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The Wedding Limo

A classic VW convertible helps newlyweds in Ohio get off to a great start.

By Dan Capestrain

While visiting my wife’s relatives last Christmas, we received the exciting news that my wife’s cousin, Elizabeth, and her fiancé, Kevin, were going to be married in June of 2006. While listening to the ladies in attendance discussing the planning of the rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid dresses, wedding ceremony, reception, etc., I chimed in with a typical “guy” question, “What are your plans for the wedding limousine?”

Well, it turned out that this item had not been given much thought. I quickly pulled out my laptop computer and showed the bride and groom to-be their choices. First, I presented the option of our 1978 VW Westfalia camper. Um ... that did not generate much enthusiasm. Well, how about a red, 1971 VW Super Beetle Convertible?

The bride-to-be’s eyes went wide with excitement as she looked at digital photos of the car. She was smitten with it and loved the idea of being chauffeured from the wedding to the reception in a “classic car” owned by a family member.

I was excited by the opportunity to be a part of the wedding celebration, but probably equally excited by the thought of driving the car on a relatively long trip (over four hours each way). This would be the longest journey the car had ever made since we took ownership in 1990; it is usually is used for relatively short pleasure drives.

As the schedule for the summer began to fill out on the calendar, the logistics of the trip became a bit complicated. The week before the Saturday of the wedding, I would be traveling with a group from our church to Biloxi, Miss., to assist with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts. I would have to cut my week in Mississippi a little short to attend the wedding in any case, but getting the car to Middletown, Ohio, complicated the issue.
As it turned out, a good friend was also planning on the Mississippi trip and was willing to cut his week a bit short as well so we could drive separately from the rest of the group. The plan was for the two of us to leave our homes early on the Saturday morning of the church group departure. He would drive his car, and I would drive the Beetle. We would drop the Beetle at the bride’s mother’s house, which was a short distance from the wedding location. The car would spend the week in her garage while we went on to join up with our church group.
On the way back, I would be dropped off, and my friend would complete the trip home. Because Middletown was only a short detour from the planned route to Mississippi, this would work out perfectly. An additional red convertible was later added to the mix as it turned out that my friend and his wife had purchased a used, red Volvo C70 convertible from a dealership less than 30 minutes from where we would drop off the VW. So, in addition to dealing with my VW Convertible, the plan was for his wife to ride along with him and be dropped off at the dealership to pick up her new car and drive it back home!

As the date approached, I worked on preparing the Beetle for its journey, taking care of some issues I had been neglecting. The spare tire would not hold air. It turned out that the valve stem was leaking, so I had that repaired. The rarely used windshield wiper blades were replaced, and a coat of RainX was applied to the windshield, just in case (a good decision, as it turned out). The usual oil change and valve adjustment were done, and a healthy application of polish was given to the paint.
The morning of the trip dawned, cloudy and cold with the temperature at around 50 degrees. This was not exactly top-down weather, but at least it was a temperature to the liking of an air-cooled engine. The route for the day was four-lane highway the entire way, in the interest of time. U.S. Route 30 provided the link between my home and Mansfield, Ohio, but the majority of the trip would be spent on busy Interstate 71 from Mansfield, Ohio, to Monroe, Ohio.

I had already discussed with my friend that my planned cruising speed was the posted limit of 65 mph. Hearing that, he decided that we would meet up at the drop-off point rather than try to caravan. He was planning on leaving a bit earlier anyway to allow time for the detour to the car dealer to sign papers and send his wife on her way. Trusting fully in the reliability of an air-cooled VW, I had no qualms about this plan (but I had my cell phone just in case).

There is something special about cruising along in a Beetle on a cool morning, the rear engine happily singing its song, the firm, direct steering in hand and the heater cracked on just a bit to remove the chill. Well, maybe the convertible top was not down, but it was enjoyable driving nonetheless.

Then, about an hour into the trip, the rain began, and never ceased. In fact, it got heavier as the trip progressed. But, the tires were good, the windshield clear (thanks to the new wipers and RainX), and the top did not leak. I made it to the drop-off without incident in a little over four hours, at my planned 65 mph. The car delivered around 27 miles-per-gallon! My wife’s aunt (the bride-to-be’s mother) was ready for me with an open garage door and towels to wipe down the car. My friend arrived shortly thereafter having conducted his transaction successfully and we were off to Mississippi for an incredible week!
Luckily, the weather for the wedding weekend was exactly the opposite of what it had been a week before: sunny and warm (if not hot), and perfect for top-down driving. I was dropped off at the car on Friday evening, with a short trip from Monroe to Middletown required to meet up with my family at the wedding hotel. I put the top down, and enjoyed a lovely summer sunset drive to the hotel. On Saturday morning, I put another coat of polish on the paint and deemed the wedding limo ready to roll! Then, it was off to the movies with my family to pass the time until the wedding ceremony. We saw “Cars,” which got two thumbs-up from all of us (and a tear or two from this died-in-the-wool car-lover)!

The wedding plans played out perfectly, with a beautiful day, a beautiful couple and loving family and friends all around. As I assisted the bride and groom into their wedding limo, the wedding photographer told me the story of the VW Beetle he owned when he first started his business and how the car carried all his gear through any kind of weather and never let him down.

The bride and groom were surprised by the amount of room in the back seat of the Beetle. Even the bride’s wedding gown fit easily. (I had pushed the passenger seat fully forward, and the driver’s seat as far as I could stand!) We drove off with camera shutters clicking, happy passengers thanking me and commenting on what a nice car I had, and arrived at the reception site a few minutes later. I helped the bride and groom disembark, and then parked the car to join the festivities. Mission accomplished!
The next morning, the bride’s mother hosted a brunch for family members. With all the activities over the prior week, I had not really thought about the trip home. But perhaps inspired by the movie “Cars,” I wanted to stay off the interstates. Looking at the map while enjoying the delicious food, I spotted U.S. Route 42. This two-lane highway runs parallel to Interstate 71 for its entire length, intersecting with Route 30 just a few miles west of I-71. It must in fact be the road I-71 was designed to offload.

I chose it as my route, and I was not disappointed. I started out with the top down and the tank full shortly before noon on that beautiful, sunny Sunday and arrived home about five hours later. In between were beautiful trees, vast fields, quaint small towns, very light traffic and hardly a tractor-trailer to be seen. The Beetle cruised at a comfortable 60 mph on the open sections, never faltering.

As I pulled into our driveway, I thought about the newlyweds, off on their honeymoon and their new adventures together. I was glad that they had given me the opportunity for a little VW adventure of my own!