With the wedding season fully upon us, there are around 42,000 couples planning to walk down the aisle this August. And they´re bound to be nervous about it going off without a hitch - so to speak.
New research from the RAC has revealed that of brides and grooms-to-be, only 4% worry about their wedding car breaking down on their special day. However more than 1 in 10 (11%) couples will suffer this misfortune - affecting almost 5,000 weddings each summer.
Fears of bad weather, being jilted or stood up at the alter, an embarrassing wedding day speech or the best man losing the rings all came higher up the list than the mode of transport going wrong. But in reality it is three times more likely that the transport will break down en route to the ceremony, than the best man is to lose the rings.
Last year the RAC attended more than 1,000 wedding related call outs and they have teamed up with wedding planner Siobhan Craven-Robins to hand out some top tips to couples on how to make sure their transport gets them to the church on time:
1. Ensure the hire company checks and cleans their cars before each hire, and that the driver does a dummy run the week before your wedding so that he or she is familiar with the route and any road works etc2. If you breakdown en route to the ceremony, ensure someone calls the best man to alert him to any delays3. Remember that weddings are nearly always delayed. Many other people will have been in similar situations4. If you plan on travelling in a family member’s car, ask them to have it thoroughly checked over and to make sure that they have adequate breakdown and insurance cover in the event of any problems5. RAC membership covers you as a driver or passenger in any vehicle so you can be guaranteed peace of mind no matter whose car you’re travelling in6. If the breakdown occurs on the way from the ceremony to the reception venue, then again call ahead to the venue. Someone there will be able to come and collect the couple equipped with some chilled champagne to calm their nerves.Prakesh Patel, RAC patrolman, comments: “Nerves, tension and the summer heat can make for an explosive combination and best kept to a minimum. In my experience of rescuing distraught brides and grooms stranded at the side of the road, I’ve always been surprised at how easily people can forget to check their car before setting out. As our survey reveals, almost a quarter of couples don’t check their vehicle is in good working order the night before getting married and with more than one in six people travelling to weddings in their own car, that’s just asking for trouble!"