With the luxury wedding transportation trends moving toward classic and convenient options, companies are offering a variety of styles for weddings.
In the past extravagant SUV limos were popular, but in recent years the large and luxe is being overlooked for timeless limos and antique cars. “Our most popular is the Rolls Royce,” Stephen Wetzel, manager of Big Easy Limos says, “It’s not like it used to be, the regular standard limos are coming back along with the Rolls Royce.”
Despite the demand for the antique and traditional options, Wetzel says they are always looking towards the future. “Now we are just waiting on who’s going to step up and build the next new limos,” Wetzel says.
Many limousine companies in New Orleans now offer both traditional limos and antique 1950‘s Rolls Royces for brides looking for a more classic feel. However, another increasingly popular wedding transportation trend is the use of minibuses and party buses, which is a more convenient and festive option for couples and their bridal parties.
“Minibuses in general are becoming a more popular choice for weddings,” says Chris Bonomolo, transportation sales and logisitics manager of Bonomolo Limousines. “They are quickly taking the place of limousines for the bridal party, as it is a more cost efficient option because it takes the place of two limousines, (one for the groomsmen and one for the bridesmaids).”
And a distinctly New Orleans trend that is putting a spin on the traditional, while still being convenient is the use of private trolley cars, something that Bonomolo Limousines offers. “For us specifically, our trolley is the trendy vehicle of choice for our clients, rehearsal dinner, wedding day and even post wedding day brunch have been reasons for brides to reserve the trolley,” Bonomolo says.
The 28-passenger trolley car was created to be a replica of the real New Orleans streetcars being used today. “We spent approximately six months customizing every specification so that it would be a near perfect replica to the Canal Street Streetcar inside and out,” Bonomolo says.
Tips for Scheduling Your Wedding Transportation
When starting to plan your wedding there are countless things to take care of and often transportation is the last thing on your mind. But it doesn’t have to be a hassle if you keep these tips in mind.
Be Detailed
When it comes to your big day, brides should never assume companies know exactly what they want unless they specifically express their plans. That’s why being detailed is one of the most important aspects of booking your transportation.
“We always recommend that a bride be as detailed as possible with our office when reserving vehicles, especially for out-of-town guests,” Bonomolo says.
If a bride is providing transportation for the wedding guests, it is important to be communicative and appoint a point person.
“Always have a contact person in charge of that group, i.e. an aunt, uncle, cousin etc.,” Bonomolo says, “…And a bride can never assume that the driver knows how many guests need transportation.
“A bride should try to let the transportation company know how many times a vehicle should shuttle to, from a hotel, church, reception, etcetera, to ensure that all the guests are transported in time.”
Most of all remember to determine the logistics beforehand and be thorough when giving directions to your transportation company. Bonomolo says, “It is in everyone’s favor that a bride be as detailed as possible when coordinating logistics for wedding transportation.”
Take the time to look
It may be easier to just look at pictures of a companies fleet of vehicles online, but taking some time out of your schedule to go out and look at the vehicles makes a big difference, Stephen Wetzel, manager at Big Easy Limos says.
“Many times brides just book over the phone and don’t give us the chance to show them our vehicles,” Wetzel says, “What they should do, especially with companies like us that have newer equipment, brides should come out and check out the vehicles before booking.”
Know what you are entitled to
Before booking make sure to ask questions and know exactly what you are receiving in your package, if you don’t ask, you won’t know and may lose out on important facts.
“Always know what services you are entitled to based on the price you have agreed to pay,” Bonomolo says, “If a company is charging for a minimum hourly use, a bride may not be aware that they are fully entitled to having that vehicle at their disposal during that time frame.”
It is important for brides to know this especially when providing transportation for guests and family members to and from the church and reception space. Bonomolo Limos allows for an unlimited amount of transfers as long as it’s within the time frame for which they are booked. “For example a bride can have that vehicle do as many transfers [or] shuttles within that minimum hourly time frame,” Bonomolo says.
Cheap doesn’t equal reliable
Transportation for your wedding can get expensive, so it is easy to be attracted by less expensive options, but remember that doesn’t always equal reliable service you will be happy with in the end, Bonomolo says.
“The most important tip that I stress with any bride when choosing transportation would be not to book transportation based of what company is the cheapest,” Bonomolo says. “The cheapest price will not always get you the most dependable service.”
Sometimes paying a little extra will make a big difference, so shop around and see what special things each company offers.
For example, Big Easy Limos has high-tech limo software that can plug in the daily route, for all locations, and makes sure the limos are running on time throughout the day, Wetzel says.
Bonomolo Limousines offers something important as well, flexibility and dependability. “We pride ourselves on the concept of never double booking vehicles or ‘piggy backing’ transportation services for weddings,” Bonomolo says.
Flexibility is important because things can change throughout the planning process.
“We understand that certain aspects of a wedding can change periodically from the time you reserve transportation to the night of the rehearsal dinner,” Bonomolo says, “As a result we have a strict policy that any vehicle that client reserves cannot be booked by another person in any way that would place the original reservation in jeopardy if a client decided to move up or down a reservation.”
Confirm in advance
One of the last steps for wedding transportation prep is the confirmation, which is easy to overlook.
“Always contact the company you had hired at least two to three days before the wedding to verbally confirm every logistic of your reservations.”
It may seem excessive, but it is important to go over every detail with the company to make sure everything is set and the company knows exactly what you expect the day of the event.
“We assign a wedding coordinator that is watching over the wedding and making sure everything will be on time,” Wetzel says, “And if we come into any problems we can take care of it immediately so we still stay on time.”
And even up until the last minute you should always be comfortable asking for anything.
“Never be afraid to ask any questions,” Bonomolo says. “Transportation companies are in the hospitality industry and are in the business to serve the client to the best ability they can.”
Rent a party bus to transport your guests on time and safely to and from the wedding to the reception or after-party.
