Hudson Valley Wedding Transportation: The Part of Planning You Should Not Leave Until Last

Transportation may be the least glamorous part of a wedding. In the Hudson Valley, it can also be one of the most important.

Many of the region's loveliest wedding venues are intentionally removed from busy commercial areas. That is part of the appeal. It also means you should not assume every guest will be able to open an app at midnight and immediately find a ride. Rideshare pickups in the rural parts of the valley are unreliable late at night, and often simply unavailable, so plan transportation rather than depending on Uber or Lyft. Cathy's Elegant Events, a planner in Old Chatham, tells couples the same thing.

Start with the hotel block

The fewer pickup locations you create, the easier transportation becomes. If most guests are staying in one or two hotels, shuttles can run predictable loops before and after the wedding. If everyone books scattered Airbnbs across several towns, the problem gets much harder.

Then look at the venue itself

Can a full-size motor coach reach it? Is there room to turn around? Does the driveway accommodate buses? Is there enough parking for guests who drive? Does the venue have a required transportation company? Ask early.

Plan the end of the night

A single departure time sounds efficient until half the guests want to leave at 10:30 and everyone else wants to stay until midnight. Staggered return shuttles solve that.

Transportation should also be part of your hotel decision. A beautiful boutique hotel 35 minutes away may be less useful than a very good hotel ten minutes from the venue.

The Hudson Valley rewards couples who think geographically. Venue, hotels, rehearsal dinner and after-party should form a reasonably tight cluster. The less time everyone spends sitting on a bus, the more time they spend enjoying the wedding.

Find shuttle and coach companies on our transportation page.

Photo: [Majestic Transportation Services & Limo, Inc.](https://hudsonvalleyhitched.com/vendor/majestic-transportation-services-and-limo-inc-monroe).