Wedding Cars and Decoration: How to Choose and What to Ask

The moment the bride steps out of the car in front of the venue is one of the most photographed of the whole wedding. Yet the car is usually left to the final week, and the groom takes what is available instead of what fits. Choosing well does not require a large budget. It requires thinking about it early and asking the right questions.

First: what is the car actually doing?

Before model and colour, write down the real route.

• Where does the bride set off from: home, a hotel or the beauty salon?
• Is there a photo session at a third location before the venue?
• How far is it, and how long will it take at rush hour?
• Do you need the car after the party to get home or to the hotel?
• Do you want a convoy of family and friends behind you?

The answers determine the number of hire hours, which is usually what the price is based on.

Types of car and who they suit

• Luxury saloon: the most common choice. Elegant in photos, comfortable, and fine on any road.
• Classic car: full of character and unforgettable in pictures. Ask about air conditioning and mechanical condition. Best for short trips in mild weather.
• Limousine: room for the couple and close friends, but awkward in narrow streets and in the turning space outside some venues.
• Luxury 4x4: a tall, wide door that is kind to a full skirt, and a good match for unpaved roads to farms and outdoor venues.
• Convertible: lovely for a photo session on the corniche or the coast. Wind and a bridal hairstyle do not get along, so keep it for photos and not for a long drive.
• Hantour (horse-drawn carriage): a charming tradition still found in Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and some other cities, suited to a short stretch outside the venue or along the corniche.

The dress test

Everyone forgets this: a full-skirted dress needs a wide back seat and a door that opens wide. If possible, let the bride try sitting in the same model, or at least tell the hire company how big the dress is. A low sports car is beautiful until a bride in a petticoat tries to get into it.

Hire, or borrow from family?

Hiring with a driver is the easiest route. A professional knows the roads and takes responsibility for the car, and the groom sits beside his bride instead of driving through traffic.

A relative's or friend's car saves money, and the offer itself is a warm custom. Agree clearly on who drives and who handles putting the decoration on and taking it off, and make sure the decoration will not harm the paintwork.

Driving yourself is possible. But consider whether you want to be hunting for a parking space in your wedding suit.

Questions for the car hire company

1. What are the model, year and colour? Will I get the very car I saw, or "one like it"? Have the details written into the agreement.
2. Can I see the car before agreeing?
3. Is the price per hour or per trip? How many hours are included, and what does an extra hour cost?
4. Does the price include the driver, fuel and road tolls?
5. Is there a charge for leaving the governorate or driving to the coast?
6. What will the driver wear?
7. Is decoration included? If I bring my own florist, when can they have the car?
8. What is the replacement if the car breaks down on the day?
9. How much is the deposit, and what are the terms for cancelling or changing the date?

Prices differ widely with the model, the number of hours, the governorate and the season, and they change over time. Ask for more than one quote and compare what each includes.

Decorating the car

Popular ideas

• A flower arrangement on the bonnet with tulle or satin ribbons. A classic that never fails.
• Flowers on the door handles only, for those who prefer simplicity.
• A garland of flowers and greenery across the front or the back.
• A rear plate with a phrase such as "Just Married", your names or the date.
• Matching the wedding: car flowers in the colours of the kosha (the couple's stage) and the bridal bouquet.

Fresh or artificial flowers?

Fresh flowers look better in close-ups but suffer in sun and wind, especially in summer and on fast roads. Good artificial flowers survive the journey and can be fitted the night before. Many florists mix the two. If your wedding is in summer and the drive is long, ask the florist which varieties stand up to heat.

What to watch

• Fixing. Ask how the decoration is attached. Suction cups and purpose-made ties are safe. Strong adhesives can mark the paint, and a hire company may charge you for damage.
• Visibility. Nothing should cover the windscreen, the mirrors or the driver's view.
• Number plates. Plates stay visible. Covering them is a traffic offence, and no photo is worth starting a marriage with a fine.
• Speed. Decorations are made for city speeds. On a motorway, ribbons and flowers fly off.
• Timing. Fresh flowers go on a few hours before setting off, not the night before.

The wedding convoy: joyful and safe

A line of cars behind the couple is part of the happiness of an Egyptian wedding, and it stays lovely as long as it is safe.

• Agree on one route and one meeting point with friends, and send everyone the location.
• No leaning out of windows or sunroofs, and no stunts with cars or motorbikes. Convoy accidents happen every season, and they turn a celebration into something else.
• Do not block the road for other people. The horns are announcement enough.
• Put the photographer's car ahead of the couple's car, not alongside it.

On the day

• Add half an hour to the estimated journey time. Thursday evening traffic deserves respect.
• Give the driver's number to your family's contact person, not only to the groom.
• In the car: two bottles of water, tissues, a phone charger, and a small umbrella for a winter wedding in Alexandria or on the coast.
• Run the air conditioning for a few minutes before the bride gets in during summer, for the sake of her makeup.
• Agree the arrival moment with the photographer. Stepping out of the car is a shot that cannot be retaken.

Common mistakes

• Arranging the car before knowing the size of the dress.
• Agreeing to "a similar car" without the model and colour in writing.
• Calculating the journey as though there were no traffic.
• Heavy decoration on a car that will travel on a motorway.
• Forgetting the trip home after the party.

How Gawazy helps

On Gawazy you can browse wedding car hire companies and car decorators in your governorate, look at photos and details, then contact them directly to ask what is available on your date and request a quote. The agreement and payment are between you and the vendor.

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