Transportation

Wedding transportation & limo contract: what to check before you sign

A car or shuttle has one job on your wedding day: get people where they need to be, on time. The contract is where the hourly minimums, surcharges and "what if the vehicle breaks down" clause live — and those are exactly the parts that surprise couples. Here's the checklist, written for the couple.

1. The exact vehicle and capacity

You're booking a specific car for a reason — confirm the contract names the make, model or vehicle class, and passenger capacity, not just "a luxury sedan" or "a limo". Capacity on paper is often optimistic; a "10-passenger" limo with everyone in formalwear is tight. If the exact vehicle matters to your photos or your guest count, get it in writing, along with what happens if that vehicle is unavailable.

2. Hourly minimums and the timeline

Most wedding transport is sold with an hourly minimum (commonly 3–5 hours), and the clock often starts when the vehicle leaves the garage, not when it reaches you — so-called "garage to garage" billing. Map your actual timeline (ceremony, photos, reception, guest shuttles) against the minimum so you know whether you're paying for idle time, and confirm exactly when billing starts and stops.

"Does the clock start when the car reaches us, or when it leaves your garage?"

3. Gratuity, fuel and surcharges

The quoted hourly rate is rarely the final number. Look for an automatic gratuity (often 15–20% added to the bill), a fuel surcharge, and possible tolls, parking, or administrative fees. As with catering, the headline price and the total can be meaningfully different — ask for an all-in quote so you're comparing real numbers. See the same pattern in our catering hidden-fees guide.

4. Overtime and waiting time

Weddings run late. Pin down the overtime rate (per hour or per 15/30 minutes) and how it's authorised on the day — ideally a quick text or call, not an automatic open meter. Also check waiting time: if the car waits during your photos or ceremony, is that inside your booked hours or billed separately? "Additional time at the operator's discretion" is the kind of open-ended language you want replaced with a clear rate.

5. Breakdown, no-show and backup vehicles

This is the clause that actually protects your day. Ask what happens if the vehicle breaks down or doesn't show: does the company guarantee a replacement vehicle within a set time, or just refund you? A refund doesn't get you to your own ceremony. Look for a remedy that keeps you moving, and be cautious of language limiting the company's liability to the fee paid with no duty to provide a working vehicle.

6. Deposit and cancellation

Expect a deposit to reserve the date and a cancellation schedule that tightens as the day approaches. Check the balance due date, whether you can adjust hours or the timeline later without penalty, and the refund terms if you cancel. For the full picture on how these clauses work, see our cancellation & refund guide.