Wedding Do We Really NEED a Limo?

[Haven]

I'm having a difficult time justifying renting a limousine for our wedding day.

FI and I will be living in a house which is less than 2 miles away from my synagogue, which is where we're getting married. The ceremony AND reception are both taking place at the synagogue so we won't need transport at all during the wedding. AND, we're inviting close friends and family back to our new home after the reception for a 4th of July barbeque/housewarming party.

My bridesmaids, parents, and I will be getting ready in our new house before the wedding, and FI will get ready at the actual synagogue with his groomsmen, so they're all meeting there in the morning.

Do we really need to rent a limo? I can't see why we'd need one. My father already volunteered his 1964 red Corvair convertible if we want to drive away in style (you know, the whole 2 miles from the synagogue to our house!)

Did anyone opt out of using a limo on their wedding day? Can you give me any compelling reasons why we'd need one?

Thanks!

 

[goldenstar]

I think that limos are really only for the photo opp. We don''t need one because we are staying at the resort where the ceremony and reception will be. We were never thinking about a limo in the first place. Its not one of our priorities and we''d rather put the money toward something else.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

One of the local limo companies owes my dad''s lawfirm money so they will do it for free and I am not using them anyway. We are staying 2 miles from the location and it just seems silly to me and a waste of gas. We will probably drive away in whatever old beater we are using at the time since it just doesn''t matter to me.

 

[Fancy605]

I''ve known people who used limos/rental cars and people who didn''t

We had a limo, but only because the use of it was a wedding gift from a family friend who owns a limo company. It was an AWESOME gift, and I really enjoyed having it, but honestly we would have been an expense we would have skipped if it had not been a gift. I think we were in it for a total of maybe 20 min or so between the ceremony and the reception. It was fun, and one of my favorite photos was taken inside the limo, but def. wasn''t on the "can''t live without it" list.

 

[ladyciel]

I think you answered your own question. YOU can''t see any need for it. Thus, you don''t need it.

We''re struggling with the same question, but for a very different situation. We have 4 BMs and 4 GM, and only 2 of them have ever lived in the town we''re getting married in. Our ceremony and reception sites are 15 min or so away from each other, and the current plan is to make a stop between them for photos at a 3rd location. We''re trying to figure out the logistics of getting all 10 of us from ceremony to photos to reception without losing anybody along the way or wasting precious photo time trying to find parking for numerous cars. A limo that could hold all ten of us would certainly simplify things. However, we''re leaning towards going w/o, I think, and trying to brainstorm alternatives. The cost is just so hard to swallow for something that we otherwise wouldn''t give two hoots about.

 

[karasue91]

another no-limo wedding here. waste of money, esp since we have a small wedding party - 2 on each side and our ceremony/reception is also at the same place. it might make sense for weddings with separate locations and big wedding parties, but for us it just doesn''t!

 

[mimzy]

we weren't going to get a limo because our reception site is about a hundred yards from the church. even though it's in the winter, we'll probably just walk. but then we were thinking that it might be nice to not have to drive home after the reception (about an hour away) so now we are looking into getting a driver for that. it probably won't be a limo, but a metrocar or something so that we can focus on each other and not on the road

my dad was sort of pushing for one, but we would use it at random times, and there's no way that we could afford to get it all day, as we can't even afford a limo for the 3 hour minimum! (hence metrocar)

 

[iheartscience]

I would just skip it also if you don''t really care. It''s money you could either put to something else or just save! I don''t care about a limo so I highly doubt we''re going to have one.

 

[zoebartlett]

We''re going through this same thing -- our hotel is 2 miles away from our venue as well. It feels silly to justify the expense, especially considering how quick the trip would be. So, no, I don''t think you need a limo. You could just save that money or put it towards something else.

 

[Haven]

Thanks for your responses, ladies. I just wanted to make sure there wasn''t some oh-my-gosh-I-can''t-believe-we-didn''t-think-of-that reason for getting the limo.
Sounds like there isn''t!

Good--one more thing I can cross off my to-do list.

 

[Elmorton]

One of my BMs (who is sortof the Katherine Heigl character in 27 Dresses - the ultra bridesmaid) freaked out when we nearly weren''t able to rent a limo (waited til last minute). Her reasoning was that in the weddings where she''s been limo-less, she''s also gotten completely lost on the way to the reception and nearly been late for the entry. But, if you''re close, everyone knows where they''re going, nobody is going to be drinking and driving, then the limo is completely unnecessary IMO.

 

[Krissie]

We aren''t having a limo - I would skip it if you felt comfortable doing so. We have rented a party bus to take us around town for photos with our entire wedding party. We will then be dropped off at our hotel and walk the short 2 blocks to the reception (great photo op!)

 

[star sparkle]

To be honest, I''ve never really seen the need for limo''s at weddings. Makes no sense to me.

 

[Hera]

We didn''t have a limo, we had a vintage Rolls Royce. It was much cheaper that way and it was a beautiful car.

 

[Gypsy]

We're opting out. My uncles keeps offering to opt us IN at his expense, and I keep graciously declining. We have a similar situation to yours. Now, I will admit that if someone had a lovely classic car to BORROW, I'd be on that in a heartbeat! But just for the photos. It sounds like you have that... so I'm with you, I don't see the point in spending the $$ for a limo. Limos out here cost LESS than a vintage Rolls... I would have loved a vintage rolls, jaguar, corvette, ford anything, but it's a frivilous expense I can't justify.

 

[bee*]

Date: 4/21/2008 1:59:53 AM
Author: heraanderson
We didn''t have a limo, we had a vintage Rolls Royce. It was much cheaper that way and it was a beautiful car.

We''re doing the same only over here getting a limo is better value. We just prefer the Rolls Royce.

 

[Hera]

Date: 4/21/2008 4:38:06 AM
Author: bee*

Date: 4/21/2008 1:59:53 AM
Author: heraanderson
We didn't have a limo, we had a vintage Rolls Royce. It was much cheaper that way and it was a beautiful car.

We're doing the same only over here getting a limo is better value. We just prefer the Rolls Royce.

Hee hee hee. It was at the time.....ten years ago

. I remember we spent $250 dollars. I imagine the price has increased since then...

 

[allycat0303]

Well I definitely am not. The church is maybe 3 minutes from the reception and I can''t wrap my mind around an expense like that. Besides the drive will be over in 3 minutes, and basically I would be paying for a prop to take pictures. I think traditionally it''s the bride and the groom alone in the car, and my guy doesn''t caer either. The way I see it, we will standing in front of the church taking pictures for a LOOOONG time, so by the time we get into the car, most of the guests will have left for the reception hall, so no one would see our grand exit anyways!

 

[neatfreak]

We didn''t have one. We did cabs to the ceremony, walked from the ceremony to reception, and then had a trolley for the rest of the day (but we toured around SF with all our guests).

 

[AmyBride]

We''re not using one either. Sounds like the convertible would work wonderfully for you (as long as it doesn''t rain!).

 

[anchor31]

We''re not using a limo or renting any kind of car. We''ll just decorate J''s Nissan and that''s it. Our wedding isn''t formal enough and if we rented a car there was no way we would have been able to stick to our budget. I''m not a car person and I don''t care... J would have liked to rent a car, but he saw the prices and never mentioned it again.

If you don''t think it''s necessary, then you don''t need it.

 

[Stephanie]

Date: 4/21/2008 5:04:24 AM
Author: heraanderson
Hee hee hee. It was at the time.....ten years ago

. I remember we spent $250 dollars. I imagine the price has increased since then...

Yeah, it''s gone up a bit. About double that now. The transportation thing is one of those little stresses. There''s no need for us to have any transportation since the venue is hosting the ceremony and the reception. I just don''t know what I want to do to get to the hotel.

 

[Independent Gal]

Another vote for NOPE!

For WP1, I went in my parents'' car with my step-dad.

For WP2, we went in a taxi.

I think if the idea of a limo is exciting to you, go for it. If you''re kind of "meh? meh." then why spend the money?

 

[scm1012]

I find limos to be a colossal waste of money.

Unless you have an extra 1k lying around for a Phantom or something....I say no way.