For a quinceañera or sweet 16, your whole court will be riding along with you. Opt for the comfort of a stretch limo or the sleeker look of a Sprinter van. Then hire the car by the hour for the whole night. Make sure to reserve in advance with a licensed and insured operator. If your driver shows up with a car that’s too small for your court, you’ll end up with two cars, two arrivals, crushed dresses, and a ruined photoshoot.
That court is usually seven to fourteen damas and chambelanes, so there are no options for a sedan or an SUV. Remember that the honoree won’t be riding alone, in a long formal dress, either. If your group is up to six or eight, a stretch limo is a good choice. If the court is more than eight, you’ll want a Sprinter van.
Long, flowing gowns need legroom (and seat depth, not just the number of seats). Just counting heads for seatbelts won’t cut it. Limo bench seating is a much better fit for these gowns than are SUV captain’s chairs.
A quinceañera usually has a Mass first, then a reception later at a party hall. A sweet 16 usually has just one location, and the entire celebration starts on time with a grand entrance for the honoree. Arrive late and the speeches, dance, and cake all get pushed later.
The cars shouldn’t just turn around from the church to the hall. You’ll want to hire them hourly across the timeline, and keep the same vehicle and driver for the whole party. Then, when the Mass lasts fifteen minutes longer than everyone expected, your night isn’t ruined. Quinceañera and sweet 16 packages are usually four to six hours, so count everything in.
Give the operator even a rough timeline when booking. Ask for suggestions, too. A thirty-minute gap between the church and the hall looks fine on a map, but forgets how long it takes to park, or find parking, at both. An eager photographer may also want 45 minutes of court photos at a park in between.
If teens are passengers in any part of your timeline, take extra care. New York law stipulates that, if a stretch limousine carries nine people or more (counting the driver), the driver must hold a CDL (commercial driver’s license) with a P endorsement. This document should be plainly visible and on display in the vehicle. Stretch limos get state inspections every six months, and a diamond sticker, on the right side of the windshield, should be under six months old. The company should have an insurance certificate of at least $1.5 million combined per event. The state DOT even posts the safety inspection results of each operator, too, and for the past twenty-four months. The New York State Department of Transportation has a toll-free hotline (833-727-0901) for complaints about any safety concerns.
In New York City, a “luxury limousine base” can send a car only to a booking made in advance, not at curbside. And none of the vehicles may seat more than twenty. In Miami-Dade County, a stretch limo must be reserved ahead (written, online, or phone). The limousines must be inspected by the county. Drivers must be licensed by the county, as chauffeurs. Ask if the company enforces no alcohol in the car for underage riders, whatever the reception does. In Florida, serving alcohol to anyone under 21 is a second-degree misdemeanor on a first offense. If your rule needs enforcement, ask if a parent can ride along for the arrival.
You want a chauffeur who is comfortable playing at least a supporting role in a well-staged entrance and a formal photoshoot, and not just the busy guy at the wheel. Some people think a car is just four wheels and a warm body in the driver’s seat. A chauffeur, though, will stage the car somewhere close but ideally positioned, if the photographer wants exterior shots of the car from a better angle. Then the honoree gets a beat or two extra to get herself gracefully out of the car. The limo company should deal directly with the event planner, padrino or parent, and not with the honoree. The birthday girl has more than enough to worry about.
Make sure you get a flat quote, in writing, and spelled out before booking. The vehicle class, the number of hours and the number of passengers that the vehicle is rated for. Ask whether tolls and gratuity are included, too. Is the company commercially insured? Who is the chauffeur, and how are they screened? Or does the limo company dodge liability by sub-contracting rides? You get better answers at the front end than later on. New York City companies usually charge garage to garage. The clock starts when the car leaves its garage, and it stops when the car is back. Ask how this works if the offer is vague. You don’t want surprises.
Last thing, many families settle on a court size only a few weeks beforehand, once all the fittings and RSVPs are settled. A limousine operator who follows up on any changes has time to arrange a different vehicle.
