Day 3 – No man or woman left behind

No man or woman left behind………………

Whether you’re having a horse and carriage, a vintage Rolls or a bicycle built for two, one of the key decisions you make when arranging your big day is the transport for yourselves, to and from the venue.  But what about your guests?  They may be staying in various gites and holiday accommodation in the local area and will doubtless want to have a drink to toast the happy couple after the wedding without worrying about driving back afterwards.

Living here in rural France we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by some magical wedding venues, and every year we have bookings for guests at marriages at one of the nearby chateaux.  Our two gites offer peace and relaxation in a tranquil setting for the days before and after, and we have helped guests find transport to get them to the church on time and home again afterwards.  It isn’t always as straightforward as you might think, and our tip would be to

Top tip – make travel arrangements to and from your wedding venue beforehand

The taxi companies with a fleet of several cabs which are common in the UK are limited to the major conurbations here.  Most of the taxi companies in the local towns are one-person operations, and are often booked up in advance, especially if there is a wedding happening!  It is key then for guests to give them a few days’ notice and you should be fine.  Most accommodation should have a list of local taxi firms available, we certainly do here, and are happy to call to book cabs in advance.  Alternatively, if you work with the chosen wedding venue, you may be able to arrange for one or two firms to be booked together and work as a fleet to ferry guests home after the celebrations have finished.  The key is think ahead!

If you’re looking for guest accommodation in the Charente / Dordogne, why not check out our gites at www.lemoniegites.com.  We have two gites available as part of an old traditional farmhouse.  La Vieille Maison sleeps four people and La Grange sleeps six.  They are both set in 3 acres of gardens with a 12 x 5m swimming pool.  We’d love to welcome you here, and offer a 5% discount on our website prices to readers of this blog.