Self-drive wedding car or with chauffeur: what suits you?

Driving yourself on your wedding day: is it possible?

You can already picture it: you at the wheel, your partner beside you, on the way to the town hall. Can you do that with a wedding car? Often you can. A comparison site such as trouwen.nl writes that a wedding car is almost always hired with a chauffeur. Our listings are different. On 17 October 2026, you could drive yourself in 76 of the 91 wedding cars listed online.

Whether it is allowed is decided by the rental company, car by car. You will see that for each type below. For 43 of the 45 cars listed as a sporty wedding car, you can drive yourself. For a convertible it is 39 of 42, and for a classic car 51 of 65. The one electric car listed online can also be self-driven. In this article you can read what is involved in driving a wedding car yourself, and when a chauffeur is the smarter choice.

Photo: Ford Mustang Cabrio from JS Trouwauto's

What does the rental company require?

There is no single rule for all rental companies. Each company sets its own terms. The car hire checklist from ACM ConsuWijzer is about ordinary car hire, but its points are also useful for a self-drive wedding car.

• Age and driving experience. Some rental companies have a minimum age, or require you to have held your licence for a while, for example a year. Sometimes you pay more if you are young or have little experience.
• Deposit. Many rental companies ask for a deposit, often via a credit card. You only get it back in full if the car is returned without problems.
• Damage and fuel. Record any existing damage when you collect the car, with photos or a short video. Return the car with the fuel level you agreed.

Ask about these terms when you request your quote. Also ask whether you can do a test drive beforehand. A classic car drives differently from your own car, and you would rather not find that out on the way to your ceremony.

Automatic-only licence? Watch out for code 78

If your licence shows code 78, then according to the CBR (the Dutch driving test authority) you may only drive an automatic. A classic car or sports car with a manual gearbox is then ruled out. If you do want to change gear, you have to take a practical test again and apply for a new licence. This is explained on the CBR switchover page and cannot be done quickly before your wedding. Choose an automatic instead, like the white 1966 Ford Mustang from Time Out Experience at the top of this article. The Mustang convertible above is also an automatic. The Porsche and the Alfa Romeo further down this article are manual.

Who drives: you, your witness or your father?

You do not have to drive yourself. A witness, your brother or your father-in-law can do it too. Do agree in advance who it will be. According to ACM, you should tell the rental company about every extra driver beforehand, usually on the contract. Also ask whether this costs extra. And ask the rental company what happens if someone else ends up driving on the day.

Think about driving experience too when you choose. Anyone who has only just got their licence is a novice driver. Under the Dutch Road Traffic Act (Wegenverkeerswet), that applies for the first 5 years after your first licence. If your first licence, obtained before you turned 18, was a moped or tractor licence, it is 7 years. Stricter alcohol rules apply to novice drivers.

Alcohol: the limit is lower than you think

A toast after the "I do", a glass with dinner: people drink at a wedding. If you are driving, it is good to know the limit. According to the Rijksoverheid (Dutch government), an experienced driver may have a maximum of 0.5 per mille alcohol in their blood. For a novice driver it is 0.2 per mille.

How many glasses that is differs from person to person. The CBR gives this guideline: at 0.2 per mille, a man has had about one standard glass and a woman less than one glass. A man reaches 0.5 per mille after about two glasses, a woman sooner. Your weight and age also play a part.

And what about the drive home after the party? According to ALCOHOLInfo from the Trimbos Institute, it takes 1 to 1.5 hours to break down one glass. After 8 glasses, your liver is busy for 8 to 12 hours. Coffee, sleep or a cold shower will not speed that up. The simplest agreement: whoever drives, drinks nothing. If you want to raise a glass yourself, drive there only and arrange a pick-up after the party.

Driving in your wedding dress or in heels

There is no rule in the law about shoes or clothing behind the wheel. However, article 5 of the Road Traffic Act says you must not cause danger on the road. A long dress around the pedals or a heel that gets caught can create that risk. That is our interpretation of the rule.

It matters for insurance too. The insurer Univé writes about flip-flops that driving in them is not forbidden. But if you knowingly take a risk, that counts as gross negligence. According to Univé, you are then only insured for damage to others. Univé does not mention heels, but the same is likely to apply to wedding shoes. So put flat shoes in the car, change when you get in, and tuck your train or skirt well out of the way before you drive off.

Photo: Porsche 356 Speedster from Time Out Experience

Insurance in brief

With a hired wedding car, the rental company's terms apply. Ask what the insurance covers and how high the excess is; according to ACM you can often reduce it, usually for a fee. If you borrow a car from family or friends, different rules apply. According to the ANWB, a borrowed car stays insured as long as the owner does not receive money for it. Damage to others then falls under the third-party liability (WA) cover. But if the driver is at fault, they are not insured for their own injuries as standard; that requires occupant cover. So agree on the costs beforehand.

What a chauffeur takes off your hands

With a chauffeur, you have nothing to arrange on the road. He knows the route and finds a place to park at the town hall. He waits during the ceremony and the photo shoot. And he holds the door open for you, right at the moment the photographer is ready. You sit in the back with your partner, and you can simply raise a glass.

A chauffeur is especially smart if:

• you and your witnesses want to drink;
• you have never driven a classic car before;
• you have an automatic-only licence and have fallen in love with a car with a manual gearbox;
• you have to go through a busy town centre with little room to park.

Driving yourself suits you if you love driving, really want to experience the car and the programme is relaxed. You can also do both: drive yourself to the ceremony and arrange a chauffeur or taxi for the journey back.

Photo: Alfa Romeo Spider from Trouw Porsches

With or without chauffeur: how to choose

Whether you choose a wedding car with or without a chauffeur makes a difference to the price. You can read roughly what a chauffeur costs in what wedding car hire costs. Do make the sum honestly. Put the price without chauffeur next to the price with chauffeur, and for self-drive add the deposit, fuel and a taxi home.

After that, it is a matter of choosing. If you are still unsure about the type of car, read tips for choosing your wedding car. Know what you want? Browse the wedding cars on offer, save your favourites and request a free quote from several rental companies at once. State in your request that you want to drive yourself, so the rental company knows straight away what you are looking for. What to confirm afterwards is covered in the checklist for arranging your wedding car.