I think if you’ve ever visited my blog or website, it’s pretty clear that Washington, DC is one of my favorite places to shoot — from the historic architecture and monuments to the gorgeous parks, it’s a wedding photographer’s paradise! I’ll be the first to admit, however, that it’s not always the easiest place to shoot; for all the same reasons we love it as photographers, so do millions of tourists! DC is also frequently hosting concerts, sporting events, or outdoor festivals that draw in additional crowds making this already small city feel even smaller. So when my friend Katie Nesbitt shared this tip with her brides, I knew it was something I wanted to share with mine as well. And that is, if you’re not getting ready, married, taking portraits, and celebrating in the same location, you should book limousine or shuttle transportation for your wedding day! 

PARKING |
+ It goes without saying, if you’ve ever been to a city, you know finding parking for even one car is rare. Now think about finding somewhere that you and your entire wedding party (3+ vehicles) can park for your portraits — that’s nearly impossible! So much time is lost while everyone is searching spots.
+ Even when you do finally find parking, it could be blocks away from where you want to be and let’s be honest — no one likes walking in heels and a gigantic wedding dress! Transportation will drop you off at your desired location and you just give them a call when you’re ready to depart!

CONVENIENCE | 
+ Sure, it’s possible that instead of driving to your nest location and parking that you could try to hail several taxis — but it’s your wedding day! Who wants to spend their precious moments of the big day stressing out if there is enough room for the last two bridesmaids to squeeze in or if you should find another cab? Having a limo or shuttle waiting establishes exactly how many seats are available!
+ Additional, having everyone in one vehicle means that everyone will arrive at the same time. So often, one car can get held up at a red-light and end up 10 minutes behind the rest of the group. The day goes much smoother if everyone is traveling together. 

CELEBRATE |
+ Weddings are celebration and you should be doing just that — celebrating! Before you know it, those mimosas start flowing as you get your hair and makeup done; knowing you have a limo or shuttle waiting for you outside means you can indulge as much as you’d like! In fact, some wedding parties have the most fun in their time spent on a shuttle!
+ One of the best advantages to a shuttle is that you can keep them around all day — so typically if you’re doing a first look (which I cannot recommend enough for a city wedding!!), it will take your wedding party around the city and then drop everyone off at your ceremony venue before circling back to the hotel to pick up your guests! This ensures a timely arrival for the ceremony because guests didn’t spend 20 minutes walking to the church from the M Street garage 14 blocks away.
+ And once the reception begins, everyone can partake in the fun if they wish! No designated drivers are required if the shuttle is available to safely take guests back to their hotel.

As I’ve mentioned before, I love being involved with the timeline process to guarantee a smooth wedding day with plenty of time for portraits. If you’re planning a city wedding, we should chat about this early to determine if transportation is necessary and plan it’s arrival time!