Booked in January, changed six times by July
A couple book a coach in January to take guests from a hotel to the church and on to the reception venue, with a return run to the hotel at midnight. In March they move the ceremony half an hour later. In May they add a second pick-up at a guest house. In June the best man emails to say he will be the contact on the day and gives his number. In July, the bride's mother rings about a guest who uses a wheelchair.
The changes went to three different people in the office, by email and phone. The driver's job sheet on the day has the March time but not the guest house, and the contact number is the bride's, which she will not be answering.
Wedding hire has a long gap between booking and doing
Most coach hire is booked a few weeks ahead. Weddings are booked many months ahead, and the plan evolves over that time. Details arrive piecemeal, from several people (couple, parents, best man, wedding planner), and each goes into whichever email or note was nearest.
- Changes arrive by email, phone and social media messages over months.
- Several people from the wedding party contact the office.
- The contact on the day is often not the person who booked.
- Guests' access needs are mentioned late, if at all.
- The driver's job sheet is built from whichever details someone remembered.
A missed detail is remembered for a long time
Weddings are the one day where every small failure is remembered. A coach at the wrong time, a missed pick-up or a driver ringing the bride for directions spoils the day for the couple and makes you the story guests tell. Reviews from weddings are also very visible to other couples searching for wedding transport.
In the office, wedding season means many bookings, each with its own trail of changes, and staff spending time before each wedding checking emails to piece together the final plan.
A wedding details page with a final deadline
We build wedding bookings around a details page the couple controls.
- When a wedding booking is confirmed, the couple get a secure details page showing the booking: vehicles, pick-ups, ceremony and reception venues, times, return runs.
- The couple (and anyone they share the link with, such as a wedding planner) can update times, add pick-ups, name the contact on the day, and add guests' access needs. Each change is logged with who made it and when.
- Changes that affect the vehicle, timings or price alert the office, which confirms or discusses them before they are accepted.
- A final details deadline is set, for example a couple of weeks before the day. Reminders go to the couple before it, and after it changes go through the office only.
- The driver's job is generated from the confirmed details: every pick-up with time, venue access notes, the contact on the day and any special requests (ribbons, a stop for photos).
- After the wedding, the couple get a thank-you message and, if you want, a request for a review.
| Detail | Before | With the details page |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremony time change | Email to whoever answers | Updated by the couple, confirmed by the office |
| Extra pick-up | Phone call, maybe noted | Added to the plan, price checked |
| Contact on the day | Often the booker | Named by the couple |
| Guest access needs | Mentioned late | Recorded and flagged for vehicle choice |
| Driver's job | Built from memory | Generated from confirmed details |
The same wedding with the details page
The couple update the ceremony time in March, add the guest house pick-up in May and name the best man as contact in June. The office confirms each change. In July, the mother of the bride adds a note about the guest using a wheelchair, and the office checks that the allocated coach has a lift. The final details deadline passes with everything confirmed.
On the day, the driver's job shows the latest times, both pick-ups, the best man's number and the access note. Nobody rings the bride.
Do wedding details go astray?
- Wedding changes arrive by email and phone to different staff.
- The contact on the day is not always known.
- Drivers have worked from old wedding timings.
- Guests' access needs are mentioned at the last minute.
- Before each wedding, someone pieces together the final plan from emails.