PHANTOM HIRE'S BLOG
The Key To Finding The Best Wedding Car Hire Prices
Wedding transport, though often overlooked, is one of the most important factors to be considered when planning a wedding. A large part of wedding ceremonies involves travelling from one location to another, whether that be going from the hotel to the ceremony, from the ceremony to the reception, and finally the reception to the honeymoon. As such, you’ll need an opulent, luxurious car to match the high-end prestige of your wedding celebration, and this is where Phantom Hire’s luxury fleet comes in.
However, one of the more confusing aspects of hiring out a wedding car is working out pricing. More often than not, wedding car prices are either extremely vague, vary wildly from company to company, or in some cases are not even mentioned at all. With this in mind, this article seeks to demystify wedding car pricing by offering real tangible numbers for Phantom Hire’s wedding car hire pricing and provide guidance and advice on how to budget smartly.
Contents
The Average Price For Wedding Car Hire in the UK
On average, the cost of a rented wedding car in the UK is usually between £300 and £500 for a 3-hour hire. However, final prices will be higher or lower depending on a number of factors, including the model of the car, the date, location & length of the booking, and any bespoke extras or decorations that you have added onto your luxury car of choice. These factors are outlined in more detail in a later section of this article.
Wedding Car Hire Price List Broken Down By Car
Vintage wedding car hire prices
| Car | Cost |
| Baby Bentley Limo |
Modern luxury wedding car hire prices
| Car | Cost (per day) |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | Starting from £795 |
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan | Starting from £895 |
| Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 1 | Starting from £695 |
| Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 2 | Starting from £695 |
Rare wedding car hire prices
| Car | Cost (per day) |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | Starting from £795 |
| Rolls-Royce Spectre | Starting from £995 |
| Rolls-Royce Dawn | Starting from £795 |
Factors that affect wedding car hire prices
As stated previously, your wedding car price is highly dependent on a range of different factors that increase or decrease the overall cost. These factors include:
- Car Model – Certain car models are considered to be more prestigious and valuable than others, which results in them being more expensive to hire. For example, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, which is widely considered to be the signature model of its manufacturer, costs much more than the Rolls-Royce Ghost, which is considered a more mainstream, accessible model.
- Car Rarity – The price of a luxury car will also depend on its availability within the car market. The Rolls-Royce Spectre, for example, is not as widely available as other Rolls-Royce models, thereby making it more expensive to hire.
- Journey Duration & Mileage – Longer journeys require more petrol, and petrol costs money. In short, the longer the distance that the chauffeur has to travel, the more expensive the overall cost of the booking.
- Waiting Time – Time is money (literally in this case), and any idle time that the driver is going to spend waiting (i.e. if you want them to remain on standby during the wedding ceremony) will be factored into the booking price. To avoid unwanted extra fees, leave the driver waiting around, as this will incur late/overtime costs.
- Location of Booking – A wedding being held in a high-demand metropolitan area like London or Manchester will cost more than a small market town like Nantwich, so bear that in mind when booking your wedding car hire.
- Distance From Base to Collection Point – As with the journey duration, any long distance drives that require additional petrol will be taken into account when working out the wedding car price. For example, if your wedding is being held in Edinburgh, one of our chauffeurs will have to transport the car from our showroom in Birmingham to the location of the ceremony, and the cost of the petrol will be factored into the final price of the booking.
- Day of the Week – Weekday weddings often get better rates, as weekends (particularly Saturdays) are considered to be the peak of wedding bookings, as there is often higher demand for weekend wedding celebrations.
- Season of Booking – Peak wedding season is generally considered to be May through to August, as the demand for bookings during this period is considerably higher than the rest of the year. As such, if you are looking to keep wedding costs as low as possible, consider fixing your wedding date before or after the summer months.
- Decorations & Bespoke Extras – Premium ribbons, a custom license plate, flowers or any other bespoke extra is factored into the overall price of your booking. The more of these extras you choose, the higher your overall wedding car price.
- Extra Fees – Keep in mind any additional fees that may be applied to your final booking. This may include overtime charges, additional mileage fees, fuel surcharges, gratuities, overrunning charges. Remember to check the Terms & Conditions when you book to make yourself aware of all included fees before committing to anything.
Wedding Car Prices According to Location
| Location | Indicative price for 3-hour hire of a Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 |
| Wedding car Belfast prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Leeds prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car London prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Norwich prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Sheffield prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Glasgow prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Barnsley prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Aberdeen prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Birmingham prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Bradford prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Bristol prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Cardiff prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Cheltenham prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Cork prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Coventry prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Derby prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Doncaster prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Edinburgh prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Essex prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Fife prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Hertfordshire prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Hull prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Kent prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Leicester prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Liverpool prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Manchester prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Newcastle prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Nottingham prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Northern Ireland prices | Starting from £XXX |
| Wedding car Portsmouth prices | Starting from £XXX |
How To Save On Wedding Car Hire
Whilst wedding car hire can be a very expensive affair, there are ways to reduce your overall costs without skimping out on your luxury levels. Here are some ways to keep the costs of your wedding car booking as low as possible whilst still enjoying the comforts of luxury car hire.
- Brokers vs. Operators – The term “broker” refers to someone who is effectively a middleman; they list multiple available suppliers to their clients rather than supply the cars themselves, but will often charge commission for their services. By contrast, an “operator” refers to a direct supplier who owns & manages the cars, which includes Phantom Hire. We would recommend that you go straight to an operator rather than a broker, as this avoids you having to pay extra.
- Book Well In Advance – As with any other luxury service, the earlier you book, the more options you’ll have, especially if you’re interested in hiring something lavish like a Rolls-Royce Spectre or Baby Bentley Limo. We would recommend booking at least 1–3 months before the date of the booking, as this gives you better rates, access to early bird price reductions, and ample time to negotiate any bespoke extras or changes to the booking.
- Bundle Cars Together – If you’re hiring multiple cars for the same event (e.g. a bridal party, reception shuttles for wedding guests), booking them all at once rather than separately will help you to save money on the overall costs. When booking our vehicles, speak to a member of our sales team and they will walk you through all the available options.
- Choose Off Peak Days/Months – Saturday is by far the most popular day of the week for weddings, whilst May through August are considered to be the ‘peak’ of wedding season. When thinking about setting your wedding date, consider a weekday wedding, Sunday wedding, or winter wedding to get cheaper rates.
- Think Smart With Regard To Your Location – Hiring local venues seems like an obvious money saver, and while this is often is in the case of rural areas, it isn’t always. For example, the overheads of operating a business in a busy major city like London mean that it would actually be cheaper to hire from a provider 50+ miles away (even after travel costs) than a London-based provider, due to lower operating costs.
- Keep The Journey Short – Limiting the hire time is an easy way to cut down on costs, particularly if you are trying to reduce eating into other assigned parts of your wedding budget. The easiest way to do this is by choosing a one-way hire, which reduces any mileage/waiting charges; hiring the car out for hours at a time (or for the entire day) will inflate the final price of the booking.
- Skip Any Non-Essentials – As exciting as the various bespoke features & decorations for a car can be, they are by no means essential. If you want to keep costs down as much as you can, removing any additional features, such as personalised licence plates, ribbons or flowers, will ensure that every penny counts.
For additional advice on how to cut down on costs when organising your wedding transport, consider checking out our list of the Top 5 Cheap Wedding Car Hire Hacks.
What Not To Scrimp On
When trying to stick to a wedding budget, it’s incredibly tempting to look for areas where you can cut down on costs, and wedding transport can often feel like a very easy target. However, some corners just aren’t worth cutting, so here is a list of wedding car hire details you should absolutely not scrimp on if you can avoid it.
A Professional Chauffeur
This is one of the most crucial things to get right, as the difference between a “driver” and a professional wedding chauffeur isn’t just about the uniform, it’s about the level of service. All of Phantom Hire’s highly experienced chauffeurs have undergone specialist training in order to operate our luxury cars, and as a result, have acquired a particular set of skills that make them well-suited to any luxury wedding experience.
These skills include being immaculately presented in a suit or uniform, being punctual & discreet, knowing how to stage the car for perfect wedding photos, and helping the bride in and out of the wedding vehicle. In short, hiring a cheap service with a casual driver might save you £100, but it also risks delays, an awkward experience or at worst, a no-show.
Always Pay A Deposit
We know that weddings are expensive, and part of the organisation process is knowing how to be savvy when booking your various wedding expenses. However, if a wedding car company is willing to drop their price by 50% or forgo a deposit, this can potentially be a sign of an unreliable supplier. With Phantom Hire, we might be a little pricier, but our deposits guarantee that your car will show up on time to your event in pristine condition, so you can have no fear knowing that your wedding experience will be the best it can possibly be.
The Condition of The Car
Vintage cars in particular need to be meticulously maintained. If you opt for a budget supplier with an older fleet, there’s a higher risk of engine trouble or breakdowns, worn-out interiors, scratched paintwork or broken fixtures. In other words, a beautiful car that breaks down on the way to your venue is far more costly (financially and emotionally) than paying a bit more for reliability.
A Trustworthy, Reputable Provider
Choosing the right wedding car provider is just as important as choosing the wedding car itself. If the company you’re considering doesn’t have a website, has no reviews, isn’t active on social media, or has vague pricing and booking policies, you may want to rethink.
Reputable wedding car hire providers typically have glowing testimonials and reviews on Google or Trustpilot, professional photos of their vehicles, social media showcasing recent weddings and awards or nominations in wedding industry competitions.
Real Wedding Cost Examples
Reading about wedding car prices is one thing, but it’s another to see what real couples have actually paid for. Below are three examples of recent weddings that we have catered to, across different budgets, styles and locations. Each one shows how different variables, including the car model, booking duration, and location, have impacted the price.
James & Sarah’s Summer Wedding in the Cotswolds
- Car Hired: Rolls-Royce Dawn
- Location: Stone Barn, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Duration: 4 Hours (includes waiting time between ceremony & reception)
- Route: Pick-up from bride’s house in Cheltenham, transport to All Saints Church, then onward to a barn venue 15 minutes away
- Price Paid: £XXX
Tommy & Mina’s Bespoke Wedding in London
- Car Hired: Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Location: The Depot, Islington, North London
- Duration: 3 Hours (includes waiting time for ceremony)
- Route: Pickup from the Hilton Hotel in Islington to ceremony at a private venue, then a short drive to the reception
- Price Paid: £XXX
John & Stephanie’s Winter Wedding in Sheffield
- Car Hired: Rolls-Royce Dawn
- Location: Tapton Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Duration: 1 Hour
- Route: Ceremony at Sheffield Cathedral to reception venue (no return journey)
- Price Paid: £XXX
Frequently Asked Questions
How much to hire a wedding car?
Most couples in the UK spend between £300 and £500 for a standard 2–3 hour wedding car hire. However, prices vary significantly depending on the car type, hire duration, location, distance from the showroom, and the time of year.
What does a vintage car cost for a wedding?
Vintage cars often cost more due to their age, upkeep, and exclusivity. On average, you can expect to pay £350–£600.
How much does wedding car insurance cost?
Nothing. As the customer, you do not need to arrange separate insurance to hire out a wedding car from Phantom Hire.
Do I need to pay a tip?
No, you are not required to pay your chauffeur a tip when you hire with Phantom Hire. However, that is not to say that they would not appreciate a tip should you feel so inclined to give one.
Who pays for the wedding car?
This will vary depending on the client in question. For more information on this particular topic, check out this article regarding who should be the one to pay for your wedding car hire.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
Yes, all Phantom Hire vehicles require a deposit to secure the vehicle, the cost of which will depend on which vehicle you choose.
What happens if we overrun?
If you overrun with your booking, a lateness penalty will apply. This will depend on the vehicle but can be anywhere between £195 to £495 per hour.
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