sort of transportation to aid their comfort. Many couples also choose to give guests a way to get back to their hotel at the end of the reception, as well. If you're concerned about the logistics or how to fit this into your budget, fear not! We have some etiquette questions and answers to help you plan.
When is it absolutely necessary to provide transportation for guests?
Give serious consideration to providing transportation to guests if you're planning a destination wedding. They're already going to a great expense to attend your wedding, so don't give them the added burden of paying for a 20-dollar cab ride to the wedding site. Also, definitely think about offering transportation if you have a high percentage of out-of-towners or if the wedding is taking place in a city where parking is difficult to find or expensive, especially if the ceremony and reception are taking place in two different locations. Guests shouldn't have to worry about parking or hailing a cab twice.
I'm providing a bus for guests to get from my ceremony to reception. Is there an easy way to help them keep the energy up during the trip?
If you have a wedding playlist or just a list of tunes you love, give it to the driver! That'll get everyone into just the kind of celebratory mood you have in mind. To that end, think about some tunes to play in your car, as well.
My wedding budget is super tight and I really can't afford buses. Is there any other alternative?
If there's simply no way to work it into your budget, then ask your reception site to have taxis waiting at the end of the evening. It's much easier to convince a tipsy guest to take a taxi if it's already there. Arranging this may seem like another bothersome task, but it's thoughtful and guests will appreciate it. Guests should also be informed in advance that they'll have to get themselves from the ceremony to the reception, if they're in separate locations. Provide directions on one of the invitation inserts.