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VINTAGE BUSES & CLASSIC BUSES FOR WEDDING HIRE

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Bus Hire January 6th, 2021

Red Bus

Classic and vintage buses are the most popular mode of wedding transport and therefore booking as far in advance as possible is definitely a good idea to ensure that (a) you have a bus secured in the first place and (b) that you have the type/style of bus that you need.

BOOKING A WEDDING BUS

On average we are taking bookings for vintage and classic
buses a year in advance of the wedding date although in some cases it is 18
months to two years.

Traditionally many people will try to to book their wedding
transport early in the year they are getting married, for example they may look to book in January or February if they are getting married that Summer.
However, the first two months of the year are always the busiest in terms or
people enquiring and booking wedding vehicles and so there is a chance that your first choice bus may not be available or worse still that you really
struggle to get a bus at all if it is left too late.

Although we do have a huge range of vintage and classic
buses around the country, they are so popular that if you did not try and book until say just a couple of months before the wedding there is every chance that there may not be availability for exactly what you require.

Booking well in advance means that not only have you managed to secure the type and style of bus that you prefer but also you can rest easy that transport for your wedding guests is all sorted meaning that you can now focus on everything else that comes with a wedding!

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSES

Basically, buses or indeed coaches can be split into three
categories; vintage buses (or coaches), classic and modern.  Not everybody though knows the
distinction between vintage and classic and sometimes these categories do
overlap somewhat.

For example, the traditional Red London Buses aka the
Routemasters are generally quite well known and recognised and people will refer to them as vintage or classic buses.  There are also a range of
other double deck buses in varying colours that are great alternatives to a
Routemaster and in many cases a more preferred option as are the quaint single deck buses which really do fall into the vintage category.

Most of the time a person will have an image in their mind of what they are trying to book and the way that we categorise buses when we are discussing requirements with a client as well as our expertise in these matters hopefully helps.

CLASSIC LONDON BUS – THE ROUTEMASTER

If you are not a connoisseur of buses then think of a double
deck Red London Bus and that will be a Routemaster.  These are the most
popular and sought after wedding buses, not just in London but throughout the country probably as they are such an iconic British vehicle.

The Routemasters tend to take numbers from 56 – 72 passengers and the vast majority will have no standing capacity for insurance purposes, it is rare that 72 seats is not enough for a wedding unless there are a lot more passengers in which case more than one bus would be needed.

CLASSIC BUSES

As well as the Routemasters there are a range of other beautiful classic buses for wedding hire.  Makes such as Leyland, Bristol and Bedford to name but a few mean that there is a really wide choice of buses out there in a variety of colours and capacity sizes.

VINTAGE SINGLE DECK BUSES & COACHES

If your preferred option is a single deck vintage bus then you are looking at something completely different from the Routemasters and classic buses.

The vintage single deckers first of all will take less passengers, anything from 8 – 49 with 28-29 passengers being a very common number/capacity size.

These types of buses are viewed as quaint, pretty buses and
with smaller numbers of guests on board they can be more intimate but often it
is purely the look and variety of colours of the buses that is most attractive,
again you can book multiple buses should you need to

Another massive advantage the single deckers have is their accessibility to places that the larger buses may not be able to get to.  For example, if you are getting married in the countryside where there may be low tree branches, narrow roads or bridges then a single deck bus may be the obvious choice for you.

MODERN COACHES

Modern executive coaches are not necessarily a more cost effective option (perhaps slightly) but they can be more convenient and have the advantage of luxury, i.e. heating and air conditioning.  Where the modern coaches are really useful is for late night collections.  Due to the nature of the vehicles the vast majority of classic and vintage buses will not come out in the late evening, a modern coach is much more suitable.


VW CAMPERVANS FOR WEDDING HIRE

no comment |  Posted in:VW Campervans June 17th, 2020

Splitscreen VW Campervan

VW CAMPERVANS

The first VW of this type (Transporter) was launched at the Geneva Motorshow in 1949.
During the 1950’s the Splitscreen Campervan that we now know and love was developed and as we moved into the Sixties the Campervans were kind of adopted by the hippie generation giving it iconic status and almost a cult symbol of an alternative lifestyle.

From the late sixties and intothe early seventies, the second generation (T2) came to the fore and are commonly referred to as the Bay Window model. Further development in the late seventies, eighties and nineties saw the T3 and T4 models but for this blog and for relevance in the wedding industry we shall focus on the Splitscreen and T2 Bay Window models that are so popular and sought after.

Vintage Campervan
1949 Campervan

CAMPERVANS FOR WEDDING HIRE

VW Campervans have increasingly become a popular mode of wedding transport, for some a Campervan is seen just as a quirky, fun vehicle to use but for others (as well as fun and quirky) it is the classic, retro, cool look that is really appealing and on top of that, in many cases the practicality of having a vehicle that can seat 5 or 6 passengers can really seal the deal knowing that not only can a campervan be used for the traditional bride/father, bride/groom scenario but also for transporting bridesmaids, family, friends etc to and/or from the wedding venue.

Splitscreen VW Campervan
Spitscreen VW Campervan with Bridesmaids

COOL CAMPERVAN COLOURS

One of the other most appealing factors when organising a Campervan for a wedding is the great variety of colour choices. Many of the Campers are in neutral colours such as White, Ivory and Cream which is great as these can fit in with any colour scheme particularly by using coloured bows or ribons to suit.

However, if you really want a Campervan of a specific colour to fit with your scheme then its good to know tha tthere are colours out ther in shades of Blue, Green, Red, Black, Purple and Silver to name just a few. Its useful to note however that there may noy be lots of each colour covering every area so planning as far as possible in advance is definitely worth considering.

SPLITSCREEN CAMPERVANS

The Splitscreen Campervan aka the Splitty was officially put in production from the early fifties and continued into the late sixties. The Splitscreen name of course refers to the windscreen being split into two by a centre divide, for many this is the iconic look of a classic (or indeed vintage) Campervan. The Splitscreen VW is also very identifiable by its number of small windows ranging up to 23 in the Samba model.

Splitscreen Campervan 23 window Samba model

BAY WINDOW CAMPERVAN

The Bay Window models were the second generation Campervans that were developed from 1967 until 1979.
The main ‘at first glance’ noticeable differences from the Splitty aside were the one single windscreen, generally larger/longer side windows and no V shape at the front although there are numerous othere differences.

Bay Window VW Campervan

WEDDING TRANSPORT HIRE FOR 2021

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Cars April 1st, 2020

Planning wedding transport for 2021

Many weddings originally planned for 2020 are now understandably being reorganised with most brides and grooms choosing to now take their vows in 2021. Weddings in 2021 are already proving very popular and certain modes of wedding transport including all vintage and classic buses as well as cars, Campervans etc are in huge demand.

Booking your wedding transport

2021 is going to be an extremely busy year for weddings and therefore it is very important indeed to look into organising and booking your wedding transport as far in advance as possible. For bus hire it is suggested that booking 12 months in advance is advisable.

Because of postponements to 2020 weddings, more dates in 2021 will become fully booked much sooner as people seek to change previously booked weddings to alternative dates. In order to give yourself as much chance as possible of securing your preferred type of wedding vehicle(s) you should consider making that choice now so that you can secure a booking, this is particularly important if your first choice of transport is a bus as they are and will continue to be a much sought after mode of wedding transport.

Most popular wedding vehicles

As discussed above, all classic and vintage buses will continue to be very popular, this includes the Red London Double Deck Buses (Routemasters), all types of single deck vintage buses and also modern executive coaches.

Some of the other very traditional and increasingly popular modes of wedding transport that are definitely worth considering booking very early are vehicles such as vintage and classic Rolls Royces, Beaufords, American Cars, classic London Taxis, VW Campervans and other classic cars. The further we move through 2020, the less availability there will be in 2021 as wedding bookings become organised and dates filled.

VINTAGE WEDDING BUS HIRE

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Bus Hire March 17th, 2020

Classic London Buses

Routemaster Buses

The Red London bus is arguably the most sought after type of vintage bus for wedding hire. These classic double deck buses known as Routemasters can seat up to 72 guests although there are other lesser capacities availble. As well as looking the part and being a traditional, iconic choice of wedding vehicle, its great to be able to take so many wedding guests to and from a wedding all in one go. If the didtances between venues are very short then a bus could undertake more than one trip each way which then means up to 144 people can be transported.

When hiring a Routemaster Bus for a wedding there is usually the option for personalising the destinationsign on the fron tof the bus, it is a really nice touch and something that makes the day even more special particularly for the bride and groom. If the sign is not personalised then it still will look great if it says ‘congratulations’, ‘wedding special’ or maybe has a classic London route destination. See our current range of London buses here…
https://www.firstchoiceweddingcars.co.uk/wedding-vehicles/county=all/town=all/buses/routemasters-and-double%20deckers/

Classic & Vintage Wedding Buses

As well as Routemasters there are other types of classic and vintage double deck buses available all over the country. Again these can vary in capacity size typically from 56 to 72 and also they can vary in colour, i.e. Red, Green, Black & White, Blue etc. Although the majority of people that choose a double decker tend to go for a Red one the other colour models are great for different themes and to fit in with different colour schemes.
The photos below are examples of some other double deck wedding buses:

Single Deck Vintage Buses

There are many choices and more colour variations of the single deck vintage buses that are avaialble for wedding hire.

Seating capacities can also vary greatly from as little as 8 up to 49, there are quite a large number of the single deckers with capacaties between 29 – 39 so quite abit of choice depending on locations.

Vintage Bedford Wedding Buses

Bedford OB

The Bedford OB’s (photo) above are a very popular vehicle and as you can see quite an array of lovely colours to choose from. These Bedfords will seat 27-29 passengers each and are not only are beautiful to look at but also are very practical in terms of the number of guests they can transport but also for accessing places that a double decker may not be able to reach – the same can be said with all single deck wedding buses in fact.

Smaller Bedfords available for wedding hire include the 1960’s and 1970’s J2 models which can seat up to 20 passengers. A cute and quaint vehicle which can acess just about anywhere.

Leyland

The Leyland Tiger and Leyland Leopard are another two vintage buses mainly from the 40’s and early 50’s and have seating capacities ranging from 31 to 49 and again coming in a variety of colours. These buses are longer than the Bedfords but still able to negotiate most rural areas where larger buses may struggle.

Bristol

The Bristol range of vintage buses are another great choice of wedding transport. Red, Green, Cream and Blue are some of the more popular colours available and as you can see they certainly look fantastic.

AEC

AEC are another of the more popular and aesthetically pleasing choices of vintage buses available for wedding hire. Along with the Leyland and Bristol models these complete a trio of amazing types of different vintage single deckers. Check out the following link for our current range….
https://www.firstchoiceweddingcars.co.uk/wedding-vehicles/county=all/town=all/buses/vintage-single-deckers/

Vintage wedding bus Nottingham

Other Vintage Buses For Wedding Hire

The RF in Gold is a magnificent wedding bus and a photographers dream. The Asquith is a much smaller bus but if you have only 8 passengers or less it is ideal and perfect choice for bridesmaids.

LONDON ROUTEMASTER BUSES

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Bus Hire December 6th, 2019

Red Routemaster

THE CLASSIC RED LONDON BUS

Possibly the most iconic mode of London Transport (along with a Black Cab) is the classic Red double deck bus – also known as the Routemaster.

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BOOK A VINTAGE OR CLASSIC BUS FOR YOUR WEDDING

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Bus Hire November 28th, 2019

vintage wedding bus
Red Routemaster Buses

RED ROUTEMASTER BUSES

Vintage and classic buses are the most popular form of wedding transport and thus you should consider booking a minimum of 12 months in advance to give yourself the best chance of securing the bus that is most suitable for your own specific requirements.

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WEDDING BUS HIRE

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Bus Hire October 9th, 2019

THINKING OF BOOKING A BUS FOR YOUR WEDDING?

First of all it is a good idea to understand that classic and vintage buses for wedding hire are the most popular mode of wedding transport and therefore booking as far in advance as possible is definitely a good idea to ensure that (a) you have a bus secured in the first place and (b) that you have the type/style of bus that you need.

Read more

ROLLS ROYCE WEDDING CARS

no comment |  Posted in:Rolls Royce Wedding Cars,Wedding Cars June 19th, 2019

Vintage Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce is unquestionably the most iconic name associated with luxury cars worldwide.  Founded in Manchester, England in 1904 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, the company now known as Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd is still going strong today with an unfaltering reputation for luxury, quality, style and class.

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ROLLS ROYCE WEDDING CARS

no comment |  Posted in:Rolls Royce Wedding Cars June 19th, 2019

Vintage Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce is unquestionably the most iconic name associated with luxury cars worldwide.  Founded in Manchester, England in 1904 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, the company now known as Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd is still going strong today with an unfaltering reputation for luxury, quality, style and class. Read more

VINTAGE WEDDING CARS

no comment |  Posted in:Wedding Cars August 29th, 2018

Rolls Royce Wedding Car

Vintage cars in the UK are classed as cars built from 1919 – 1930 but in reality this extends to 1939 when production mostly ceased because of the first world war.

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