Frequently Asked Questions

Q 2: For how many hours should we hire a vehicle for?. All Weddings are different but we have compiled some idea of possible timings below, The minimum time a car can be hired is One Hour, all hires are in Hourly Blocks The following hire times are a just a guide and are the ‘Minimum’ times you should be considering for the following wedding types. One Way Journey 1 Hour: Pick up from one Collection Address and Drop Off at Ceremony Venue with photos on arrival but no waiting after this. A to B one way One Way Journey and Wait for Photos 2 Hours: Pick up and drop off, wait until immediately after the ceremony for photographs with the car, subject to ceremony length. A to B one way [possibly Bridesmaids first if all very local] Registry Office or Church Wedding Service 3 Hours: Pick up and drop at Register Office, Civil Venue, or a Church if short service and short photo session after, then onward to Reception Venue after ceremony. [Possibly Bridesmaids to Ceremony Venue first if all very local]. A to B to C Full Church Service 4 Hours: Full Church Wedding with Bridesmaids trip before Bride [if all very local], wait until after ceremony and following photographs then onward trip to the Reception Venue. A possible stop en-route for additional photographs [subject to time spent at church after ceremony] A to B to C Civil Ceremony followed by Church Blessing 5 Hours Extended Waiting Times. Refreshments after ceremony before travelling on to Reception Venue. Civil Ceremony followed by a Church Blessing. Longer Photo Opportunities. Asian Weddings 6 Hours and above: Extended Waiting Times and Longer Wedding Ceremonies and depending on the culture different traditions and rituals might need to take place during the day which may cause the hire to be longer. We are happy to tailor for any cultural traditions, just let us know all you require at the time of enquiry. Unless you require extended timings these guides have usually been sufficient to cover the above scenarios subject to the travel times between venues being reasonable, and your photographer not having plans that need longer timings. Best always ask your photographer as to how much time they will need before booking the vehicles. Please always advise us if your wedding ceremony or timing requirements are to be longer than the normal in order for a correct quote to be given. Weddings are unique so we will always tailor the day to your exact requirements. We will be happy to offer guidance on timings if needed, but we will not be held liable for any suggestions we offer if the timings turn out to be unsuitable for your needs on the day. With longer hire times a short stop off for photographs at an additional location can be included on direct route to the reception but please advise if you require this at the time of making your reservation. Subject to timing and mileage the Bridesmaids can be taken in the same car to the ceremony venue prior to the Bride travelling, a travel time of 10 minutes each way is usually the maximum we would advise if requiring this prior trip. If hiring just the one vehicle it is not normal practice for the car to be used for additional trips for other persons after the ceremony as the car is then considered to be the private transport of the just married ‘Happy Couple’ from here onwards as they would be unable to enjoy a leisurely drive and spend some quiet time to themselves if the car had to rush back for other passengers, those that travelled to the ceremony venue in the bridal car prior to the Bride would usually travel on to the reception in their friends or family members cars. For the Groom’s transport this is usually only required from his collection address to the ceremony venue with photographs on arrival at the venue, therefore if everything is local a one hour hire should be sufficient unless you require the car to wait until after the ceremony for photographs then it could increase to as much as 3 hours. Rarely situations may warrant your chauffeur and vehicle remaining with the bridal party longer than originally planned and advised [eg. extended photography sessions etc] while usually not a problem we are unable to guarantee this will always be possible as this may affect subsequent schedules, but if so it could involve an additional amount payable for each car required to remain after the original hire time ends, the amount can vary depending on the type of vehicle hired, the area of hire and the amount of time you wish to extend the hire by. If the extended time was not advised at the booking stage it would not have been included in the quote therefore it is to be paid to the chauffeur on the day in cash and they will advise the additional amount based on how long you wish to extend the hire. Should you require additional trips that were not advised at the booking stage and therefore not included in your quote and shown on your itinerary these could vary between £1 and £3 per mile [2020 rates] dependent on the vehicle hired, and again payable to your chauffeur in cash on the day. It may be a good idea to suggest to the Best Man or an Usher that a small amount of cash is carried for ad hoc expenses should they be required, not neccesarily for the car but for any other ad hoc situations in other areas of your wedding that may crop up on the day so as not to trouble the Happy Couple or their parents. We should advise that some vehicle prices for increased hours will be much lower if you advise of the extended hours at the time of booking, so always best to book the vehicle/s for the time you are certain will fully cover your requirements including any unplanned overrun of timings rather than leave it to chance and extend it on the day as the cost payable on the day could be higher than if you had booked the increased hours at the booking stage. As Premier Carriage only books one wedding per day in each vehicle extending the day a little is usually not a problem, however any extension of the original hire time that you request on the day will always be subject to the availability of the driver/s as they may have later personal engagements planned, it is therefore always best to ensure sufficient time has been requested and booked for your full requirements beforehand.