Transportation Itineraries

This is a wedding topic that bores most people, and I can certainly understand why - it's transportation logistics...enough said, right?! It may be boring, but it is definitely a necessary evil. About 2 weeks before your wedding, your transportation company is going to need this document completed. This goes for limos, trolleys, shuttle buses - you name it! One important thing to note, is that the transportation company that you've hired may or may not remind you about this important document - that's right, it's up to you to send it into them. Now, if you've hired a wedding planner, chances are they will take this item off your plate and complete this document for you. But let's say that you don't have a wedding planner or DOC, and you're wedding is quickly approaching...where do you begin? 

The first step in creating a transportation itinerary is to start with your wedding day timeline (another document that your wedding planner will help you create). How do you want the day to flow? Where will you be getting ready? Do you want the groom + groomsmen dropped off at the church first or do you want to arrive with your bridesmaids first? Where are you taking photos? All important items to think about. After you've drafted a solid wedding day timeline (and pondered these types of questions), you'll want to gather up addresses of all the locations your limo/shuttle bus will need to pick up and drop off at. It is extremely important that you provide full and complete addresses to the transportation company - this includes zip codes. Listing your ceremony location as "Church XYZ" is not enough. Even if it is a popular local venue, it's important to spell out the address completely for the driver(s). Once you've gathered up your addresses, it's time to put everything together into one complete and concise document. You'll want to include pick up and drop off times - this can be done with the help of an online map resource such as Google Maps or Map Quest. It's important to double check the distances between locations, as simply "guessing" that it takes 15 minutes to get from the salon to the church is not in your best interest to do. Remember, it's your wedding day, and you want things to run as smooth as possible - this includes an on-time arrival of your limo. After you've completed your transportation itinerary, have someone else review it for mistakes and typo's. Once it's finalized, send it off to your transportation company and have them confirm receipt of it. 

Lastly, it's important to remember that even the most clear, correct, and well thought-out transportation itineraries cannot stop your limo driver from making a wrong turn or getting stuck in traffic on the day of your wedding. As an extra precautionary, include a designated contact person on the itinerary for the limo driver to call incase of an unforeseen problem. It's also a good idea to call your transportation company the week of your wedding to obtain the driver's name & cell phone number. This way, everyone is in the loop and the lines of communication stay open!

Happy planning! : )