Think of a wedding car. Close your eyes and what do you see? Chances are ivory ribbons and a flying lady will spring to mind. This flying lady is more formally known as "The Spirit of Ecstasy", a figurine adorning most Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911. A lovely, fitting, romantic mascot for the best car in the world and the best wedding car in the world.

Rolls-Royce wedding cars from vintage Rolls-Royce wedding cars to the brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom wedding cars all adorn a variation of the Spirit of Ecstasy on their radiators grills. The new Phantom design features a spring loaded mechanism which makes them a lot safer for pedestrians, and also folds away when parked to keep it safe and sound.

The History of the Spirit of Ecstasy

A story of romance and tragedy

Claude Johnson (known as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce) commissioned his friend Charles Sykes, a graduate of the Royal College of Art to design a mascot to sit a top the radiator of Rolls-Royce cars. Rolls-Royce had noted that many customers where designing their own radiator mascots, and many of which were vulgar or "inappropriate" to the Rolls-Royce ethos.

Johnson’s brief was that the mascot should evoke the spirit of the Nike of Samothrace, a famous sculpture on display in the Louvre. The sculpture was fashioned after Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. Sykes chose his own path, and revisited a custom Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost mascot he had made for John Montagu, who later became Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. This was named "The Whisper" and depicted a woman with her fingers to her lips as if she was keeping a secret, which she was. The model for The Whisper was Eleanor Velasco Thornton, the beautiful, secret lover of Lord Montagu. Thornton would become the model for the new Rolls-Royce mascot, which went onto become one of the most famous icons of the 20th century.

Sykes called it The Spirit of Speed, but later he said, "A graceful little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies." The Spirit of Ecstasy was born. Sykes presented the first Silver Lady to Rolls-Royce in February 1911, since then nearly every Rolls-Royce car has featured this figurine. Originally silver plated, this "Silver Lady" was also known as "Ellie in her nightie" and as "The Flying Lady" in the USA. Due to many incidents of theft, silver was later changed to a nickel alloy, but silver or gold plated varieties were available as an extra. Henry Royce was not a huge fan of these figurines, he felt that they impaired the driver’s view and rarely drove a Rolls-Royce with a mascot.

In 1915, Miss Thornton and Lord Montagu were sailing back to India through the Mediterranean on the SS Persia when it was torpedoed by a U-boat. While Lord Montagu clung onto an upturned life boat for 36 hours and lived, Eleanor went down with the ship. Her legacy will have her remain proudly atop some of the best cars in the world, and will also stand as a lasting testament to her love affair with Lord Montagu. Social pressures meant that Lord Montagu and Miss Thornton could never marry, but the Flying Lady Eleanor has been witness to many over the years, perched on the front of many Rolls-Royce wedding cars.

The story of the lovely Miss Thornton and Lord Montagu is a love story that is soon to become a major new feature film, the aptly titled Silver Ghost.

In my quest for finding the quintessential vintage wedding car, I found some truly stunning wedding vehicles. To my mind, beautiful Bentleys and Rolls-Royce wedding cars, make the perfect bridal carriages, especially for a classic English wedding. I discovered some lovely examples, but then I found this 1936 vintage Rolls-Royce 25/30 Park Ward. Kindly loaned to me for an afternoon’s photoshoot and available for wedding hire from iChauffeur Wedding Cars. I was keen to find out if it was as good as a wedding car as it looked.

There is something immediately special about this particular Rolls-Royce. Made before the outbreak of World War II. Before the dark clouds of war cast a shadow over the world and of course the British Commonwealth. At the time it was made, Rolls-Royce had the best car in the world award firmly locked away in it’s considerable trophy cabinet. This Rolls-Royce has a certain elegance and charm that only seems to grace cars from the Bentley and Rolls-Royce stable. Even by these standards this particular Rolls-Royce is a cut above your typical English mustard. Three score and ten years after it was made this Park Ward is still breathtakingly beautiful.

Flowing lines and large round headlamps give the car a characteristic common with other cars of the era. Yet, even looking closely at the paint work. I would swear that it had just been finished with a good polish yesterday, and definitely not seventy odd years before. The rear seats are a little worn in places, but that all adds to it’s authenticity. There is a privacy screen too, which can be wound up so you can share intimate moments out of ear shot of the chauffeur. There is a rear clock and a vase for flowers, which is a nice touch, especially as a wedding car. There is a folding sunroof, which will make a sunny ride to and from the church even more special.

Technology may have moved on from 1936. But even the latest Rolls-Royce Phantom hasn’t moved that far forward from this 1936 example. The Phantom is more reliable, and can handle ‘funny’ fuel a little bit better, but for a vehicle of this age, this 25/30 machine has a very quiet engine. Helped partly by the low RPM at tick over, but astonishingly quiet all the same.

The Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot that has adorned many a Rolls-Royce since 1911 is electronically altered in the Phantom, but the chauffeur of the 1936 Roller would have to unscrew it for safe keeping. When this car was made, Rolls-Royce only made the running gear. The coach work was then added later. In this case by Park Ward of London. Founded by William M. Park and Charles W. Ward in 1919, Park Ward became one of Rolls-Royce’s premier coach-builders. In 1933 Rolls-Royce bought a stake in the company.

1936 was the year the Supermarine Spitfire first took off. The legendary World War II fighter plane was also powered by a Rolls-Royce engine, The Merlin. The first examples suffered from poor reliability, but Henry Royce devised a plan to make them unbreakable. He took random Merlin engines off the production line. Then ran them at full power till they broke. Dissected the remains to find out what part broke first, then redesigned the weakest link. In this way the Merlin became pretty indestructible.

By modern standards the Park Ward wedding car is not as reliable as a modern car, but this wedding car comes complete with a chauffeur who is an award winning Rolls-Royce trained mechanic! The car is not really suitable for city weddings, because it can be prone to overheat if stuck in a jam. But for a suburban church wedding this is as English as it gets. For a romantic and wonderful ride to your wedding venue, climb aboard this vintage Rolls-Royce wedding car for a truly fitting and memorable experience.

Many thanks to iChauffeur for the loan of this beautiful wedding car. Learn more about this vintage Rolls-Royce wedding car.

Searching for a wedding car can sometimes be a frustrating experience. You might have decided on a ritzy Roller or a beguiling Bentley but trying to find one available on your wedding day can sometimes be irritating.

Help is at hand. iChauffeur have introduced a simple wedding quotes system that will automatically find cars available, not just in London, but all over England. So if you want a stunner for your Surrey wedding or a beautiful car for your wedding in Berkshire, head-over to iChauffeur Weddings, and get a free quotation for your wedding car. The wedding car quote system gives you the opportunity to email your quote too, so that you can show your fiancee how seriously you are taking this wedding planning business.

What is "wedding car rental"? Is it hiring a wedding limo? Is it ensuring you get to the church on time? Is it making a stylish and glamourous entrance on your wedding day? Renting a wedding car can be all of the above and more. Your chosen wedding car hire vehicle, talks volumes about you. There is the obvious status and prestige gleamed from renting a Rolls or Bentley wedding car. Does it make your celebration any less of a special occasion without? Only you can decide. But what is more important is that you cover the wedding car rental essentials. To make sure your wedding car or limo rental is a spectacular success.

Wedding Car Rental Essentials

Here are a few things to consider before renting a wedding car. There is also a wedding car checklist to help you make certain that your wedding transport is as smooth as silk.

Get the times and dates right

Sounds pretty obvious. Yet, you might be surprised how many couples to be get a surprise knock on the door from their wedding chauffeur. Be it, the day before, at the wrong time or even a year before the ceremony! Just because you know you are getting married in 2010, doesn’t mean the wedding car rental business know that. Check your quote or booking form properly, and get an email confirmation, just to be sure.

Do you know where you are going?

Similar to getting the date and time right, but just as essential. Have you got the right addresses? Are those postcodes correct? Many wedding car chauffeurs will just pop the postcode into their sat nav system. The more professional approach is for the wedding chauffeur to double check the addresses, usually by calling the venues, then plan out the route on a map before hand. Not always possible, but some chauffeurs will even do a “Recce” first, just to make sure everything runs like clockwork.

Is the vehicle licensed?

If you want to be whisked off wedding car after the reception to the airport to start your honeymoon. Is the wedding car rental company, car and driver, properly licensed? In London, private hire of a vehicle requires that the vehicle, chauffeur and car operator are licensed by the PCO. Normal wedding car rental is exempt, except if the vehicle is to be used outside of the regular service. Vintage wedding cars would not normally be able to pass the PCO inspection, so please check that the company are licensed if you want to do something outside the norm.

The great thing about getting a PCO licensed operator is that all drivers are CRB checked and the vehicles are also given a stringent test too.

Wedding Car Music

So you know what tune you want to play for your first dance as a married couple. But do you know what music you want to hear for the first time as a married couple? Arrange this with the wedding car rental company. Does the wedding limo have a CD player, an iPod or a tape deck? Do they have that piece of music, or should you bring it along?

You may prefer a silent wedding car. Discuss this beforehand. These little differences can help make your wedding magical and memorable.

Wedding Car Decorations

If you want a certain shade of ribbon on your wedding car. Give the rental company time to organise it. Don’t wait for the driver to knock on your door and then shove a lipstick in his hand to match it’s hue. White and ivory ribbons shouldn’t be a problem on the day, but to be sure, ask in advance.

Wedding Toast

Your first toast as a married couple could be on the back seat of that expensive limousine. If you don’t drink alcohol or your partner is a recovering alcoholic, prime the wedding car company beforehand. Maybe you could raise your glasses filled with soft drinks, fruit juices or something else. Expecting the driver to have your favourite variety of flavoured vodka or cola without any prior arrangement is a little unrealistic.

Be Prepared

Baden Powell new a thing or two about preparation. Anything is possible with a little thought. It is better to plan ahead than run around on your wedding day in a fluster, watching all your hard work and dreams fall apart for something that could be easily prevented or avoided. Your wedding car rental is just one small cog in your wedding day celebrations, but an essential and important one at that. Get it right and you are on the way to having the best day of your life, and one that you will never forget.

Good Luck

How do you define a "fairy tale wedding car"? Well, I am sure most prospective wedding couples wouldn’t want a grim wedding carriage! However, we can probably thank the Brothers Grim for practically defining the fairy tale genre. Their now legendary collection of fairy tales include; Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. Surely, many a fairy tale bride would want her prince to carry her off on a beautiful stead? Modern life, as it is doesn’t favour the horse, especially in London’s streets. However with a little imagination, you could get your fairy tale wedding, in a fairy tale wedding car.

Defining the Fairy Tale wedding car

The stories of Cinderalla, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White define the DNA makeup of the fairy tale princess and the handsome prince. The fairy tale bride and groom require a stately, royal wedding carriage to complete the look. Timeless and classic, today, there really are only two vehicle makers that craft vehicles fit for young princes and princesses. Both are now owned by German companies, which would mean even the Grimm Brothers would approve. Britains will still rejoice in the fact that they are still hand-crafted in England. I am referring to Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Of course many a dashing prince would choose an Aston Martin or another low-slung supercar, but just try squeezing a princess like wedding gown into a Ferrari, Bugatti or Lamborghini. Fine for the honeymoon drive possibly, but not for the wedding day!

Rolls-Royce Wedding Car

The Rolls-Royce wedding car is about as good as they come. Described as the "best car in the world", Rolls-Royce is the car that says you have made it. No other car comes close to it in terms of regality and stately poise. You don’t get driven in a Rolls-Royce, you are wafted along like fairy dust. Even the Rolls-Royce mascot helps complete the look. The Spirit of Ecstasy sails through the air as if by magic, her magic carpet is the silky smooth Rolls. There are many grand old Rolls-Royces being used as wedding cars. However, the new generation of Rolls-Royce, namely the Phantom is the fairy tale wedding car. If you ever get the chance to ride in one, you will know what I am talking about. Complete strangers will cric and strain necks to even get a glimpse of who ever is lucky enough to be cushioned inside. Luxurious, stately and refined this is the wedding car of choice for any fairy tale bride and groom.

Bentley

Hold on to your horses, and clasp your glass slippers. The fairy tale wedding car race is hotting up. Bentley is a marque of distinction that many a royal head of state will be very familiar with. Our very own Queen’s state vehicle is a Bentley. The Bentley is also a car that will be as endearing to the fairy tale groom as well as the bride. If you are looking for horse power fit for a dashing prince, then the Bentley is well qualified to set the senses racing. The Bentley Continental Flying Spur, has more power than even the most magical of magicians and witches. It also has an interior as large as the stately Rolls, and as beautiful as any fairy tale palace. Likewise, the Bentley Arnage has as much presence as your favourite fairy tale character. Large and imposing, fit for prince and princesses, and of course the all important bride and groom.

A happy ending

And the fairy tale bride and groom, lived happily ever after…

The End

Credits

Many thanks to iChauffeur for providing the wedding car images used above. This family run business also offer fairy tale wedding cars from Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

• Rolls-Royce Phantom Wedding Car
• Bentley Continental Flying Spur Wedding Car
• Bentley Arnage Wedding Car

A third of engaged British couples are being forced to get married on a shoestring. Financial crisis fears are forcing 43% of engaged couples to cap their wedding budget at £5,000, just a quarter of the average cost of a UK wedding in 2007. Most alarmingly, one in ten are scrapping their wedding plans altogether as the credit crunch takes its toll. This new research by Gumtree.com doesn’t paint a rosy picture for romance and weddings in 2008, but surely there are ways to have a stylish wedding, even when on a budget?

Probably the biggest slice of the wedding budget will be for your venue. There are many luxury wedding venues available, with luxury prices to match. However your local village hall, golf and rugby club could be hired for a fraction of the price. Gumtree say, “The trick is to see past the existing décor and imagine it sprinkled with hundreds of fairy lights or candles.”

A local wedding venue, you might think, would make the wedding transport costs a little easier to swallow too. However this is not always the case, most professional wedding car suppliers allow a reasonable amount of mileage in their quotations, the real cost of the hire is in the preparation. However if the distances are not too far, you could get your wedding car to make several trips, chauffeuring not only the happy couple, but bridesmaids and other important wedding guests too. Be sure to mention the number of trips you wish to take to your wedding car supplier when you ask for a quote though. Multiple trips would generally be fine for most modern wedding cars, but some vintage wedding cars would not be suitable for this purpose.

Great value wedding cars

A Rolls-Royce or Bentley wedding car would be the icing on the superstar wedding cake for many newly weds. These beautiful wedding cars come at a price though, a Rolls-Royce Phantom costs £300 000 to buy. A Mercedes-Benz S Class is significantly more economical and consequently a lot more reasonably priced to hire. Offering much of the room and comfort of the Rolls, but at a healthier price point.

Gumtree suggest asking a friend if they can chauffeur you to the venue to help reduce the wedding budget. Hiring a wedding dress or buying a pre-owned one will certainly help reduce your wedding budget. Getting wedding photos on DVD instead of expensive prints will again help cut the budget too. There are many good reasons why wedding cars are so expensive, it’s not just the cost of the carriage that needs to be quantified. Saving a bundle on the wedding car is fantastic, just as long as the vehicle actually arrives! As iChauffeur’s Andy Senior confirms, “It is very sad to hear from somebody who has been left high and dry on their wedding day. We get a surprising number of calls like this, sometimes from people we have even quoted for previously.”

Most companies are fine and reputable in the wedding car industry, but when someone is considerably cheaper than the rest of the competition. You need to ask yourself, how are they able to undercut the competition by so much?

Using some careful planning, it is entirely possible to have a stylish carriage, without breaking the bank. It’s nice to know it’s not how much you spend that matters, but rather how much love you put into your wedding celebration that really counts.

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.

“Is this car for a wedding?”, asks the chauffeur company. “Erm, yes it is” one replies hesitantly. What difference does it make? It seems like all you have to do is mention the “W” word and everyone wants to add a nought on the end of your quotation. Why is this? Are we being ripped off?

Why does the price jump when you mention wedding?

It might seem like the car hire company are just trying to milk you for all your worth. Their minimum charge is £50, the wedding venue is just 2 minutes away, but they want to charge £150, just because its for a wedding!

At first glance it would appear that chauffeur companies do mysteriously hike the prices up for wedding travel. Compared to an airport transfer the cost of a wedding hire might seem extortionate. However when you examine this further, then this price difference might seem reasonable.

Generally a wedding car will be an significant investment for a chauffeur. A Rolls-Royce Phantom for example costs £270000, not exactly small change. Only the very well-heeled can afford to hire this calibre of car. For your wedding, you might have planned to hire a Rolls-Royce for your wedding car. Even if your wedding venue is within confetti throwing distance of your house, finding a Phantom for your wedding will never be a cheap option. There are remarkably few chauffeurs available to hire with this exclusive car. What often compounds matters further is that chances are your wedding will be on a Saturday. A June wedding maybe everybody’s preferred wedding date, because of this your wedding car will never be cheap. Your wedding chauffeur knows that in order to stay in business he or she will have to recoup much of the investment during these valuable wedding Saturdays. The chauffeur will also be very aware of his obligation to your wedding. In contrast to his day job chauffeuring clients, the wedding clientele are a lot more exacting.

Most chauffeurs enjoy driving wedding cars. Weddings are generally a joyous occasion, a happy time, which a good chauffeur will enjoy too. However, the stakes are very high. The car will need to be valeted, ribbons and floral decorations prepared and the Champagne chilled. Many people do not understand the lengths a good wedding chauffeur will go to make sure everything is perfect. This preparation is what separates the good from the bad in the chauffeur industry. The good chauffeur will have planned the route, and in some instances have driven a “recce” run first, just to check for the unforeseen and to plan the perfect route. A regular chauffeur driven journey is generally a lot simpler. Most chauffeurs keep their vehicle clean, but there is a difference between the clean required for a regular chauffeur run, and the valet necessary for a wedding car. The wedding car will not only be under scrutiny of the bride and groom, but also of the wedding guests and of course the wedding photographer. The wedding car needs to be gleaming in order to look great in the wedding photos and video. Similarly, the chauffeur will need to be of matching attire, again another differential between the good and the not-quite as good in the trade.

The single biggest factor in the cost of the wedding car hire, is that it is not normally possible for a chauffeur to do anything else on your wedding day. You might have booked him for the 3 hours hire, but practically speaking he can do nothing else. He can not chance taking any work before your early afternoon wedding. Just in case he gets caught in traffic, or for any other problems that might arrive in this pre-wedding job. Similarly a good chauffeur will not book a job after the wedding incase the wedding goes into extra time, which sometimes can occur. So although you only want the car for 3 hours, it is a complete days work for a chauffeur. When you factor in his time to get to the venue, valet and prepare the car, plus return to his garage after the event, clean confetti from out of the seat pockets, it is a full days work whatever way you look at it. A very enjoyable and rewarding days work, but a days work never the less.

You might expect a new Rolls-Royce or Bentley to be expensive to hire, but even more sensibly priced cars like a Mercedes-Benz are a considerable investment, normally circa £70000 for a long-wheelbase S Class. Sure you could fit in an E Class Mercedes or even a Toyota Prius, but when you factor in your huge bridal gown, that extra legroom is priceless! Anybody can buy a flash car, but it takes a lot more than that to being a good chauffeur. The car is the tool of the trade but the craftsman is the driver. His attitude and professionalism can make or break a wedding journey.

iChauffeur’s Andy Senior said, “yes, the chauffeur is more important than the car. We get a surprising amount of frantic calls on Saturday afternoon. ‘Please help, our wedding car has not arrived’. In some cases this will be from people that we have even quoted for, but decided that they would go for a cheaper quote from someone else. I would say that price should not be the priority in booking a wedding car.”

He would say that, but why wouldn’t you go for the cheapest quote? Well, if you have three or four wedding quotations for the same car, and one is dramatically cheaper. How are they providing a car so much cheaper? Do they actually own the car? Are they properley insured?

So, what you are looking for is a reputable wedding chauffeur company. One key point to remember is that if the wedding car companies main concern is the price, then you can see how they are driven. Finding a company that focus on what you actually want, and not how much they are getting paid is very important. For example, did they ask you about your preferred ribbon colour?

You don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on a wedding car, their are many affordable and professional wedding chauffeurs. Not all will have a shiny new Rolls-Royce, but many can provide a very nice car to your taste. You might like a vintage car, a wedding taxi a huge pink wedding limo or even an “Only fools and horses” three-wheeled wedding van! Their are as as many styles of wedding cars, at a multitude of different price breaks. No matter what your wedding budget is the principle is the same. The chauffeur can make or break the day. Do the company inspire you with confidence or will they leave you waiting even before you make it to the aisle? Ask what the chauffeur will be wearing, what time will the car arrive for a booking? Will it be there at the agreed time or do they allow a little bit of time before the appointed time?

How to get the wedding car service you want

Do your homework and you will be able to find a wedding carriage supplier that ticks all the right boxes. Don’t try and mislead them by saying that the job is not for a wedding. Don’t try and get a one way hire, and then ask them to put ribbons on the car! You might find yourself without that all important ride to the church as the chauffeur company can’t find anybody to actually do the job for that price. Just as bad is if they do find a driver who will do the job for such a cheap price and what will the quality of his service? Will he be on time? Will he be smart? Will the car be smart and clean? Will the driver work with the photographer? Will he be co-operative and helpful or will he be watching the clock so that he is not late for his next job?

Wedding Car Checklist

• Give accurate times and locations including postcodes - don’t try and cheapen the price by giving misleading information, this can often backfire.
• Can you see a picture of the actual car or are you being shown a library image?
• Ask friends if they have had any good experiences with chauffeur companies and wedding car firms.
• Go with your gut feeling, if that quote seems too good to be true - it possibly is!
• Remember if you need the car to drive you to the airport after the wedding are they licensed to do so? - Wedding cars do not need a special license.
• Are they insured for Private Hire journeys?
• What are their contingency plans if their is a problem with the car or driver on the day?
• Get an email or written quote.
• If possible get married on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday.

Enjoy your wedding journeys!

At the end of your wedding day. You may have taken your last journey with your father before he gives you away. You will have taken your first journey as a married couple. You will have the pictures and video to prove it. Whatever you expected and wanted from your wedding travel is now history too. I hope you enjoyed the ride!

Newlywed couple, John and Laina Tauranga were enjoying their chauffeur driven journey from their wedding reception. Kissing on the back-seat, they thought they might have been driving a little bit fast, but as they came up for air they realised that they had been pulled over by the police for drag racing!

The Australian couple realised just how fast, when police stopped them and arrested their chauffeur for drag-racing a provisional driver at 130km/h in a 60km/h zone.

An unmarked police car had been travelling behind the wedding car, a Holden Caprice, and allegedly caught it speeding 70km/h over the speed limit. The wedding chauffeur was allegedly drag-racing a provisional driver before being pulled over by the cops.

Penrith police station officer Hamed Baqaie said, “They were driving at high speeds, revving engines, tyres squealing and they travelled quite a distance before police managed to stop them.”

Probably not what the couple ordered when they booked their wedding car…

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When Stanley Holloway sang “Get me to the church on time” in My Fair Lady, he managed to wonderfully identify one of the most important aspects in booking wedding transport - time. Time, and in particular the date of your wedding is more important than you might first imagine.

Before you trawl the net for a wedding car, ensure you know the correct date and time for your wedding hire. The date of your wedding is extremely important. Midweek wedding hire can often be found at a cheaper cost than a Saturday, especially in the busy months. So you might find that picking a date in the week will allow you to hire the Rolls-Royce Phantom that you have set your heart on. Obviously this is not always practical, and a weekend is generally easier to schedule for most of your guests, however your wedding may be an intimate affair, and your guests may find it easy to attend in the week. If so then you may grab yourself a bargain!

You don’t have to get married in June

The traditional wedding month, need not be your date of your ceremony. It is a wonderful time of year to get married. The beginning of summer, rainy spring fading to reveal flowers in bloom. A beautiful time of year and a fitting start to such an important day. London does really shine in June, it may not be the driest month, July has that honour. Choosing to get hitched in the summer months may be a safer bet in terms of weather, but the savings from booking wedding venues and cars in the less active months may be significant, effecting not just your wedding car hire, but also honeymoon costs as well as many wedding suppliers.

A bride’s prerogative - not the chauffeurs

It may be the bride’s prerogative to be 10 minutes late for the ceremony, but make sure your wedding car supplier is on time. You don’t even need to hire a wedding car, you could use public transport. You could even use your regular mini cab, but make sure they know that this is for a wedding, so that they can valet the car!

A wedding date

Once you have found the right date for you, your guests and of course the wedding venue. Then you can begin your search for the right wedding car. When hiring, make sure you have allowed enough time for the journeys, some pictures of your wedding carriage, and added a few minutes for luck. It is often better to negotiate a booking for the full amount of time rather than be billed for additional hours by your chauffeur after the event. It is good practice to ask for the charge for any additional hours in advance too, to save any nasty surprises in the event of the wedding overrunning.

Check your prospective date against any sporting or social events, marches or anything else that might affect your (and your guests) journey times.

Have the time of your life

Remember, this is your special day. Take your time to enjoy it!