It seems that arranging special wedding transport as a surprise is more common than we thought. We have recently had two sets of parents asking for our Regent Landaulette as a wonderful surprise for the brides and grooms. Other surprises are also being planned for some of our weddings next year. These arrangements are, of course, secret but I am sure you will be reading about them on our Facebook pages next year.
Our surprise wedding transport arrangements were really successful and we thought it may be helpful to anyone thinking of planning something similar to consider a few points to ensure things go smoothly.
try not to leave booking your car until the last minute - you are then more likely to get the car of your dreams
make sure your car supplier knows who is 'in on the secret'. We always phone/email clients a few days before the ceremony, after we have carried out our practice run, to check on any last minute requests, so it is important to know who knows about the 'secret'.
we always ask for a phone number for a contact person for the wedding day (other than the bride and groom). We have had Mums/Dads and sisters take on this job but whoever it is they need to be good organisers. We liaise with them on the day so they can tell us what is happening inside the house and what time we should arrive.
organisation is key to springing a successful surprise. We normally arrive early on the wedding day but 'hide' nearby so as not to alert neighbours or family. We rely on our contact person to ensure there is adequate parking outside the house (the Regent is a large car) and to tell us the exact time to arrive at the house. When we arrive at the house and ring the doorbell, the contact person ensures that it is the bride who opens the door to see a Chauffeur and beautiful wedding car waiting for her.
Finally, if you are arranging the surprise, carefully consider what to tell the unsuspecting bride/groom. It may be that you decide to say that a friend will supply their cherished car as a favour. However, if the much loved vehicle is really only a vision to the owner, it may be a little disappointing for the prospective bride to have this transport to look forward to for many months. Also, it may not necessarily be a good idea to tell the bride on her wedding day that the friend's car has broken down! This only worked in the case of one of our recent weddings because everything had been so well planned that everyone was relaxed and not in a high state of tension. However, everyone (including Dad) was in tears of excitement when we pulled up outside the house!
In summary:
Book Early
Make sure the car company know who is in on the secret
Provide a contact person who is a good organiser (and can obviously keep a secret)
Ensure there is adequate parking for the wedding cars
Carefully consider what 'story' you tell the bride/groom in the lead up to their big day and on the day itself