PARTY IN THE BACKSEAT
While nerves can be understandably high during the all-important journey to your wedding celebration, with a quality chauffeur and the company of your bridal party by your side, it will be a trip well worth remembering. Discerning the best ways to make the journey relaxing, enjoyable and one brimming with style, Western Australia Wedding & Bride’s Bethany Hayes speaks with CEO of Allure Limousines and Belle Classic Limousines, Matt Smith. Together, the pair discuss the best ways to ensure the party begins from that first roar of the engine.
Arriving at your wedding safely, and in style, is paramount for any bride-to-be. But more so than just a timely arrival, quality wedding transportation should be fun, and have you and your bridal party – or whoever may be accompanying you down the aisle – feeling excited, relaxed and immersed into the spirit of the celebration. Here, Western Australia Wedding & Bride unpacks how to keep the energy levels high, and the stress levels low, before you make an unforgettable wedding ceremony entrance, and then embark on an even more unforgettable journey of married life.
Smith’s personal journey into the wedding industry stems from his own wedding planning experience back in 2014. Finding it “really hard to get good service” from any existing limousine companies during that time, Belle Classic Limousines and Allure Limousines grew out of the need for just that – excellent service on an incredible occasion. Now some six years on, the company CEO shines a headlight on wedding car excellence and how to make the most out of those precious car moments.
HIT THE ROAD
For many brides- or grooms-to-be, the journey to their wedding day may well be likened to the very pinnacle of nervous energy. Being so close to the ceremony, it is often a driver’s charismatic personality that can put the bride or groom most at ease, as they meander their way to the location of the day. “Our drivers are employed not only for their skill behind the wheel, but for their personalities,” Smith affirms. This reassurance and charisma often come through the form of cracking jokes, playing music, supplying a cheeky champagne or two for those being chaperoned, and perhaps most of all, maintaining a calm and reassuring presence. “We will engage in conversation, have a few jokes, crank up the music, fluff dresses, offer stiff drinks and have a calm demeanour,” the CEO explains. “[This can then] elicit a calming response from the bride or groom.”
One of they key components of feeling this calmness, is leaving enough time to get to your destination! While no one likes the feeling of sitting in traffic, the anxiety of being late can be something really stressful for many brides and grooms. The antidote to this? Leaving with plenty of time to spare and working with a trusted transport company who will be able to determine the most time-effective route to the venue, and will also pick you up nice and early. “When taking bookings for weddings, we ask what time the ceremony is due to start,” says Smith. “We then work backwards to the pick-up location to determine how long the drive will take, and ensure the couple have booked enough time prior to the ceremony for travel.”
Some brides do also love to keep their fiancé waiting a few suspenseful minutes for their arrival, and while it’s best not to keep them waiting too long – nor the suppliers waiting inside – Smith notes that a quality chauffeur will be able to meet this request to be ‘fashionably late’ without a problem. “We have been known to circle the block to allow late guests to arrive, or to allow the bride to arrive late,” he notes. “Ultimately, we want the wedding to run as smoothly as possible and align to what the couple had planned.”
If, like many, being prompt is your preference, this is something a good transport company will certainly cater to. “The most important thing to ensure that the bride or groom is calm on arrival, is allowing enough time for hair, makeup, photos and travel time,” says Smith. This is where quality communication with your transport company makes all the difference – with the CEO always advocating that couples “allow extra time for unexpected surprises”. After all, “Nothing gets the heart racing more than thinking you’re going to be really late!”
ALL REVVED UP
With the bridal party safely inside, and an expert behind the wheel, the party can truly begin! And it’s often the little touches that can enhance the atmosphere within your vehicle-of-choice. From a classic red carpet allowing for an opulent entrance, glass champagne flutes, bottled water, ice, sewing kits for any last-minute mishaps, mints, and a first-aid kit – such touches make a huge difference during the trip. In times gone by, the wedding car would likely have transported the bride and her father – or the person who is giving her away – only. But nowadays, especially with a stretch vehicle, it is not uncommon for the bridal party to share a ride with the bride herself.
To get the atmosphere pumping, ambient lighting and quality music is a must! “Our modern stretch vehicles also come with Bluetooth stereos, lasers and interior lighting to create that party atmosphere,” Smith explains. “Our vintage cars can play music also, but being a minimum of seventy years old, the stereos aren’t quite the same!” And should something go a little askew, a quality chauffeur will be able to adapt – be it unexpected road works, or the forgotten rings! “We had a wedding approximately two years ago, where we were travelling to the ceremony with the bride, bridesmaids and the bride’s parents,” Smith recounts. “The bride said to her dad: ‘You got the rings out of the safe, didn’t you?’ and we could see the blood drain out of his face,” he continues. “At first opportunity we turned the car around, got back to the house, got the rings and ended up arriving at the ceremony only five minutes late!”
HIGHWAY TO THE HONEYMOON
Once the vows have been exchanged, and rings are safely on fingers, you’ll need a newlywed getaway car too – not only to transport you to the reception, but to take you from the reception to your first night as newlyweds as well; something a quality transport company will be able to navigate with ease. “We offer all of our clients a ‘midnight getaway’ to get them to their accommodation post-wedding,” Smith notes. Time meant for just the two of you, to reminisce from the just-finished celebration, and commemorate the beginning of forever.
Evoking prestige with their black suit and tie, and incredible service – it’s truly worth your weight in gold to engage the help of a trusted chauffeur company on your wedding day. Meaning that no family member has the pressure of driving or working during your celebration, will offer extensive peace of mind and enhance the party-like feeling. Strap yourself in, recline your [car] seat, turn up some tunes and make a toast to married life magic! Your door will be opened shortly.
Images courtesy of Allure Limousines
