We have added this page to the web site to give valuable advice when you are looking at hiring a wedding car from any company.

The very best way to ensure you have a reliable and professional company for your wedding transportation is by a recommendation from a friend who has used their services before, however this is not always possible so when searching for wedding cars always follow these rules:

1.  Never book the cheapest cost car without viewing it first.  In order to keep hire costs artificially low to gain a booking some lower cost cars can be overworked and under maintained, and this will undoubtedly affect their reliability.  Always ensure the car you view is the actual one that will turn up for you on the day.

2.  If you find two cars of exactly the same model and colour but one of the cars is a little dearer, always view both.  The difference in vehicle quality and refinements may well be worth the little extra and the service you receive may well differ. Are ribbons, Champagne etc included in the cost? how long is the hire for, what miles are included. Don't think just because the photos are great on the brochures and advertising it must be fabulous, there are some terrible examples of cars out there. For example just because it's a Rolls Royce doesn't mean it's in excellent condition.

3.  Always ask what the car owner would do in the event of breakdown on or before the day.  Will they have a comparable replacement available. A reputable business should have back up vehicles without bookings kept by on the day to supply in the event of a problem. Will you receive any compensation if you are not supplied with an alternative vehicle and if a replacement is available will the car be like for like?

4.   If only booking one car, ask if a trip to the church for the Bridesmaids and Brides Mother prior to the Bride is included in the price, consider the distance and time to and from the church/ ceremony if you require a first trip. Always ask how long the hire is for and if extra hours are required the additional cost.

5.  Never take for granted that a business saying it has been established for many years means it is good, unless the current owner has owned and run the business the whole time.  A business is only as good as it's current owner and staff, and a new owner trading on the earlier years of a company name may not be as reliable or as professional as their earlier counterparts.

6.  Always make sure the company has Wedding Hire insurance and Public Liability Insurance cover.  

7.  It is always advisable to view cars especially if they are over ten years old. The best way to do this is to view the car when it is attending a wedding you will then get a better overall picture of the car and standard of service and professionalism provided. Always ensure that you are able to view a car, it has been known for bogus web sites to have lots of photographs of cars stolen from other wedding car web sites but do they actually exist and do they belong to the person advertising them? Make sure you are satisfied that the company is genuine before handing over any money. If you are unable to view a car always ask the question anyway to see what the owner says. If they say no or give an excuse steer well clear. Always ensure that you will be provided with a confirmation of booking letter from the supplier with the amount you have paid in writing. Who are you writing the cheque to? is it a company or an individual? Is there an address and land line telephone number available on their brochures or web site? Be suspicious of a company without contact details and using mobile numbers.

8.  Ask if the car will be attending other weddings in the same day. If so will it have to rush away after a certain time, or will it be attending a wedding before yours, if the latter will the car be fully valeted again before arriving for you.  What will happen if the earlier wedding is running late?

9.  Ask what the chauffeur will be wearing, not just an ill fitting old suit brought out at weekends and a hat that doesn't quite match.  This will tell you straight away if the company is truly professional or not.

10.  Always consider the wedding dress from the access point of view when booking a car. Ensure that the chauffeur will be available to assist getting you into and out of the car to prevent any damage to your clothing and injury to yourselves. You will not be used to wearing such a large outfit so you could potentially catch a shoe onto your dress and fall for example if not properly aided. 

11. Is this a full time business? There are many wedding cars available from enthusiasts who do weddings as a side line. This is not to say that there would be a problem but what back up would you have in the event of a breakdown or will they actually turn up? Bookings can be taken up to two years in advance, will they still own the car? what will the car look like in two years? will they remember they have a booking? Would they prefer to take a holiday that week and tell you the car is broken etc? Is this car used as a daily driver or regular use vehicle? what happens if it is involved in an accident before your date? You should consider all of these questions, it may be cheap but are you getting what you pay for?

12. Ensure that your chauffeur on the day has an emergency telephone number and  that you have a contact number on the day for the company / driver.

13. Wedding car hire is hire of a car on the day of the wedding to transport the wedding party to the ceremony and on to the reception. Hire after the reception or as transport to the airport or the next day is not classed as wedding hire. This type of hire is classed as private hire and therefore only licensed cars can legally provide this service. Be aware of this as companies may not have the correct insurance as this is not covered under the usual wedding car hire insurance.

Just remember one persons idea of immaculate may not be yours!