For the second year running here at Great Escape we've noticed a significant trend towards self drive hire when brides and grooms book cars for their wedding. January is the busiest time for wedding bookings and it seems that wedding couples are turning away from chauffeur hire in favour of more flexible self drive hire options.
A chauffeur driven white Rolls Royce, Bentley or Jaguar has for decades been the staple of the wedding car hire world. But today couples are increasingly seeking something different - and in the current straightened economic times, something crucially cheaper. The development of flexible self drive wedding car hire packages by companies like Great Escape Classic Car Hire has enabled brides and grooms to cut their costs - and get behind the wheel of more interesting and varied cars.
Self drive hire wedding car packages for couples have many advantages. It means they can access a much wider range of classic cars for hire, typically including a range of colours and models. The range of chauffeur wedding cars available tend to be very similar whereas self drive cars are much more varied, ranging from Morris Minors to Aston Martins and retro cool 1970s and 1980s models like Ford Capris and Jensen Interceptors. Alongside the wider range of cars, self drive is also much more flexible than chauffeur hire. The hire period is generally 24 or 36 hours, rather than a strict 5 hour waiting time. The hirer is also in full control - so if the timings change on the day (which they usually do), the chauffeur isn't standing around tutting. This can lead to a more relaxed and enjoyable day. And by replacing the chauffeur, a family member, Best Man or the groom gets a chance to share the fun of driving the car.
Self drive wedding car hire is also considerably cheaper than chauffeur hire, and offers much more use of the car. Self drive packages from Great Escape Classic Car Hire start at £145 for a Morris Minor or £225 for a popular Jaguar Mk2. Comparable prices for chauffeur hire are usually 50-75% more.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has developed new services to assist wedding couples with integrating a self drive wedding car into their big day. These include a 36 hour hire period, which enables the couple to collect the car on the day before and return it the morning after, without having to pay for a full 48 hours that they may not need. We also provide a delivery and collection service - often couples prefer to collect the car but the logistics of parties and honeymoons make returning the car difficult. So we will pick it up after the event for a small fee.
"We are finding that couples increasingly want a totally unique day," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "The internet has given people choice and made it easier to get it. Self drive wedding car hire is cheaper, more flexible and, frankly, more enjoyable than chauffeur hire. I think this is why we are seeing an increase in demand."
"We do still offer a traditional chauffeur hire service, " he adds. "It's still the right choice for many people who want a straightforward and traditional car service."
For more information on Great Escape Classic Car Hire's range of cars visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk. For details on its wedding services call 01527 893733 or visit Great Escape's wedding car pages.