Where are Trinny and Susannah when you need them?
Having chosen to go down the unconventional route in my new Wedding Car Hire business, and going with an ex London Taxi instead of the more normal Classic or Vintage Car, it would make sense to continue that theme when it comes to dressing in my role as Chauffeur. (Warning Klaxon: there may be the odd bit of stereotyping coming up!)
Convention is that a Chauffeur’s hat is added to a lounge suit, giving a quasi uniform look – for some reason ladies seem to like a man in uniform (Richard Gere, you have a lot to answer for!) And it would be a no-brainer if we all looked like this, but the truth is I’d probably end up looking more like this!
Which begs the question, what do I wear?
Keeping with the London theme opens all sorts of avenues and gives the opportunity to pop in a few characters that we’ve heard of without necessarily knowing what they are, such as Costermonger, Barrow Boy, and of course who can forget Dick Van Dyke’s dodgy Cockney Chimney Sweep in Mary Poppins? These don’t cut the mustard though as suitable Wedding Chauffeur looks!
A possible contender is the Pearly King 
, here seen with a Cab (I’m not just throwing this together!) The Bride could be supplied with a song-sheet including such classics as Roll out the Barrel, Doing the Lambeth Walk, and even I’m Getting Married in the Morning, to ease the nerves on the way to the Ceremony!
OK – I’m getting slightly carried away!
However, I’ve had another light-bulb moment, as I did over the cab, and this look ticks so many boxes once again! The Bowler Hat, as worn here by Patrick Macnee as John Steed in The Avengers, looking suave, urbane and the stereotypical London Gent! OK, he would have traveled in the back of the cab and not be the driver, but that’s just splitting hairs! It gives the quasi uniform look but still sets it apart from the norm!
I think some experimentation is called for though, as there’s always the possibility of this: 
Of course, we can take authenticity too far, and the truth is, it’s all about the Bride on the day and what her needs are, and if the request for the Chauffeur’s hat comes, then that’s what the lady will get! And you never know, she might be a Benny Hill fan!
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wreaked its middle age havoc, luring me into running several international city marathons, (low point finishing behind the NSPCC Caterpillar in London!) and now onto similar challenges on a bicycle, but so far I’ve resisted the Harley and the ponytail! Also, I’d met and fallen in love with a wonderful lady, who three years ago became my wife and changed my World!
It was then I had the light-bulb moment of having a London Taxi; an iconic ‘Black Cab’; which ticked just about every box, in that it was different, classic in its own way, VERY practical with wide doors and lots of space, and certainly unique as far as here in the East Midlands of the UK is concerned (so far!) Cue feeling rather pleased with myself!
