A good wedding transportation timeline has two parts. Book the vehicles once your date, venues and headcount are set, which The Knot puts at three to six months out and earlier for spring dates. Then build the day backward from the ceremony start, with a buffer at every pickup and the guests' ride home booked at the same time.
Below: the months before, the day itself, and the San Francisco details that change the plan.
Months out: when to book wedding transportation
The Knot's transportation guide says to book when three to six months remain, once the date, ceremony site and reception site are settled. It adds that April, May and June overlap with prom and graduation season, so vehicles book up sooner and you should reserve earlier. The Knot's Real Weddings Study found that 73% of weddings fall between May and October, which is why most Saturday dates in those months are contested.
A simple order of work:
- Lock the venues and the guest count first. Every vehicle decision follows from where people start, where they go and how many there are.
- List who needs a ride. Usually the couple, the wedding party, close family, and any guests staying at one hotel or block of rooms.
- Book the large vehicles first. Groups need a Sprinter or Mini Coach, and those are the first to go on a busy date.
- Confirm the final schedule in writing a few weeks before, with every address, pickup time and a phone contact for each leg.
Book with our cancellation terms in mind. Sprinter and Mini Coach reservations need at least 72 hours' notice, and our cancellation policy refunds 90% of a large-vehicle booking cancelled 72 hours or more ahead, with no refund inside that window.
Match the vehicles to each group
Each group on the day usually needs its own vehicle, because they leave from different places at different times. Our fleet covers most wedding parties:
- The couple: a Cadillac XTS sedan for 1 to 2 guests, or a Cadillac Escalade ESV for a little more room for the dress.
- Parents or a small family group: a Lincoln Navigator L for up to 5, or an Escalade ESV or Chevy Suburban for up to 6.
- The wedding party: a Luxury Sprinter for about a dozen.
- A wedding shuttle for guests: a Mini Coach with up to 25 seats, or more than one vehicle for a larger group.
Our wedding service offers decorated vehicles, coordinated multi-car fleets and an on-site coordinator, so several vehicles can run to one schedule.
The day itself: your wedding transportation timeline
Start from the ceremony time and work backward. For each leg, write down four things: who rides, the pickup address, the pickup time, and the time they need to be at the door. The gap between the last two is your drive plus a buffer for loading, photos and the one person still looking for their shoes.
A template you can copy and fill in with your own times:
| Leg | Who rides | Pickup time |
|---|---|---|
| Getting ready to ceremony | Wedding party | Drive time plus a generous buffer |
| Getting ready to ceremony | Couple (often separately) | Timed so they arrive after the guests |
| Hotel to ceremony | Guests | Early enough to be seated before the start |
| Ceremony to photo stops | Couple and wedding party | Right after the receiving line |
| Photo stops to reception | Couple and wedding party | Timed to the grand entrance |
| Reception to hotel | Guests | A first run and a last run |
| Reception to send-off | Couple | At the end of the night |
Two rules keep the schedule honest:
- Set a ready time before each pickup. Everyone should be at the door before the vehicle arrives. Our terms give scheduled pickups a 15-minute grace period, then charge $1 per minute of waiting on non-hourly trips.
- Name one person per vehicle to gather the group and answer the chauffeur's call.
Hourly or point to point for each leg
Most couples keep their own vehicle with them for the day. Hourly As Directed does that: the car and chauffeur stay through the ceremony, photos and reception. It has a three-hour minimum, the full reserved time is billed even if the day ends early, and overtime is billed in 15-minute increments. Book the hours you expect plus some margin.
Guest legs often suit Point to Point instead: one pickup, one destination, a fixed rate. A hotel run before the ceremony and a return run after the reception can cost less than holding a vehicle all evening. Each extra stop on a point-to-point trip is $20, so plan one route for each run.
San Francisco City Hall wedding transportation
City Hall changes the timeline in three ways, according to SF.gov:
- Civil ceremonies need a reservation, and walk-ins are not allowed.
- You must arrive 15 minutes before your appointment, with your original marriage license, photo ID, and one witness if your license is public.
- A civil ceremony allows 6 guests or fewer. For more guests, or a weekend or holiday ceremony, the city's step-by-step guide says to book a space through City Hall Events.
For a small civil ceremony, one SUV for the couple and their witness plus one for family is often enough. Set the pickup so you reach City Hall well before the 15-minute check-in, and book the hourly service long enough to cover photos around the building afterwards.
Plan the ride home with the ride there
The last leg is the one most often left out. Book the guests' return runs and the couple's send-off at the same time as the morning pickups, so nobody has to sort out a ride at the end of the reception. Tell guests the departure times in advance, on the wedding website or a card at the reception.
Book your wedding transportation
Book online, or call or text (415) 936-5676. Our concierge team is available 24/7. Have the date, headcount for each leg, every pickup address and your ceremony time ready.
Planning a group night out before the wedding season? Read our guide to holiday party transportation in San Francisco.