Transportation costs add up in a hurry, and it’s one thing you may not think about when planning your perfect day. However, it’s helpful to have a way to get from point A to point B, and you don’t want to wait until the last minute to call a driver. This can be expensive and add stress. As you budget for the day you tie the knot, take note of these simple ways to save money on your wedding transportation.
Transportation Needed for Weddings
Many couples forget to figure transportation into their wedding budgets as they add up venue costs, food, attire, entertainment, and more. But this can get expensive in a hurry. Some tips for lowering the price of transportation include:
- Choosing the right location for getting ready, ceremony, and reception
- Strategically booking transportation for guests
- Booking it as soon as possible
- Prioritizing what’s most important
Considering these factors will help you save money without sacrificing anyone’s experience on your special day. For example, some couples offer midnight shuttles to drive guests back to the hotel that they reserved for guests. Doing this allows everyone to celebrate and drink without the concern of driving afterward.
Transportation is also important because it ensures you and your wedding party get to each of your locations simultaneously. This means smooth sailing for the ceremony and group photos. Similarly, some couples have this option available to guests if they expect many friends and family who live out of town and don’t know the area.
Tips for Saving Money on Transportation
The cost of transportation varies depending on how much you need and how many people you need to move. It’s expensive to rent a car for the wedding party, a shuttle for guests, and have various venues: one to get ready, another for the ceremony, one for the reception, and a getaway car. Below, we’ve detailed simple ways to save money on wedding transportation for your big day.
Way One: Think About Location
Where are you getting married? Are you getting ready in the same space you’ll tie the knot and celebrate? Whether you do this depends on a few factors. For example, some couples hold their ceremony in a place of worship and rent a hall to celebrate; depending on the rules, you may need to find an additional place to get ready for the main event.
Take time to determine whether to have the ceremony and reception in different locations. Sometimes, this is better for the budget, but other times, hidden expenses like travel add up to a pricy bill.
Where Are You Getting Ready?
Depending on your wants, you may be able to get married in the same space you hold your reception, but this isn’t always the case. Begin analyzing transportation costs by evaluating where you’ll get ready. This is important even if the ceremony and reception are in the same space since some venues won’t allow you to arrive until a few hours before the ceremony. And typically, this doesn’t allow enough time for your hair and makeup and the bridesmaids’.
Talk to the venue manager before booking a location for more information on these rules since they could affect whether you choose that location. If you can’t get ready at the wedding venue, you’ll need to find a different place to get ready, plus figure out a way to travel to your ceremony space.
Are the Ceremony and Reception at One Venue?
After getting ready, you’ll have to travel to the venue. If possible, it’s best to have the venue for the ceremony and reception be in a single location so you can cut down on transportation expenses. If you decide to have both at separate locations, aim to keep them near one another so travel fees remain lower.
As you consider these locations, also consider where you’ll take photos with the bridal party and family. It would help if you had this at either the venue for the ceremony or the reception so that you don’t have to spend money traveling to an additional location.
Way Two: Book Larger Vehicles for Guests
Generally, couples offer transportation to get guests from a reserved hotel to the ceremony space and back to the hotel at night, so consider who will need transportation for the wedding. Aside from you and your partner, you usually must provide transportation to:
- Guest
- Both sets of parents
- The bridal party
Get a headcount of how many people you’ll need to be transported from one location to another so that you book the appropriate vehicle. Renting several small cars adds up. Instead, rent a single large vehicle like a bus or shuttle to move bigger groups since it saves more money overall.
Way Three: Don’t Wait To Book
Once you know the location and number of guests you’ll transport, find a company to book this wedding necessity. While there are all sorts of transportation available, doing this early on will save you money and give you time to find a reputable company. You don’t want to wait until the last second and force the wedding party to pay hefty Uber fees as all of you travel to the ceremony space.
Pick out various transportation companies and read through their customer reviews to ensure you get a quality driver. After doing this, compare the costs and call each for a quote. Don’t veer away from negotiating fees or talking to the venue or hotel manager to see what’s available. Some hotels offer this in a package if you reserve a set number of rooms for your guests.
Bridal Tip
When you book your driver, remember to inquire about hidden fees. Experts recommend you get an idea of all costs covered in the package, including going overtime, capacity limits, and service area. Some drivers may charge extra for specific regions.
Way Four: Prioritize What’s Most Important
What option best fits into your bridal vision? Transportation fees vary depending on the time of day, location, and number of guests. So while you may want a limo to get the wedding party to the venue or a fantastic getaway car for you and your partner, it’s not always on budget.
Instead, add up the costs of all forms of transportation you’ll need and determine what’s most important. Your goal is to get friends and family to the wedding on time. Often, party buses and shuttles accommodate many guests, which will help you save money.
Types of Transportation Available
Your options for transporting yourself and guests are nearly endless, and finding the best price means investigating a range of companies and types of transportation. Some popular kinds of transportation couples use include:
- Limos
- Shuttles
- Party Buses
If you have a destination wedding, you and your partner will need to cover your plane fees plus other travel costs for yourselves on top of transporting guests on the day of the wedding.
Analyze all your options and decide whether the choice that first appears is truly the best. Also, weigh this against the experience to best determine if it’s worth the cost. While a limo is fun, decide whether it fits into the budget or if another option appears better.
Limo
Limos are great if you only need to transport the wedding party since most can seat 12 to 14 people, which is the size of the typical wedding party. Keep everyone together for the ceremony and photos to ensure smooth sailing.
Shuttles
While a shuttle can be pricy at first glance, it ensures everyone arrives and leaves in a timely manner while also preventing drinking and driving. Many also love shuttles because they can load wedding décor and gifts into them to cut down on all the back and forth. So although it could seem like a big-ticket item at first glance, this price pays off in the long run. Plus, keeping guests and belongings in one space helps minimize stress!
Party Bus
A party bus is another option to move large groups of guests and give them an unforgettable experience. Often, these have colored lights inside, and some have a mini drink bar, large speakers, and more so you can get the party started—or keep it going.
Plane
While you probably won’t take a plane to the venue itself, this is a cost to consider for destination weddings. Aim to travel as light as possible so you can reduce the fees for checking several bags on top of your tickets. You’ll have to combine the cost of this with travel expenses to the hotel plus the venue on the big day. If you plan to board a plane for the special day, investigate ways to keep a destination wedding on a budget so that you spend your money on the best areas.
The Bottom Line
Saving money and following your budget is vital, but you need to balance this with experience. Explore all your avenues before you decide on a specific type of transportation. This helps you determine which comes at the best value and experience. While some of your options may cost less, it’s not always worth it if it means sacrificing your experience on such a special day. Seek out a form of transportation that moves as many guests as possible, and if you have several venues, keep them close together.
We all have different priorities for the perfect day, and transportation is essential to nearly every wedding. As you create your wedding budget, remember to set aside a sum of money to account for this expense so that there are no surprises. With some careful planning and evaluating your needs, you can find the most cost-effective option for the day you tie the knot.
