Transportation was one of the wedding details where we knew exactly what we wanted. Limos, town cars, classic cars, and party buses are great (we like them) but the one mode of transportation that we loved was the trolley. Since living in SB, we've seen at least one zip around town each weekend. Be it a holiday parade, city tour, or booze cruise, trolleys are pretty much a staple in downtown SB. They're also very cute and charming.
The trolley pricing was a bit steep and there was a minimum reservation limit, but we knew we'd be walking to the reception hall from our hotel (1.5 blocks is not bad), so we would only need it in the morning/early afternoon, for the minimum amount of time. Plus, we thought it would be nice to splurge on a Santa Barbara Trolley as our wedding day transportation. It would take our family and bridal party from the hotel to the ceremony at the Mission and back. The trolley comfortably fit 30 guests, had huge windows and high seats (perfect for sightseeing as we drove the main streets of SB), a/c, and stereo system (to rock some cheesy wedding music). Definitely a perfect way to ride in style and fun experience.
Our driver was very friendly and patient. He took us up State Street, we waved at tourists and locals, and sang along to "Going to the Chapel" in all it's cheesyness. After the ceremony we took the long way back from the Mission. Opting to go up to the Mesa and down Shoreline drive, this gave our guests some extra down time and a stellar ocean view.
All in all, it was a great ride and everyone enjoyed :) It was worth the splurge and made us happy.
How are you organizing wedding day transportation? Any fun ways of getting around that you have in mind?
Blog title is from song by Frank Sinatra
Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, February 9, 2009
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
A downtown Santa Barbara staple is the classic red painted, wood trimmed, gold detailed trolley. Whether shuttling a site-seeing city day tour, wine country tour, or booze cruises at night, trolleys are seen zipping down the streets filled with locals and tourist alike. I always see one parked by the fountain at the Old Mission on Saturday afternoons and love the idea of a Santa Barbara Trolley as our wedding transportation.
Each trolley can seat up to 30 adults. They charter birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, corporate events, weddings (yay!), and private tours. You rent them by the hour, providing pick-up and drop-off information and any stops you'd like to make along the way. There is also the option to drink on board, provided every passenger is over 21.
The trolley is perfect because it allows us to provide comfortable and unique transportation to our wedding party, immediate family, my grandparents, and photographer. Since trolleys are predominantly used for tours, the height of the seats would give everyone great views of SB and the open air would (mess up hair) allow everyone to experience the warm sun and great weather.
Our plan is to be picked up at our hotel and go straight to the Mission. After the ceremony the trolley will take us on our mini tour of SB before dropping us off at the beach/our reception venue. This should all fit a 4 to 5 hour block of time. Luckily (for the budget) we don't need transportation between the reception venue and hotel since they are across the street from each other!
We ran this by our parents, who all loved the idea. It makes us happy that we could share this aspect of the city with our loved ones.
What form of transportation will you use on your wedding day?
Blog title is from lyrics by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
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