Something Chartered, Something Blue: A Bride's Advice For Keeping Your Guests Safe, Happy & On Time

Your dream dress has been selected, your ideal venue has been picked and your much cherished bridesmaids are saving the date. But these are only three of the many aspects in preparing for a wedding that must be considered. One of the most important details is how all your guests will fare when it comes to getting to the church (and reception) on time, in great shape and thrilled to be there. (And that's not even mentioning the drive back home.) For some salient thoughts on this subject, we talked to bride-to-be Alexandria Jackson, a Los Angeles-based 30-year-old who is planning her nuptials for 2017. Here is what this future spouse had to say.

Go The Distance

Jackson's wedding is booked at the gorgeous Hartley Botanica located in Somis, on the edge of Ventura County just north of Los Angeles County. "My fiance and I had originally scouted all of central and southern California, hoping to stumble across the perfect venue. After discussing what was important to us, we decided that we would try to be married no more than one hour away from home," she said. This savvy planner added, "This still gave us a lot of options since most of our friends and family live in the surrounding LA area. That means their drive could range anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour-and-a-half."

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Bus Or Bust

For the ride to and from her nuptials, Jackson has considered all the options, including chartering a bus. This way the majority of her guests would be together before the "I dos" and then again after the celebration night is complete. By securing a charter bus, Jackson is assured that her treasured group will be in good hands, will be on a rigid schedule, will not have to deal with parking and can drink worry-free during the reception without needing to depend on another guest as the designated driver. This future bride said, "At the end of our night, that is the best part: not having to worry about drinking and driving."

Have A Transportation Alternative

Jackson's guests also have an option to stay in the vicinity of the Hartley Botanica before she gets married. She explained, "The destination works with a hotel in nearby Simi Valley called the Grand Vista where we are blocking off a number of rooms to get our guests a group discount, as well as to take advantage of the hotel's shuttle that will operate to the venue. The hotel is about 20 minutes away from there." Jackson points out that even if the guests come in the night before the event, they can still take the chartered bus back to their homes after the ceremony and party are over. "If our guests ride together then it will give them a chance to get to know each other both before and after the ceremony," Jackson explained.

A Happy Bride

Either option is one that pleases this bride-to-be. She explained, "Both of these transportation methods allow our guests the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy themselves, to celebrate and to be in the moment with us." Alexandria emphasized, "After all, this is a party! Knowing that your beloved friends and family can get to their destination safely after your event is just as important as the event itself. After all, you don't want your wedding date to become an anniversary date for an unfortunate event."

This article was written by Jane Lasky of Examiner.com for CBS Local.