Novel Transport for Weddings
Of course nowadays it would take a special kind of bride who would be willing to ride in all of her finery to her wedding on the back of a tandem! However, some bicycle enthusiasts may love the idea, and more and more people are looking for more unusual and unique ways of transporting them around on their special day.
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you.
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage,
But you’ll look sweet,
Upon the seat,
Of a bicycle made for two.
When planning wedding transportation, whether it’s a traditional horse drawn carriage or vintage car, several things will need to be taken into consideration, such as cost, style and distance to travel.
People fortunate to live close to their church or wedding venue may choose to take the option of walking, however, most brides want to make a grand arrival.
For those brides and grooms who want to make a real impression on their big day there are other options available, something different from the usual wedding cars, something that will knock the socks off all the guests and have the wedding talked about and remembered for years to come.
Rickshaws
Predominately in the London area at present, but spreading due to popularity, you could hire a rickshaw. While offering one of the most eco and environmentally friendly modes of transport today, this also gives you the option of an open top or covered journey.
Motorbikes
You could travel on two wheels and arrive on the back of a Harley Davidson, or even hire a motorbike with sidecar for the groom to drive away with the bride as his passenger from around £100 for the day.
London Red Bus
Hire a big red open top bus to transport your whole wedding party. You can even have your names on the front! Prices are individual depending on the amount of people, distance to travel, personalisation of the bus etc.
Steam Train
How about hiring a steam train to take you and your guests for the ride of a lifetime? This could also double up as your reception venue as some companies have special vintage steam trains that will also cater for your party needs.
Helicopters
Arriving by helicopter (probably more convenient for the wedding reception rather than the church!) can provide the bride and groom with an exclusive, glamorous and film star mode of transport. Permission will need to be sought from the wedding venue to ensure that they have a safe landing area. This, of course, is not a cheap option. Helicopter charter companies usual charge for the amount of time their helicopter is in the air, around £500 per hour with a minimum charge of one hour. Of course weather conditions will also be taken into consideration and most helicopter charter companies will monitor the weather forecasts and have a good idea of the expected weather several days before the big day. A contingency transport plan therefore is vital.
Boats
Float down the river to your wedding if you are lucky enough to have your church or venue near a river, lake or canal. You could hire a boat to gently float you to your groom, or indeed, to take the wedding party from the church to the venue in style. If you live in London there are many options available such as chartering a tall masted ship or Thames sailing barge, they will even raise Tower Bridge just for you to cruise beneath. In places such as Bristol and Liverpool you can hire out a ferry for your transfers and receptions. Birmingham, with its miles of canals offers the idea opportunity for a barge party, using water taxis or a gondola. The choice and prices of boats are varied depending on the area of the county that your venue is to take place. Details of all good boat hire companies and wedding boat specialists can be found in the Yellow Pages.
Hot Air Balloon
What about chartering a hot air balloon? You could charter the balloon to carry just the bride and groom, or as a treat for the wedding party. Again, weather and space around the venue is of importance when looking into this option.
Fire Engine Hire
You could hire a fire engine decorated with ribbons and bows to pick up the bride, or the whole wedding party (maximum of 8 people) and take them all to the church/venue, sharing a bottle of complimentary bubbly on the way. The engine will wait while your ceremony commences.
After the ceremony you can have your photos taken with the fire engine if you wish. You will then be taken to your wedding reception where you can again enjoy a bottle of champagne on the way to celebrate. The fire engine can also be hired for the reception to keep the children entertained. The cost of this is by the hour and will start at around £180+.
Famous Vehicles
There is an amazing choice of replica cars to chose from, most of which probably being more suited to the groom or the bride and groom for their leaving vehicle or transportation from the church to the reception, such as: Delboys van (lovely jubbly), a pink Cadillac, Kit from Knight Rider, a yellow New York taxi, Austin Powers Shaguar, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dukes of Hazard General Lee or even the A Team van! These would of course suit any wedding that had a film theme.
The choices for your special day are endless and the internet is an excellent source of inspiration and information to make your wedding extra special.
