Wedding day · Photo: Scott Webb · CC0
Wedding Transportation on the South Shore: A Planning Guide
How many cars you need, when to book them, and how to build a wedding day timeline that gets the couple, the family and the guests everywhere on time.
4 min read
Good wedding transportation comes down to four decisions: who needs a ride, which trips they need, which vehicles fit them, and how much time to leave between each stop. Make them as soon as your venues are booked, because popular Saturdays fill early, then share one written timeline with your chauffeurs, your planner and whoever is in charge on the day.
This guide walks through each step for a South Shore wedding.
Step 1: List who needs a ride
Start with people, not cars. Most weddings include some or all of these groups:
- The couple, together or separately before the ceremony.
- The wedding party: bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers.
- Parents and grandparents, especially anyone who shouldn't be driving or parking on the day.
- Guests, if the ceremony and reception are in different places, or if many are staying at the same hotel.
Write down how many people are in each group. That number decides the vehicles.
Step 2: Map every trip
Next, list each trip in order, with addresses. A typical day looks like this:
- Getting-ready locations to the ceremony.
- Ceremony to photo locations.
- Photo locations to the reception.
- Reception to the hotel or home at the end of the night.
Don't forget the trips that are easy to overlook: picking up grandparents, taking the wedding party back to collect their cars, or a late ride for the couple to the airport the next morning.
Step 3: Choose the vehicles
Match each group to a vehicle by passengers, and remember that wedding dresses take up space.
| Group | Vehicle | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| The couple, or a parent with the bride | Luxury SUV, such as a Cadillac Escalade | up to 7 passengers |
| Wedding party | Stretch limousine | up to 10 passengers |
| Larger wedding party or family | Passenger van | up to 12 passengers |
| Grandparents and VIP guests | Executive sedan or SUV | up to 3 or 7 passengers |
You can see every vehicle in our fleet, and our guide to choosing the right vehicle covers capacity in more detail.
Step 4: Build the timeline, with buffers
Here is a sample timeline for a 3 p.m. ceremony in Hingham with a reception 20 minutes away:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1:45 p.m. | Car arrives for the wedding party at the getting-ready location |
| 2:00 p.m. | Wedding party leaves for the ceremony |
| 2:20 p.m. | Second car arrives for the bride and a parent |
| 2:35 p.m. | Bride leaves, arriving with 10 minutes to spare |
| 3:00 p.m. | Ceremony |
| 3:45 p.m. | Couple and wedding party leave for photos |
| 5:00 p.m. | Arrival at the reception |
| 10:30 p.m. | Rides home or to the hotel |
Three rules make timelines work:
- Add 10 to 15 minutes to every drive. Saturday traffic on Route 3A, beach traffic near Nantasket in summer and a slow photographer all add up.
- Plan arrivals before start times. The bride's car should arrive a few minutes early, not at 3:00 on the dot.
- Keep a car with the couple between ceremony and reception. Booking by the hour means your chauffeur stays with you through the photo stops. See how hourly service works.
If you are planning photo stops, our guide to South Shore wedding photo spots covers the favorites and how long to allow for each.
Step 5: Book early, then confirm the details
Book your wedding cars as soon as your date and venues are set. Late spring and early fall Saturdays are the busiest days of the year for wedding transportation.
About two weeks before the wedding, send us the final timeline with every address, the number of passengers in each car, and the name and mobile number of a point person for the day. That should not be the couple. A planner, a parent or a best man is ideal, because they will have their phone with them.
We plan the timing with you before the day and send enough cars for the whole wedding party.
Questions to ask any wedding transportation company
- Which exact vehicle will we get, and can we see it?
- How do you handle the day running late, and how is extra time billed?
- Is gratuity included in the quote?
- Can we bring drinks, flowers or decorations for the car?
- Who do we call on the day, and is that number answered all day?
- What happens if a vehicle has a problem on the day?
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should we book wedding transportation?
As soon as your venues are confirmed. For a Saturday between May and October, booking several months ahead gives you the widest choice of vehicles.
How many cars do we need for a wedding?
Count the people who need a ride at the same moment, usually right before the ceremony, and divide them into vehicles by capacity. Many weddings use two vehicles: one for the wedding party and one for the bride.
Do you drive guests as well as the wedding party?
Yes. A passenger van for up to 12 is a good fit for guest shuttles between a hotel, the ceremony and the reception. Tell us how many guests and how many trips when you book.
