With your focus on the big day, you have probably got your sights set on a big car to match the occasion. You know you have just got to have that shiny Bentley or Rolls-Royce wedding car: but are you missing the most important element of your wedding travel arrangements?

Where would Ferrari be without Kimi, or McLaren without Lewis? If Ron Dennis suddenly lost his marbles and offered me Lewis’s seat for the Monaco Grand Prix, he would soon realise his error when the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes went straight on at turn 1, Sainte Devote. The corner named after the Saint, who was martyred by Barbarus, would be the resting place of both the beautiful McLaren and me. Legend has it as Sainte Devote was dying she heard these last words from heaven: “What you have asked for or wished for, you will obtain.” Which would make make a nice slogan for a wedding car hire business perhaps.

So what are you looking for? A certain shade of silver, or a specific interior hue to match your bridesmaids dresses? You want the resplendent look of the Rolls or the passionate drive of the Bentley. You know that one of these fine wedding carriages will be perfect for your wedding day. You have even agreed the exact hue of wedding ribbons and you know the Champagne will be the perfect toast as you depart for your wedding reception. Even more importantly you have found the right car, for a price you can actually afford. But like the best-laid plans of mice and men, there is one possible super-fly in the ointment.

Meet the driver

Your chauffeur is as equally important as the car. Given the choice I would always recommend the better driver than car. But how do you judge or rate your wedding pilot? Obviously Lewis Hamilton’s profession is quite easily measured. The thousandths of a second that separate the Hamiltons from the Alonsos do not really relate to the performance of your wedding driver. I would suspect that most Formula One drivers would make dreadful wedding chauffeurs. The last thing that you want from your wedding driver would be a full throttle get a way from your church. Think sedate, smooth and elegant rather than kick down, drift and wheel spin.

The number one priority should be safety. After that, you want someone who is experienced, prompt and reliable. She and your chosen wedding car should be properly licensed and insured and depending on your style of wedding dressed for the occasion. Normally this would mean a smart suit, shirt with tie or perhaps the more traditional chauffeur cap and attire for a vintage wedding car.

What about the service?

It can sometimes be the little things that separate great service from average. A friend of mine was delighted with their hotel stay. The food and amenities were excellent, but he was wax lyrical about one thing in particular. “They even had a man to clean your glasses!”. This impressed him more than anything else. This was something he didn’t expect nor did he have to pay extra for. It is this kind of thing, like the style of driving which is hard to quantify. A good wedding chauffeur will do a lot more than what you pay for. He will do a reconnaissance run before the wedding journeys if he hasn’t driven to that wedding venue previously. She will arrive at your collection address an hour before the appointed time. Relaxed and unhurried the car will then be prepared with ribbons if applicable in preparation for the first pick-up.

The chauffeur can then help make the passengers relax and enjoy the journey. iChauffeur chairman, Andy Senior said, “A good wedding chauffeur can really help cut the ice and help the bride in particular relax and enjoy the day.” The last thing anybody would want is a comedian on their wedding day. Knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet is an art. “On a recent wedding, the father of the bride said to his very nervous daughter ‘you look wonderful darling’. I replied, - ‘ Thank you very much, Sir’. With that the bride’s bubble burst, her nerves disappeared and she enjoyed the rest of the journey. I didn’t say another word till after the ceremony. I didn’t need to.”

Booking a wedding car can be expensive but if you have a great chauffeur included, then you have a bargain. You might save £100 on the cost of the car, but if the chauffeur gets lost, is late or is just downright rude and unhelpful you have wasted your money, and also potentially ruined your wedding day.