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Here’s a conversation I had recently:
Octopus: “Bridesmaid/Cousin Katie, can you do me a huuuuuge wedding-related favor? Would you mind checking around with a few different transportation companies to get price quotes on how much it would cost to rent a mini-bus or trolley to pick us girls up before the ceremony, then take the whole bridal party to the reception after the ceremony and portraits are over? We’ll need to get picked up for the ceremony around 3:30, and then it will need to take us to the reception around 6:30, so a total of about three hours.”
BM/C Katie: “Sure, no problem!”
One Week Later
BM/C Katie: “So, I got those quotes for you. The cheapest I could find was $750, and the highest was around $1,000.”
Octopus: “HA HA HA HA HA! Katie, you are so funny. No seriously, what are the REAL rates for three hours’ worth of mini-bus access?”
……
……
……
ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME? Maybe my expectations were way too low on this, but I wanted to theatrically spit out a mouthful of water when I heard that quote. Seven hundred and fifty dollars? For a fifteen-minute drive to Heinz Chapel, a two-and-a-half-hour wait, and a fifteen-minute drive to the reception? I have accepted the fact that many, many things in wedding planning cost more than I expected (or, sometimes, more than I believe to be reasonable or fair), but that one shocked me. No way I could justify spending $750 on something from which we’d get thirty minutes of active use.
So, I re-configured the plan, thinking that maybe we could swing a one-way group transportation option. Mom Octopus and I figured that between parents and other various relatives, we could manage to get everyone carpooled over to Heinz Chapel (the entire female contingent of the bridal party alone can roll up packed into Mom Octopus’s slammin’ Dodge Caravan!), then opt for group transport over to the reception.
Every bride’s dream, no? (Source)
I contacted a transport company again, this time specifying that we were looking to rent a mini-bus or trolley for fifteen minutes. Pick us up at Heinz Chapel and drop us off at the Children’s Museum, that’s it. They’re five miles apart. Quote: $415. Now, I’m not exactly sure if $750 for three hours is over-the-top expensive, but I am absolutely certain that $415 for fifteen minutes’ worth of transportation is really and truly highway robbery.
So what do we do now? We could use the same carpooling strategy back to the reception, but that would require that my mom and the other drivers hang around during bridal party portraits, missing the cocktail hour. We could cab it, a la Mrs. Star, although Mr. Octo’s face fell very heartbreakingly at the thought of not enjoying the festive, celebratory, champagne-popping group bus ride that he’d anticipated after the ceremony. We could rent one of those fifteen-passenger vans for the day, although we’d be utterly stuffed in there, and I still don’t know who’d drive it…
Can you think of a better solution? Pittsburgh brides, did you find any better rates than Bridesmaid Katie and I did (and if so, PLEASE tell me about it!!!)?
Side note: after the wedding is over, I am launching my own rental company that deals exclusively in upgraded linens, chivari chairs, and mini-buses, and I am going to live out the rest of my days as the new incarnation of Pittsburgh’s robber barons of yore, Andrew Carnegie-style.
That’s ridiculous! I guess most places like that charge by the hour, though. So, even if you only use 15 minutes, they charge you for the full hour…
Have you considered just doing taxis? They’re not very glamorous, but cramming 3-4 people in each cab and driving 5 miles would certainly be more economical…
Have you looked into renting a minibus/passenger van for the entire day from Enterprise, Hertz, Budget or any of the other car rental places??
Back in May, fiance was part of a wedding, so we were both going to be riding in the trolley they had rented to pick up the wedding party after the ceremony, drive around and take pictures, and head back to the same place for the reception. I believe they were supposed to arrive at 6pm..they never did..never called, nothing. So the wedding planner finally called them around 6:30 and was like “um…where is the trolley” to which they replied “uh sorry it broke down, we don’t have another one, we’re not coming.”
So the wedding party and significant others jumped into two mini vans, one that belonged to a friend of the bride and grooms, one that belonged to the aunt of the bride, and we drove around town stopping for pictures and of course drank(not the drivers of course) and snacked in the vans. It was the best time ever! We had so much fun. The bride and groom are currently suing for their money back plus damages. And I have no doubt they’ll at least get their money back.
i am not in your area but instead of a short term rental we are renting a party bus for 14 hours (1500) & going on an after party adventure after the reception
I used Your Designated Driver service for my wedding in Pittsburgh last winter. For $350, I got hours of use of the shuttle. They even split time and will come back for you after your reception. I even used them to transport my guests.
That’s the most economical option! 
Haha I love your new life plan and I have always loved the image of Uncle Scrooge diving into the swimming pool of gold coins (except for the fact that it would hurt. a lot. But I try not to think about that)
When I was looking for transportation everything had 3-4 hour minimums so that is where they get you.
We rented a 56 passenger limo to take our overnight guests from the hotel to ceremony/reception venue and then back at the end of the night (total less than 20 miles round trip) and it cost $700 (that included tip)
Good Luck with your search!
Ughhh, so annoying! I’m surprised; we booked something similar and it was a lot cheaper, in NYC!
I hope you find a great alternative. Depending on how many in your bridal party the 15 passenger van might be a good option.
The price does seem ridiculous for 15 minutes but you have to see the business side of things too. It’s just a 15 minute ride for you but it is much more for that company.
-They may have to turn down other business that day so the company has to make sure they are charging enough to make it worth their while.
-They also have to factor in the driver’s time from their office to and from your venue, gas, insurance, maintenance, and other overhead costs for the business (including business licenses and taxes).
This may sound weird, but perhaps you could rent a larger suv and hire a driver from craigslist or something? I know older people hire drivers from there for their errands. Maybe that would work out cheaper? I can’t imagine renting a giant SUV could be more than $200 at most
There’s a new company called Pedicabs roaming around the North Shore. Essentially, they’re bike taxis. They’re adorable. They only fit a few people though, but I’m SURE they’d be cheaper. The other issue that might arise is the path from Heinz Chapel to the Children’s Museum might be too long/dangerous. They’re the experts though.
I was in the exact same place as you last week and was FLOORED by the prices I was getting back for limo’s and shuttle vans. The cheapest quote I got was for a 14 passenger shuttle van for 1 hour was $230 (not including tip). What (surprisingly) was more reasonable for me was to rent a SUV limo for around $800 for 3 hours which included bubbly and bevy’s. Not sure what you will find in your area.
An alternate suggestion is going onto Limos.com and getting a quote for a shuttle and see what you get back for a price from various companies.
Good Luck!
Have you tried a car service? One that could provide a limo or two? You may not get everybody in one vehicle though.
We paid 1400 for our trolley for 4 hours. HIGHWAY ROBBERY. So, I feel you. But, I also loved our trolley and loved keeping everyone together - I’m sorry I’m not much help! Good luck, love!
OMG I JUUST did this last week, got too mad about the whole thing, and nixed the hotel shuttle/bridal party transport entirely. And I only just read your first cpl sentences and got fired up. Let me go back and read about your solution
lol, yeah, transportation is prob the worst part of wedding planning.
I second the rent-a-car option. You can usually find someone who would be willing to chauffeur (get the word out with friends and family) and you can have a big van for multiple hours.
Holy crap! That is a lot of money! There have got to be better deals out there. I wish I was local and could help you out.
hahah, yes I was quoted $1550 for 3 hours of trolley. craaazy. we’re probably using a yellow school bus. still too high for my poor budget, but more in the $100/hour range.
Oh I hear your pain! We looked into trolleys…and it was a joke. $550/hour, with a 2 hour minimum. Ha! We called around and called around, and finally found a 14 passenger Navigator for $660, which included gratuity. Bummer was that there was a 3 hour minimum, and we only really needed transportation for an hour or so to drive us around the city to take pictures. We’re going to make the most out of it though, and will get to go to various places to take some snappy shots!
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Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PA Age and Occupation: 25, Grad Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV News Engagement Date: May 6th, 2009 Wedding Date: September 2010 Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
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