Have you ben asking: who normally travels in wedding cars?  Cooks Carriages provide horse drawn carriage hire in Essex and London. This article explores wedding car etiquette and how many wedding cars will be needed. 

Who Travels in the Bridal Party Car

Planning your wedding day can get stressful, and you may worry about missing things, so it's paramount to set aside money for wedding cars and efficient, stylish transportation. Typically, in common wedding tradition, there are at least three cars, depending on the number of wedding guests and important people travelling with you. 

There is typically a car for the Bridal party, one for the Groom and Groomsmen and finally, a car for the Bride. Often the bridesmaids, flower girls and the mother of the Bride will all travel together in a vehicle. At a small or average-sized wedding, there are around 2, 6 or 8 bridesmaids, and the number of flower girls varies.

Most weddings have a collective of 6 flower girls and bridesmaids, so you should aim to purchase suitable transport for six people to save money. Wedding transport is best hired once you've hired out the chosen venues and purchased all the dresses, as the duration of the journey, the season of your special day, and the style and size of the dresses you have selected will all impact the vehicle choice.

Style is essential for you and the rest of the bridal party, and it's always great to have photography involving your vehicles. However, don't forget that your chosen cars must be comfortable, especially if you have a journey longer than ten or fifteen minutes ahead to get to the ceremony or reception area.

You don't want to cram your mother, bridesmaids and flower girls into a car or vehicle that is entirely too small, as this won't make for a pleasant start to their day. Another factor to consider is the seasonal climate of your wedding day; if you're hosting your special day during the summertime, you want to avoid small, stuffy vehicles.

You may want to opt for cars and alternative transport modes with better climate control to ensure they are weather permitting, lots of air conditioning, soft top roofs or large windows. 

Ideas for Unusual Wedding Transport

Wedding Car Etiquette

There are no straightforward, strict procedures when it comes to wedding car booking; it's ultimately your day, and all the fine details are up to you. Whoever you want to travel in the cars you have hired is for you to decide.

The traditional etiquette is that there are usually two or three cars hired, often of a more vintage style, but this is up to you, and one is for the Groomsmen, the other for the Bridal party, and finally, the Bride and the person who is giving her away.

Yet, in modern times, the preference is yours, and you can make it your own. Some other etiquette involved is the inclusion of personal touches, like beautiful ribbon and bow decorations on your main modes of transport and tin cans added to the Bridal car at the end of the ceremony for when the Bride and Groom set off to the reception.

Again, these traditions are now a preference many couples don't have to adhere to for their big day, and some may be provided for an extra cost. Time management is key for wedding etiquette, so always be wary of how long these vehicles are available; however, many couples opt to have the wedding cars hired for the whole day, giving them more freedom for picture opportunities, ensuring the drivers and chauffeurs aren't suffering from photograph waiting time.

Chauffeurs offer a friendly service for guests and newlyweds. They will go to great lengths to ensure you have the best day and pictures possible, and on rainy days, they may provide Bridal parties with white umbrellas to match the elegant theme and any photography plans.  

Does the mother of the bride travel with the bridesmaids?

Traditionally, the mother of the Bride does travel alongside her daughter's bridesmaids to the Church or wedding ceremony, and it's still paramount to ensure she isn't forgotten transport-wise. When making wedding car hire arrangements, there must always be room in the Bridal party travel for the mother.

Usually, the Bridal party wedding car sets off before or travels in front of the Bridal car so that the bridesmaids and mother can be helped out of the vehicle by the chauffeur, and they will diligently wait for the arrival of the Bride and father of the Bride.

Once the Bride has arrived, they will collectively enter the ceremony venue. Alternatively, the mother or Groom's parents may immediately go into the ceremony room; this aspect is purely based on your preferences. 

What is the Order of arrival at a Wedding ceremony?

Whilst not every wedding day is the same, you'll notice that there is typically a specific order involved when it comes to the arrival of each significant guest. The order of the wedding party arriving at the Church or ceremony venue is as follows:

It is vital that the Grooms party arrive first; the party includes the groom himself, the best man, groomsmen and any page boys. They will greet most guests and be there to ensure everyone is seated correctly, especially at the front of the pews.

Next, the bridal party will arrive; this party includes the bridesmaids, flower girls, and the mother of the bride if she is not accompanying the Bride.

Finally, the grand arrival is left to the Bride; she will arrive in her car or chosen vehicle, alongside her father or whoever she has chosen to give her away. 

How many Wedding Cars will we need?

The number of wedding cars you require will always vary depending on three essential factors. The first factor involved that you must consider is the budget or final balance you have set for yourself. Assess how much you are willing to pay and set aside for transport. 

Next, you'll have to factor in the distance you'll be travelling during each aspect of your special day; for example, how far apart are the addresses of the guests you're collecting, the ceremony and the reception area.

Finally, the last aspect to consider is the number of passengers you wish to take with you. If you have a particularly large budget, you might be able to afford multiple cars at once; however, we've found that one or two is perfect for those with a smaller budget or fewer passengers.

We highly recommend that you begin by choosing the Bride's car, as this is the most significant vehicle of the day and likely to be the vehicle you splash the most money on. Once you've chosen the car you want, you'll be provided with a quote that will help decipher how much money you have left over for other cars.

If we assume that your budget allows for a second car, often suited for the Bridesmaids and the Bride's mother or father, then you must figure out how many bridesmaids will be transported. For most couples with a passenger total exceeding four, then we encourage you to seek vehicles of a larger capacity, such as MPVs, Hummers and Limousines, as you are guaranteed more space.

A normal-sized vehicle or car will only seat at least four passengers alongside the chauffeur. You'll find that your car selection becomes even broader with four or fewer passengers. It is also vital to remember that children under three aren't allowed to travel in cars or vehicles without fitted seat belts, so that may limit your choice to only modern cars.

The Bride's car is perfectly acceptable for other passengers, even if it isn't the most traditional form of wedding travel; it's also cost-effective for transporting your passengers if your budget cannot stretch to accommodate two or more vehicles. On the other hand, we do not recommend doing so unless the course of the journey from one location to the next is a short one, specifically under 10 minutes.

After the ceremony, many traditional ceremonies use the Bridal car to transport the Bride and Groom from the Church or ceremony venue to the reception or their next destination. If this is still a part of the tradition you would like to keep on your wedding day, you will have to be wary that, should other passengers arrive with you, you may have to arrange transport for them so they can also get to the second location.

There is also the option of them travelling or carpooling with other family members to your reception venue; however, you will have to discuss this with them long before your wedding date to ensure they aren't stranded.

Please do not hesitate to contact a local wedding car hire if you require further information on how many cars you may need or how to decipher which vehicle is most suitable. These companies and wedding car services have a vast experience in transportation and suitable cars, so always get in touch for all the details. 

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If you are attending a prom in Essex, London or the surrounding areas, we provide horse drawn carriages for just such occasions. 

We offer wedding carriage hire Essex. Visit our site to book your prom horse and carriage transport hire.