Fontes Carriage Co.
Megan Fontes, (209) 634-9297
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555-555-5555
mymail@mailservice.com
What to Know About Having a Horse & Carriage at Your Wedding
International Wedding Festival • September 22, 2021
What to Know About Having a Horse & Carriage at Your Wedding
Many couples (brides especially) envision their wedding entrance on a horse-drawn carriage. This timeless, regal entrance, was once reserved for princes and princesses. The carriages are usually velvet lined, strewn with beautiful flowers and ornate. The team of horses are often groomed to match the wedding with braids and ribbons. While the carriages are eye-catching, we love the beautiful steeds that make this fairytale dream entrance come true.
We asked our friend, Megan Fontes, Owner & Operator of Fontes Carriage whether the horses enjoyed their job. "We get this question a lot. We are bonded with our horses. We know when our horses are not feeling well, when they’re hurt, when they’re happy or excited. We also know our horses like what they do. They like to have a job and they love all the attention that they get from all the people that they meet. Our horses become part of our family and when they tell us they are no longer wanting or able to do carriage work we let them enjoy retirement on our property until they pass away from old age. We work tirelessly with our vet and our farrier to make sure that our horses get the best care possible."
Megan explained that most of their clients have never seen a horse-drawn carriage up close, or in-person, let alone thought of how to plan and prepare for one at their event. With that in mind, we've assembled the top three things to consider when planning for a horse and carriage.
Planning Your Horse & Carriage Route
Horse and carriage operators prepare for your event long before their arrival. There's grooming of course, but other things to consider for a great presence also and the first consideration will be the route. The route will depend on a few factors:
- Where they are picking you up & where they are dropping you off
- What kind of roads the horses and carriage will travel on (paved, dirt, gravel, etc.)?
- Is the route flat, or is there a slope, like a hill?
- What will the traffic be like on the route?
Photos, Videos and Other Considerations
Most operators will not permit drones around their horses. Everyone knows that they are amazing pieces of technology that give you a unique way to capture your day and operators understand that, but horses can become agitated to things that they see as a threat. Their nemesis.... a swarm of bees! Drones make a large buzzing sound as they roar about, even the quiet ones. When the horses see what looks to be a very large hornet coming towards them buzzing, they interpret it as a swarm of bees chasing them. For that reason, you should talk with your operator about whether drones are permitted around the horses. Most operators will ask that just before the horses enter that the drones are "grounded" and then are free for take off again when the horses have exited the area.
Typically, after your ceremony you will spend time with your immediate family, close relatives and wedding party for your wedding photos. You will want to get the photos with your horse and carriage at the beginning of the session to relieve the operator from the service hour(s) you have contracted with them. When you are creating your contract with your horse and carriage operator, you will have a start and end time of service. Most operators have packages based on hour(s) of service. Please keep in mind that preparing for even a 10 minute ride for an entrance fit for a queen requires a lot of preparation on the operator's part, including washing, grooming, decorating, polishing, packing, loading, transporting, unloading, hitching, and then changing into attire befitting of your wedding.
A couple, or venue should never be concerned with the horses leaving "gifts" behind. Professional operators use what are called "bun bags" which catch droppings. They are easy to remove, so easy to empty. As for a horse relieving their bladder, there are no bun bags for that ocassion... but the operator will clean any area that the horse left a presence at with a hose. For professional operators, this is not their first rodeo and their goal is to leave any venue as good, if not better, than they found it.
What do we need to provide for the horses on the day of?
Your horse & carriage operator will bring everything the horses need with them. They will bring treats and snacks for the horses, and water for the day. If the weather is really hot, the operator will take the horses to shady spots to cool down here and there and will bring extra water to keep them hydrated.
Finding a Horse & Carriage Operator:
We recommend Fontes Carriage Co, who has provided carriage services for Central Valley weddings for hundreds of couples. Brides and grooms have shared with us how much it meant on their day to have the entrance of their dream.
Kimberly Vaughan, International Wedding Festival Executive Producer, has produced hundreds of wedding expos & trade shows in Northern California. Kimberly caught the "wedding bug" nearly 20 years ago when she began her wedding career helping couples marry in Yosemite National Park
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