arriving in style

The mode of transportation you plan to use for your wedding day is one little detail that's easy to overlook. With a little planning, however, this item can add a unique flair to your special day.

Many couples use special transportation to take them from the ceremony to the reception. Other couples use special forms of transportation from the home to the ceremony, and some use special types of transportation to take them from the reception to their wedding night destination. It's a personal choice; be creative, but stay within your budget. Whether or not you provide transportation for some or all of your wedding party depends on your budget.

If you want the photographer to follow your every move, have him or her ride in your car. Also offer to provide transportation for your officiant(s) to the ceremony (to make sure they arrive on time) and to the reception (to be especially gracious).

The most common form of transportation is, you guessed it, the limousine. Elegant and classy, the limousine can make you feel like a king and queen. When choosing a limousine company, be sure to ask for references from family and friends. Most companies offer either hourly prices or package prices. Ask what services are included. Will the driver be uniformed? Nothing looks tackier than a beautiful bride and handsome groom exiting the church to an awaiting white limousine with the driver decked out in jeans, a dirty t-shirt and tennis shoes.

In most states, the limousine company employees cannot furnish champagne or wine unless they have a liquor license. If you purchase the liquor, however, they usually are willing to serve it.

survival strategies

1. Choose your attendants based on mutual affection, not on their modeling prowess.
2. Save time in a crunch by having your envelopes delivered to you while the invitations are being printed so you can have them addressed, stamped and ready for stuffing ahead of time.
3. Avoid traffic jams and gruesome lines by serving a seated first course at buffet receptions.
4. Write out a wedding-day schedule as detailed as the itinerary for a state visit. Send it to everyone involved in the ceremony.
5. Play a vigorous round of "Simon says" in your wedding dress at the final fitting to make sure you can move freely.
6. Check out your septic system's capacity before deciding to have an at-home wedding.
7. Plan your wedding as a team. This process is a rehearsal for your married life.
8. Compile not only a Play List for the band, but also — and perhaps more important — a Don't Play List.
9. Ask your caterer to pack up a full sampling of the wedding meal for you to take to your honeymoon suite because you may be too busy to eat at your reception.
10. Scratch calla lilies from your list of flowers for the bouquet you are going to toss. These flowers have the aerodynamics of javelins.