Planning wedding-day cars
Wedding transportation is usually two jobs on the same day. One is the couple's car and the family cars, which need to be punctual and quiet. The other is the guest shuttle, which moves a larger group between hotels, the ceremony and the reception. Both are arranged through New York dispatch and vetted Austin affiliate operators, with sedans, SUVs and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.
Most couples book hourly service for the wedding day because the schedule revolves around the ceremony and the photographs rather than a fixed drive. The rehearsal dinner, a welcome party and the morning-after brunch are often separate transfers.
Vehicle choices and hourly rates
Estimated hourly rates are $120 for the business sedan, $150 for the SUV, $230 for the Mercedes S-Class and $240 for the Sprinter, each with a three-hour minimum. The estimates include the configured gratuity, tax/surcharge and card-fee adjustments; the written quote confirms the total for your day. Plan for up to 12 passengers in a Sprinter, subject to configuration, and use coordinated vehicles when a single run carries 13 or more guests.
Venues around Austin
Downtown hotels such as the Driskill and the Fairmont are common starting points, and the chauffeur uses the hotel's confirmed loading door. Hill Country venues toward Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Lake Travis sit at the end of longer drives, sometimes on narrow or partly unpaved ranch roads, so the operator checks access for a Sprinter before the day. Camp Lucy near Dripping Springs is one venue where guest shuttles from Austin hotels are a common request.
What to send us
- The timeline for the day, including photo stops
- Every pickup and drop-off address, with the venue contact for loading
- The headcount for each run and any guests with mobility needs
- The name and mobile number of the person handling transport on the day
Timing tips
Leave extra margin between the ceremony and the reception if the route crosses MoPac or IH-35 on a Friday or Saturday evening. Sunset photographs at Mount Bonnell or on the Congress Avenue Bridge add time and parking constraints, so build them into the timeline instead of adding them on the day. If the celebration ends late in East Austin or on Rainey Street, agree on the pickup corner in advance, because those streets are busy at closing time.