Wedding car checklist: how to arrange your wedding transport for 2027

Wedding day checklist for your transport

Getting married in 2027? Then now is a good time to arrange your wedding transport. A lot happens at once on a wedding day, and the car is something that is easy to put off. This wedding car checklist tells you what to arrange and when, what to ask the rental company and what to put in writing. You will also find out what your rights are if you want to cancel or if the car does not turn up.

The figures show why starting early pays off. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 70,141 couples got married in the Netherlands in 2025. May (9,254 weddings) and September (9,199) were the busiest months that year. Almost 60 per cent of that year's weddings took place between May and September. In 2026, June stood out: according to provisional figures, 11,455 weddings took place that month. Nobody knows which month will be the busiest in 2027. What is clear is that in summer, many couples are looking for a car on the same days.

Arranging your wedding car: the timeline

6 to 12 months before: choose and book

• Fix your date first. Reserve the municipality or your wedding venue, along with the time of the ceremony. That time determines the whole journey.
• Choose a style. A classic car, something modern, or a wedding bus for your guests? If you are unsure, first read tips for choosing your wedding car or the wedding car trends for 2027.
• Request several quotes. Browse the wedding cars on offer and save the cars you like in your favourites. From there, you can request a free quote from several rental companies at once. Give the same date, times and addresses in every request, so you can compare the quotes fairly.
• Know your budget. You will find a guideline in what wedding car hire costs.
• Choose your car and secure it. Ask for written confirmation, pay the deposit and note when the rest has to be paid.

2 to 4 months before: town hall, guests and schedule

• Find out the rules at the town hall or wedding venue. Can the car stop at the door, and is an exemption needed?
• Arrange transport for your guests if you want a bus, and book those journeys too.
• Start on your schedule: pick-up address, times, ceremony, photo location and party venue.

6 weeks before: exemption and route

• Apply for an exemption if your municipality requires one. At Delft municipality, for example, you can do so up to 6 weeks before the wedding.
• Send the rental company your schedule and discuss the route and where the car will wait during the ceremony and the photo shoot.

The week before: check everything

• Go through everything with the rental company: times, addresses, decoration and the chauffeur's name and phone number.
• Choose one point of contact, such as a witness. Give that person the confirmation and the emergency number, so you do not have to make any calls on the day itself.

What should you ask the rental company?

A good rental company will give you a clear answer to these questions. Ask them when you request the quote, so you know straight away what you are comparing.

• How many hours are included in the price, and what does an overrun cost?
• Are any miles or kilometres included, and what does an extra kilometre cost?
• Is a chauffeur included, and where does the chauffeur wait during the ceremony?
• Is decoration included, and can you bring your own flowers?
• What happens in the event of a breakdown? Is there a replacement car, and which one?
• What is the plan if it rains? With an open car, does the roof go up?
• How many people fit in, and is there room for a dress with a long train?
• How high is the deposit, and when do you pay the rest?
• What are the cancellation terms?

Couples sometimes wonder whether a rental company that provides a chauffeur needs a taxi licence. Under the Besluit personenvervoer 2000 (Passenger Transport Decree 2000), the Wet personenvervoer 2000 (Passenger Transport Act 2000), which also contains the taxi rules, does not apply to transport by car or bus for a wedding, including picking up and taking home those taking part. A wedding journey with a chauffeur therefore falls outside the taxi rules.

Photo: Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II from Tap Trouwvervoer

What should you put in writing?

According to the Juridisch Loket (the Dutch legal advice service), verbal agreements are also valid, but they are hard to prove. So put them in writing, for example in an email or WhatsApp message. A signed quote is also a contract. In the confirmation, always include:

• the date, the start time and the end time;
• all addresses, in the right order;
• the make, model and colour of the car;
• the chauffeur's name and phone number;
• and the answers to the questions above.

Cancelling, or if the car does not turn up

Usually everything goes well, but it is reassuring to know where you stand.

No cooling-off period after booking

According to ACM ConsuWijzer, there is no statutory cooling-off period when you rent something for a set period, such as a hire car. The same applies when you hire someone for a fixed date, such as a caterer or a performer. ACM does not explicitly mention wedding transport, but a wedding car for one fixed day closely resembles those examples. So assume that once you have booked, you are bound by the rental company's terms, and read them carefully before you sign.

Cancellation fees must be reasonable

If you do have to cancel, a company may charge fees. On a page about cancelling a job or commission, ACM ConsuWijzer explains that those fees must be reasonable. The company may charge for work that has already been done, for ordered materials it can no longer return or cancel, and for staff it has hired. It may not charge for costs it can still save. If the terms state a fixed percentage, the company must be able to explain why that is reasonable. Always cancel by email or letter, so you can prove that the rental company received your cancellation. When booking, also ask whether the fees go up as the date gets closer.

If the rental company does not show up

If a company does not keep an agreement, you would normally first send a notice of default (ingebrekestelling): a registered letter as a last chance. According to the Juridisch Loket, this is not necessary if the agreement can no longer be fulfilled or doing so would be pointless. The Juridisch Loket itself gives the example of a wedding dress that only arrives after the wedding. A wedding car that does not appear on the wedding day is very similar. You can then terminate the contract straight away: you get the money you paid back and you can claim compensation, for example for costs you incur to limit the damage. In cases of force majeure, such as a flood, you do not get compensation. If in doubt, send a notice of default anyway.

Self-drive: the key points in brief

Would you rather drive yourself? You can read everything about driving your wedding car yourself in a separate article. The essentials from the car hire checklist from ACM ConsuWijzer: many rental companies have a minimum age or require you to have held your driving licence for some time, for example a year. Tell them about every extra driver in advance; this often has to be stated in the contract. Ask what is insured and how high the excess and the security deposit are, and record any existing damage with photos.

Photo: Volkswagen T2 Blue Ocean from We Love Oldtimers

Decoration and parking at the town hall

Keep the number plate and visibility clear

Decorating is allowed, but two road rules apply. Under the Regeling kentekens en kentekenplaten (the Dutch regulation on number plates), the front number plate must be visible from the front and the rear number plate from the rear. The rear plate must be fully visible to someone standing 20 metres directly behind the car. Nothing may be on or attached to the car that makes the plate harder to read. So flowers, ribbons or a 'Just Married' sign should not cover the number plates.

The second rule concerns the driver's view. According to the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority), there must be no unnecessary objects on the windscreen or the side window next to the driver that obstruct the view. So do not stick anything on the windscreen or on the window next to the chauffeur. For decoration ideas that are allowed, see original decoration for your wedding car.

Photo: Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III from AutoClassic

Stopping at the town hall

There is no national rule for stopping and parking at the town hall: each municipality sets its own.

In Delft, you need two exemptions for the wedding car at the town hall: one to drive onto the Markt and one to park there. Parking is allowed from a quarter of an hour before to a quarter of an hour after the ceremony, with a maximum of 3 vehicles including the wedding car. There is a market on Thursdays, and then it is not possible.

In Leiden, you can apply for a day exemption to drive into the low-traffic city centre. It applies to a maximum of 5 cars, from half an hour before to half an hour after the ceremony, with a parking space in the Koornbrugsteeg. The application costs €10.85, according to Leiden municipality.

If you are getting married somewhere else, ask your municipality or wedding venue how it works. Agree with the rental company who will apply for the exemption.

Wedding car checklist for the day itself

Take this list with you on the day:

• the chauffeur knows the pick-up address and the time, with some margin;
• the flowers for the car are ready and keep the number plates and windows clear;
• the exemption, if one is needed, is in the car;
• there is an umbrella in the car for a shower when you get out;
• the number of a taxi company, or someone with a car who can step in, is ready as plan B;
• the tip is in an envelope, if you want to give one.