Prom Limousine Rental
Before prom time arrives again, you want to make certain you have the information you need for limousine rental. It's a special night for your daughter, so you want to make sure she and her date have the best transportation available.
When prom time comes, the first thing that comes to mind is limousine service for the occasion. Even if there is a car available to drive, limo service just seems to give the occasion a special appeal, much as it would for a wedding. The costs can vary from one limosine service to another, so it's important to obtain several quotes before you reserve a car. Remember it is a busy time of the year, so you want to allow plenty of time,—you will not be the only parent attempting to rent a limousine for your daughter's prom or homecoming.
During the prom season, many people choose limousine service, not just because it is a special occasion, but also to make sure the prom attendees stay safe. With so many after prom parties and teenagers on the road, you can assure the safety of yours better if she and her date are in a limousine rather than one of them driving a car. Set some money aside at the same time you give your daughter money for her dress for the occasion and give yourself peace of mind in knowing she will not be on the road where some teens may be drinking or acting foolishly. One less car on the road means one less potential tragedy. It's seldom you hear about a limousine involved in a fatal crash, so you can rest easier as your daughter leaves for her special night.
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As soon as you know the date of the prom, you should begin conducting research on some of the limousine services you might consider. The costs will vary from one company to another, so you should contact several limousine companies before you make a final decision. During your research, you want to make sure the company you choose is compliant with the law in the area of teenage drinking. Many limousine services automatically have alcohol for the benefit of their customers, so make sure you emphasize that the passengers are underage.
During your research, you want to find out what the prices are and the timeframes that are involved. Even if the driver is not going to wait, you are still going to be charged for the time your teenager is at the prom. Find out everything you can about the company's policies, especially if you are reviewing a company with which you are not familiar. Another thing you may want to research is the difference in price between the stretch limousine and a town car. When you only have two people riding, a town car is likely to be more economical, but if cost is not a factor, the stretch limousine is bigger and more elegant.
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When you have researched several different limousine services and are attempting to narrow it down to the best choice for the prom or homecoming, there are several factors you want to consider: price, availability, reliability, and attention to detail. You definitely want to look at the prices for each limo service before you make a final decision. Even if price is not of great importance, you don't want to pay more money for the same services.
Availability is another consideration as is reliability. The two of them go together and are important when it comes to getting everyone to the prom on time as well as being picked up on time. You don't want to choose a company that has a reputation for taking other reservations to fill in the time your teenager is at the prom, even though you are paying for that time. Doing that means the driver cannot be relied upon to be back on time for his pickup, thus leaving your daughter and her date stranded for a ride at the venue.
You also want to hire a company who will comply with your instructions to keep alcoholic beverages out of the limousine because they are dealing with teenagers. Many limousine services provide alcohol as a complimentary drink for their passengers, but to avoid temptation, ask that alcoholic beverages be removed and soft drinks, water, or juices be provided instead.
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As soon as you choose the limo service you wish to use, you should make the reservation in order to assure there will be a car available on the date you need it. Waiting even another week can make the difference between having the type of limo you want and having to settle for what's left, or trying to reserve something with another company at the last minute. Proms are big business for limousine companies, so once you have reviewed your quotes and chosen a company, you don't want to wait any longer to reserve the car.
When you make the reservation, be sure you tell the reservation taker that you are booking a high school prom or homecoming for teenagers. That should tell the limo service that there should be no alcoholic beverages available in the car, but to make sure there are no misunderstandings, make yourself clear at that point that all alcohol is to be replaced with non-alcoholic beverages. You may also wish to inform the limo service that they are not to pick the teens up early from the prom and take them anywhere else, nor are they to take it upon themselves to allow them to leave with friends. That is not to infer they are to be babysitters, but rather to inform them ahead of time that these activities are not permissible. Since you are paying the bill, the choice is yours, and you need to make sure the prom goers know what the rules are, and the limo driver is informed he is not to bring them anywhere but home.
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Several days before the event, you want to call the limo service and confirm the reservation, especially the time of pick-up spot and return spot. This is also a good time to confirm the method of payment and any other instructions that have been provided to the limo service including beverages in the limo, snacks, other passengers allowed to ride with the teens after the prom, and any other instructions you may have forgotten during your original reservation.
During the verification process, you may wish to confirm the hours for which you are paying, and if there is an additional charge if the prom lasts a little longer than expected, or the teens are standing outside talking to friends before heading to the car. If they are allowed to join their friends at a restaurant for a late night snack, you want to determine if the limo service will wait, or if the teens are to call home for a ride when they are ready to return home. Make sure you know exactly what charges apply to your situation and the charges for any additional services that may develop on the day of the prom or after the teens have left. Knowing in advance will give you the option to choose whether you are willing to pay for extra time in certain circumstances.
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When the limo service driver arrives to pick up your daughter and her date, you want to reconfirm the information you provided in your reservation such as what time to return to pick up the prom goers, whether they are to go anywhere else after the prom, and whether you will pay for any additional time because of delays or trips to another location. In addition, you may wish to check the limo to be sure the beverages and snacks meet with your approval. Although this may seem intrusive to the limousine driver, the safety of your daughter is at stake here, so you must take it upon yourself to ensure that your instructions are followed exactly.
As a parent, you obviously want to take pictures of the couple before they leave for the venue. Do not make the limousine wait indefinitely while you take photos—make it a point to take the majority of the photos before the limo service and driver arrive to take the couple to the prom. Limit yourself to about five or ten minutes to take photos with the limo and in the limo. You may have a little leeway on this, if you have arranged an earlier pick-up time in order to allow time for taking pictures. In that case, the time is yours because you pay the limo service from the time of arrival to the time of drop off after the prom.
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Although the limo service may allow the driver to accept other short bookings while the couple is at the prom, this should be discouraged. You are paying for a set number of hours, and there should be nothing interfering with the couple returning at the end of that time. In addition, if they decide to leave early for any reason, there is no reason they should have to wait for the limousine to finish a drop off that they haven’t arranged in the first place.
An ethical limo driver will find a spot to park close enough to the venue to return promptly at the assigned time. It is acceptable for the driver to stop for a bite of take-out food or a non-alcoholic drink, but nothing more. Under no circumstances should your limo driver take on another reservation during the prom, nor should he be permitted to join friends or family in locations away from the venue. Participating in any activity other than that for which a limo driver is paid may lead to the potential that he will be late returning to pick up the prom couple.
Make sure the limo service is very clear on what you expect of their driver and what activities you find acceptable while he is waiting to return (i.e., dinner, reading in the car, taking a nap in the car, chatting with friends on the phone, etc.). Spelling this out in advance will leave no room for confusion.
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When the driver returns to the venue at the designated time, there should be no question concerning the rest of the evening's activities. If you have already agreed to allow the couple to meet for an after-the-prom activity such as a late dinner at a local restaurant, make certain the limo service knows this and instructs their driver accordingly. Under no conditions should the limo driver take it upon himself/herself to drive the couple anywhere besides the home of the parent who rented the limo, which is probably the teenage girl.
Make sure the couple also knows where they are allowed to go after the prom. It is probably a good idea to insist they return home with the limo driver, and then if they are permitted to go out with friends, they can pick up his or her car at home and leave from there. This relinquishes the limo driver of any responsibility for taking them to a location other than home in case something should happen. It also ensures both sets of parents that their teenagers have returned home from the prom safely and will now be joining friends at a location that has already been approved by the parents, whether it's a late night meal at a local restaurant or a trip to the beach as is common after the prom.
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When you reserve a limo for a prom or homecoming, you have to make sure the limo service understands that the reservation is for teenagers, and as such, no alcoholic beverages should be included for the trip to the venue. In addition, it's important to make certain the driver also understands this, and as parents, it is your responsibility to check for compliance with your wishes. Several days before the event, confirm with the limo service the time and location for pick up at the home and at the venue followed by the location for drop off afterwards.
If there are any after prom plans other than to return home, make sure the limo service relays the information to their driver. The limo driver should not take it upon himself to drop the couple anywhere other than the address that was confirmed with the reservation. If prior arrangements were not made, the driver should take the couple home, and the couple can proceed to another location after obtaining permission from their respective parents. This assures that the responsibility lies with the teenagers and not with the limo driver.
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