On average couples invite anywhere between fifty and one hundred guests to their wedding, and ensuring they get from A to B safely, and on time, can prove a little tricky.
Whilst many couples will rely on their wedding guests to arrange their own transport, others are taking the burden away by hiring a wedding bus to help them on their way.
So, for all of you couples looking to arrange a wedding bus to transport for all of your wedding guests around, let's take a look at your options.
Single-Decker Bus or Coach
The least glamorous option, the single-decker bus or coach, is not really a bespoke wedding bus' at all - just an every day run of the mill charter bus. Typically, on other occasions, these buses and coaches are used to ferry children to school, fans to football matches, graduates to proms and perform other functional duties. This isn't to say that they won't be able to perform a role on your big day, just that they probably shouldn't take centre stage!
They typically accommodate anywhere between 40 and 60 passengers and, depending upon the quality of the one you book, should prove by far the cheapest wedding bus option. Some plush ones feature TV screens and full air-con whilst ones at the other end of the scale, well, at least they come with seats!
With so many bus hire companies out there, you should be OK availability-wise, but if you want something a little-more high end, we'd advise you book them up a good few months in advance to avoid disappointment.
Bespoke Wedding Bus
Differing from the run-of-the-mill bus, bespoke wedding buses are designed to stand out from the crowd and make an impression. This in turn usually makes them more expensive than their charter bus counterparts, but at the same time will wow and amaze your guests to a much greater extent.
They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, ranging from the popular double-decker London Routemaster’s, through to vintage single-deckers and even open topped tourers. Colour-wise, the most commonly found offering is naturally red, but other colours including green, white and even silver wedding buses can be tracked down if you look hard enough. Single decked buses typically will seat 40 to 60 of your wedding guests, whilst the double-decker varieties can normally accomodate 60 to 80 passengers.
Decorating any bespoke wedding bus shouldn't be an issue and most, if not all, suppliers will be more than happy to deck your chosen vehicle out in whatever ribbons you require. Company advertising on the side can sometimes be visible thus minimsing the decorative effect a little, but this is often offset by the cute ability of these vehicles to display 'Wedding' or 'Just Married' as the destination on the front of the bus.
There are a number of companies across the UK offering bespoke wedding busses for hire, so you shouldn't have too much trouble tracking one down, although be aware that you will probably be expected to pay a fuel surcharge if the one you hire is located some distance from your wedding venue. As with all wedding transport, costs vary widely, and you would be advised to get a number of quotes before making the final booking.
Wedding Bus Top Tips
Make sure that you inform your wedding of your plans before the day so they can make the suitable arrangements.
Firm up on the number of attendees before you book the wedding bus if possible to ensure there is sufficient capacity.
Ensure that there are no low bridges en route, overhanging trees at the venue(s), or narrow roads and driveways that will lead to access problems.
Confirm before hand if the bus can be decorated with ribbons etc – don't just assume this as a given.
If you are interested in an open-topped wedding bus, have contingenies in place (umbrellas, alternative transport etc.) just in case the heavens decide to open.
