Wedding transport is one of the few parts of the day that has to run to the minute and be invisible when it does. A little planning in the months before takes most of the pressure off. Use this checklist as a starting point and adapt it to your plans.
When to book
Book as soon as your date and ceremony location are confirmed. Popular dates fill early, and the vehicle you want may not be available if you wait. You do not need every detail settled to enquire; the date and the rough area are enough to check availability, and details can be finalised later.
Work out how many vehicles you need
- The couple: one car, often a classic or luxury saloon, for the journey to the ceremony and on to the next stop.
- Parents and the wedding party: a second car or a people carrier so nobody is left to arrange their own lift.
- Guests: a minibus or coach to move family between the ceremony, the photographs and the reception.
- Late-night return: some couples book a vehicle for the end of the evening so older relatives can leave comfortably.
Build a simple timeline
Write down every journey on a single page: who travels, from where, to where and at what time. Add a margin for photographs, because they nearly always run over. Share the timeline with your chauffeur and with whoever is coordinating the day. Having one agreed version avoids the classic problem of two people giving the driver different instructions.
Choose the car for the day, not just the photo
Think about the dress and the headwear as well as the look of the car. Check how many people the vehicle genuinely seats in formal clothes, and how the doors open. See our wedding cars page and the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Rolls-Royce Ghost pages for the cars most couples ask about.
Confirm these details before the day
- Exact pick-up addresses and postcodes, including any gated or hard-to-find entrances.
- The order of stops, and how long the driver should allow at each.
- A named contact on the day with a working phone, who is not the couple.
- Whether decorations such as ribbons are allowed, and who will fit them.
- Any parking, access or timing restrictions at the locations you are using.
- What happens if the schedule changes or the ceremony is delayed.
On the day
Your chauffeur will aim to arrive early and keep the car presentable. Try to stick to the timeline, and let your coordinator speak to the driver rather than the couple. If you are running late, a quick call is always better than silence. Our London and Essex wedding pages explain how we work in each area.