FAQ
What are the timings?
45 minutes before the service starts - the groom’s party including the best man and ushers arrive.
15 minutes before the service starts - the bridal party, including the bridesmaids and the bride’s mother arrive
5 minutes before the service starts - the bride arrives.
These times will vary for a civil ceremony.
Despite folklore, it is never recommended that the bride arrives ‘fashionably late’ in order to keep the groom guessing! There may be more than one wedding taking place at the venue that day, and if you are too late arriving there is always the chance that your wedding would have to be cancelled.
Our cars will travel to the agreed time schedule, and we always arrive at the pickup location at least 15 minutes before the specified departure times.
How many cars are needed?
It depends on how far the wedding party is from the venue. If everyone is close by, then one car might suffice for the bridal party, returning for the bride. However if the journey A to B takes more than say, 10 minutes each way then the bridal party might need to arrive at the venue excessively early. After the ceremony, it is traditional for the bride and groom to travel together alone in the car, so the bridal party, parents and groomsmen would need alternative transport.
Many couples opt for two cars:
the bridal party travels to the ceremony and then on to the reception in one car
the bride travels to the ceremony with her father or companion, then on to the reception with the groom
Journeys
With the trend towards holding the ceremony at the same place as the reception, a single stage journey may be all that is necessary to transport either the bride or the groom. We can wait until the photos have been taken on your arrival and leave as the ceremony starts.
A more traditional two-stage journey is from your home to the church or register office, then onwards to the reception. Additionally we can take the married couple on a short countryside drive after the ceremony for a photo shoot before returning you both to the reception venue. This also allows your guests to arrive there before the married couple, so you can make a grand entrance!
Travel after the reception is not available through us, as we can legally only provide ‘wedding transport’. A licensed taxi would be required for onward travel and should be arranged separately.
Not on the Island?
We are based on the Isle of Wight, but will be pleased to support weddings on the mainland by arrangement. Additional charges will apply, as extra time, mileage and ferry crossings will be required, and possibly an overnight stopover as well. We still need to conduct a dummy run of the wedding journey, check for roadworks, diversions and delays so we will need to allocate time for that beforehand.