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 When you're on the search for a supplier for your wedding there are plenty of lists of what questions to ask them...
These are all pretty standard questions, but if you are serious about booking a supplier, you really need to ask someone else about them! We speak to dozens of wedding venues and trust me these people get to see hundreds of wedding suppliers and they remember the really good ones .... and the really BAD ones!!! Recentely we were at a wedding where the was a particularily annoying supplier, which made our job difficult and the bride's day infuriating! And no one wants that on their wedding day!!  Sooo aswell as looking at the list of recommended suppliers, make sure you ask your venue this one important question. It might feel a little icky but, trust me is definitely a question you'll be glad you asked when your wedding day comes around!! Just ask this ... 
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 Not that long after we stated up LoveBug Wedding cars, we started to get enquiries from parents asking if we did 'Prom Transport'. What might have seemed like a no-brainer yes to many companies, a quick way to make some extra money, was infact a no from us. Let me explain why... Proms aren't the same as weddings, they are noisy, they are cookie cut copies of the previous year, or the one down the road, you are strictly regulated by the school and the success of how well it runs is out of your hands, the roads around the event are snarled up with traffic, blaring horns and oversized limos trying to make impossible turns into tight entrances. It is everything we are not. All the things we enjoy about driving our wedding couples - meeting and getting to know them over the months running up to their wedding, planning personal touches just for them, doing practices runs of how it will be, and a relaxing, calm drive on the day - don't really go hand in hand with Proms. So we give them a miss. Proms are also held in the middle of Wedding season, and we'd much rather help out another couple on their special day or be giving our cars an extra little TLC, than being stuck in those traffic jams around a prom. The most imortant thing though: Driving to a prom isn't the same as Wedding Transport. Driving someone to a prom is in effect providing a taxi service - the company will need a private hire license from the council, and also a different kind of insurance. So if you are paying someone to drive to a prom make sure they have the correct paperwork. If they don't and you go ahead you won't be covered if anything happens on the day or if they are caught working at a prior prom you'll be left with no transport at all! So please understand if we say we don't do Prom Transport - it just means we can focus on giving our wedding couples a much better service.
 How do you get motivated when you're really not feeling it? If you're planning a wedding then you'll never be short of things to do, but what if you just can't get your get up and go to tackle it? I've pulled together 5 easy ideas to jump start your motivation, click below to see what they are...
 Choosing colours for your wedding might be as easy as saying I Do! But what if it isn't? Somewhere along your planning journey you'll have to decide on a colour or colour scheme (even if it's only 'all white') Colour can be used in so many area to tie your wedding together and create a Wow factor!
So exactly HOW do you choose a colour scheme if you havent got a clue where to start? Read on for where you can get your inspiration...
 I’ve never been a big fan of paper confetti - it’s always been on the naff side of wedding planning, I mean how many fantastic wedding props start with a trip to a local newsagents to buy it? Add on top the fact that it’s a single use product and using traditional confetti at your wedding probably isn’t filling you with joy! Many venues have already banned paper confetti simply because of the ‘mess’ it leaves behind, although I always used to smile when I walked by the church on a Monday morning and the confetti left over from the weekend’s wedding danced in the wind, it wasn’t that great by Thursday… Don’t get me wrong - throwing confetti can make some of the best wedding photos so I’m not suggesting you ban it all together but wouldn’t you like some fun, alternatives that are great for the environment?  Petals - Fresh or dried these make a wonderful. colourful confetti. Choose smaller delicate petals to flutter through the air or larger petals for a hit of colour in your photos - combine the two sizes for a great display! Bird Seed - 100% eco-friendly you’ll be feeding the local bird population too. Choose a mix of seeds to get some great photos but remember these can be sharp so remind your guests not to throw it too hard! Feathers - If you are having a small get together I LOVE this idea, feathers will gently float in the air and when the wedding is over, birds can take them to build their nests. Wedding Rice - NOT the rice from your kitchen cupboard this special rice is safe for wildlife, and is shaped into little hearts. Wildflower seeds - perfect for outside boho weddings you could actually be making the meadow more beautiful for future couples! DO check with the venue first though if choosing this option - no one wants a wildflower seedling right in the middle of their manicured lawn, no matter how pretty it is! And don’t forget how you’ll hand out the confetti too - how about swapping paper cones for people taking handfuls from a larger basket?   Your big day is all about the two of you but the good news is you can include your nearest and dearest too... Choose the right team for your big (or intimate) day and it can make your wedding day a million times better! It’s all about picking the right people for the right job in your Bridal Party…. Traditionally, these roles are split into support for the Bride or Groom Girls Team Maid of honour Bridesmaids Flower Girls Boys Team Best Man Ushers Page Boys First of all consider how important this question will be!! Aside from the ‘Will you be my bridesmaid’ question turning into a whole bridesmaid proposal in America, (and there are signs of it catching on over here folks) once you’ve asked someone to take a role in your wedding, it is nearly impossible to take that request back!! So how do you make sure you are asking the right person for the job? Each role will need a specific set of skills Maid of Honour - A maid of honour is you’re main goto in the run up to your wedding and on the big day! You’ll probably go to her for help planning, deciding and for emotional support too. She’ll also be responsible for planning your hen night. This will probably be a close friend or family member. Choose someone who is well organised, supportive and calm in a crisis and you’ll be on to a winner! Bridesmaids - These are your support on the wedding day but can also help in the run up to the wedding with tasks & jobs. The number of bridesmaids you choose is up to you (up to 5 seems to be about the average with our bookings at the moment) but remember if you are paying for their dresses it will all add up! You also need to make sure that they all get on and that there aren’t any divas in there! Try to find someone who is happy to support you and your choices. Plus points for those that really don’t mind what colour / style dress you choose for them to wear!! Flower Girls - Not a necessity but a flower girl is a great way to involve a younger member of the family. Just make sure they are confident enough to do what you want (e.g. walk down the aisle) without running off to mum! Best Man - The best man is pretty much the main support role, standing up there with you in the ceremony, in charge of the ring and delivering one of the speeches! (Oh and the stag night too!!) Make sure your choice is reliable, confident enough to take a starring role (including delivering a speech in front of a room of potential strangers) A sense of humour also helps but one that isn’t too risque. Choices are often between a brother or close friend. Ushers - Tradition is you have as many ushers as bridesmaids, but really anything goes! Ushers are your ‘on the day helpers’ showing guests to their seats, handing out order of service. Pick helpful friends and family that won’t offend older guests Page Boys - Another cute addition to the wedding party, they make great ring bearers, and although I’m not keen on the ‘Last chance to run’ board wearing ones I do smile at the ‘don’t worry ladies, I’m still single’ ones! Should you always ask a family member? Short answer no, not always. But do consider them first! Siblings and family members will be by your side for the long run whereas even the best friendships may fade over time. Don’t pick them if they are really not suitable though, however hard your mum insists. Just be ready to explain to mum why you aren’t picking your sister., although secretly she’ll know their timekeeping is atrocious and ultimately she’ll agree your college room mate is much more organised and perfect for maid of honour. If you do go with other (non family) choices for say best man / maid of honour, do try and make sure your family is included elsewhere. Alternative Roles Other ways to include special guests in our wedding include asking them to
Don’t stick to Traditional roles If your groom wants a best woman go ahead, likewise men of honour and bridesmen are also not unsual now. And if your pets are like family why leave them out of your big day? We love cute little bridesmaid dogs and will even let you bring well behaved ones in Lily our Bay Panel Camper!   Whether you enquire about a Wedding Car, or any other wedding service for that matter you'll probably be asked quite a few questions! Get in and ask your own too but make sure you tell them these 6 things and it'll all go a lot easier... 1. Your Wedding Date...If you know the exact date great! If not then try and give some idea, if you reply 'not sure' alot of suppliers will just assume you are sending out multiple requests to every company just to get a vague idea of costs for your budget. Many suppliers won't even reply to these sort of enquiries. If you do just want a rough price, lots of companies will give an example price or 'prices from' quoted on their websites. If you really haven't set a date try and give as much detail as you can 'one weekend in June next year' is more helpful than you can imagine. The supplier might be fully booked that month, or low on bookings so they can give you a better deal! 2. Exactly what you need...Where do you need to be collected from and where are you going too? Try and include postcodes so the supplier knows the exact location! How many people will be in the car, will you need more than one run? We're not expecting you to be the expert but give the supplier all the details and they can help you work out the most effective solution. Hoping to drive a certain way from A to B (past a memorable location or nice view) tell them that, otherwise the might just go the alternative way! 3. Any extras bits you might assume are included...There's nothing worse than expecting something to be there on the day or even it's there but you were charged extra for it. Double check what's included and what's not. Will there be ribbons, a floral decoration ? Does it include a stop on the way from church to reception for photos? Will you be able to squeeze in auntie mabel or the photographer on the trip last minute? Tell the supplier what you are expecting them to provide as their service and you can sort out any difference way in advance. 3. What your theme is...Sharing exciting things like the theme of your wedding with the supplier is fab! Firstly it should confirm that they are a good fit or not. Secondly, it should start all our creative juices flowing! We might be able to suggest similar themed supplier we can work with, or adjust our colour schemes to match! This is definitely one of my favourite bits - I just LOVE working with brides to help them personalise our cars to their wedding theme or personality! 4. About your dress, passengers, house location...No they're not being nosy, and they won't blab about it to everyone! We need to know simply for the practical issues,.. if your dress is big, will there be enough room for it in the back? if it is a close fitting dress will you be able to get out of the car easily or up the grand staircase into the hotel? Tell the supplier if your 3 passengers are slim teenage bridesmaids that don't mind squishing up together or 2 aunties that prefer room to move! Is your house difficult to find? Tell them the best way to find you! Basically Talk to your supplier, we really want to help you wherever we can! 5. Tell them your TimingsYou probably have a lot of times you need to be places on your wedding day, help your supplier by telling them when things are happening... What time is the ceremony? How long do you expect the ceremony to last? What time do you need to be at the reception? No one can expect everything to run exactly to time but by providing the schedule upfront we can help you as much as possible to keep on time! 6. How they did.. So they big day has come and gone! Don't forget to keep talking to your supplier - let them know how they did! Email them directly with any feedback, this will help them improve! And help other brides out by leaving reviews on websites. Suppliers LOVE reviews too! I hope that little list has helped you prepare for meeting with your suppliers. If you'd like to know any more about us or any of our cars just drop me a line & I'll be happy to help!
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