Transportation: The Journey

Alternative Title: 'Do I just have to, like, wish myself there or something?'

It was about four months into planning when I realized that I wasn't thinking about a pretty key fact: transportation.

image via Molly's Trolleys Pittsburgh 

Through my research, I haven't discovered much related to transportation on the big day. I mean, I think of movies and it's always the couple driving away with 'Just Married 'on the back.

image via Martha Stewart Weddings | But these won't make any noise! 

And that's all fine and dandy - but how in the heck do you get from Point A to Point B? The hotel/wherever you're getting ready to the ceremony site? Ceremony to picture site? Perhaps the most important (definitely in our case), from the reception back to the hotel? 

Does the bride drive herself? Does a bridesmaid drive? What about the dresses? Does the groom drive? What if everyone doesn't fit in one car? Does the hotel (if applicable) provide transportation? I mean, these are serious questions.

Obviously the idea of a limo pops into mind. When I attended a Bridal Show early in my planning stages, I made sure to stop at the limo booths and honestly, their prices didn't really 'wow' me. Granted, I'm competing with prom time - which I didn't even think about until they pointed it out - so I'm sure that is factored in, somewhere. But $900+ smackeroonies for a "party bus" just made me crinkle my nose.

As I continued my research into wedding-day transportation options, I realized pretty quickly that limos were not the way to go for us or for our bridal party. One of the newer (or is it just new to me? I swear, I've never heard of this. . ) options is to rent a charter bus for the day. 

image via Qualistar Transportation |  Who knew?

Even though the charter bus was definitely a better option for our fairly well-stacked wedding party, it still wasn't the BEST option for us.

personal photo | We roll deep, people. From left to right: Groomsman L, Mr. Palm Tree, Groomsman Y, Rev. Fun, Best Man R, MOH Mem, Bridesmaid Blackout, Me, Bridesmaid Badonk, Bridesmaid Y, Groomsman Pythagoras and Bridesmaid Tiny Dancer. Missing: Groomsman Dubstep

Enter: Molly's Trolleys. First, some eye candy:

source for all of the above | I. Die. SERIOUSLY.  Do you see all of these?! 

I have to be honest, friends. It was pretty much that second picture that had me foaming at the mouth. So long as it would not completely break our bank, it was happening. 

We had a weekend that we called 'Wedding Weekend' about a year ago, when almost all of us were in the same place, and for our night outings, we took the $5 limo (sidenote: up there with Primanti's Sandwiches on the list of bomb ass things to come out of Pittsburgh) and someone joked that we should just book it for the wedding. I mentioned how expensive the limos were and MOH Mem said "we could split it between us and pay for it and make it part of our gift to you guys." BOOM. 

I have to be honest, it is significantly more expensive than the limo - but we get much more. As in: ability to bring a cooler (or coolers, inevitably) with whatever we'd like, our choice of music, extended hours, no trip charges (meaning we rent for the hours, not for the stops, gas, etc.). The higher price was definitely, absolutely worth everything we would get. I crunched more numbers (I'm so bad with Math, I literally have to quadruple check myself) and figured it out: if we split the total cost in half, the wedding party would be paying about the same if splitting the total cost of the limo. Granted, Mr. Palm Tree and I would have to pay a chunk (half, to be exact), but so totally worth it. AND THOSE PICTURES. I have such visions! They are so perfect, the trolley is so perfect (and so CUTE) - it's very us. Honestly, one of the most exciting decisions we've made.

What was the most exciting decision you've made thus far? Were you faced with any options that made you MAKE room in your already tight budget for something you wanted?