Wedding cars get no special treatment in London: a car that doesn’t meet the ULEZ standards pays £12.50 a day, and any car driving into central London in charging hours pays the £18 Congestion Charge. A classic car is exempt from the ULEZ only in some cases. This guide covers the 2026 charges, coaches and minibuses, the Dart Charge, drive times from London to Kent and Surrey, and how arrival times shape your photos and film.
The short answer: Ask your car and coach companies whether every vehicle meets the ULEZ standards and whether the charges are in the quote. Register any vehicle with nine or more seats with TfL for the Congestion Charge discount. Then add at least a third to every Saturday journey time.
It is one chapter of our local guide to weddings in London, Kent and Surrey. For the legal side of marrying in town, see getting married in London; for venues and travel south and east, see planning a wedding in Kent.
The 2026 charges at a glance
All checked on TfL and GOV.UK in October 2026. Charges change, so check again close to the date.
| Charge | Where and when | Price | Wedding exemption? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ULEZ | All London boroughs, up to the M25; 24 hours, every day except Christmas Day | £12.50 a day for non-compliant cars, vans and minibuses up to 5 tonnes | None; historic exemption only |
| Congestion Charge | Central London; 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays; check TfL for weekend hours | £18 a day, £21 if paid within 3 days after | None; 100% discount for registered 9+ seat vehicles |
| Low Emission Zone | Most of Greater London, every day | Coaches over 5 tonnes must meet Euro VI, or pay £100 or £300 a day | None |
| Dart Charge | Dartford Crossing, 6am to 10pm daily | £3.50 a crossing by car, £2.80 with a pre-pay account | None |
Does the ulez apply to wedding cars?
Yes. The ULEZ covers every London borough, so it applies to a ceremony in Bromley as much as one in Westminster, and TfL lists no wedding-car exemption. A car generally meets the standard if it is Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel. A non-compliant car pays £12.50 a day, by midnight on the third day after the journey. Miss it and the penalty is £180, or £90 if paid within 14 days.
Guests driving older cars in from Kent or Surrey should check their registration on TfL’s website.
Is a classic wedding car exempt from the ulez?
Sometimes. TfL exempts two kinds of historic vehicle:
- All vehicles built before 1 January 1973.
- Vehicles over 40 years old registered with the DVLA in the historic vehicle tax class.
The catch is the second route. GOV.UK says the historic tax class doesn’t apply to a vehicle used for hire or reward, or commercially. So a car hired out for weddings generally needs to be built before 1973 to be exempt. TfL doesn’t mention wedding cars at all, so ask the car company to confirm in writing that the car is exempt or compliant, and who pays if it isn’t.
Do wedding cars pay the Congestion Charge?
Yes, if they enter the zone during charging hours. TfL lists no exemption for wedding or historic cars. The charge is £18 a day, paid in advance or on the day, or £21 if paid within three days afterwards; the penalty is £180, reduced to £90 within 14 days.
Weekday hours are 07:00 to 18:00. TfL’s own pages currently disagree on weekend hours, so for a Saturday or Sunday wedding, check TfL’s Congestion Charge page before you plan around it. Electric cars on Auto Pay pay £13.50, a 25% discount; without Auto Pay there is no discount.
Wedding coaches and minibuses in London
Coaches are often simplest for guests, especially between a gurdwara or mandir and a reception hall. Check three things:
- Congestion Charge. Vehicles with nine or more seats get a 100% discount, but only once registered with TfL. Ask the company to confirm the registration.
- ULEZ. Minibuses up to 5 tonnes come under the ULEZ like cars: Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel, or £12.50 a day.
- Low Emission Zone. Coaches over 5 tonnes must meet Euro VI, or pay £100 or £300 a day. A minibus may owe both ULEZ and LEZ charges.
Ask your venue where a coach can drop off and wait.
Guests from Kent and Essex: the Dart Charge
Guests crossing the Thames at Dartford pay the Dart Charge between 6am and 10pm every day: £3.50 a crossing by car, or £2.80 with a pre-pay account. Crossings between 10pm and 6am are free. You pay online, by phone, by post or at a Payzone outlet, by midnight the day after crossing. Forget and the penalty is £70, or £35 if paid within 14 days. A line on your wedding website saves guests a fine.
How long does it take to drive to Kent and Surrey venues?
These are free-flow drive times from Beckenham High Street, where our studio is, with no traffic at all. Treat them as minimums.
| From Beckenham to | Miles | Drive time, no traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Park | 6 | around 20 min |
| Central London (Charing Cross) | 10 | around 35 min (45 to 60 in traffic) |
| Sevenoaks | 16.5 | around 35 min |
| Box Hill | 20 | around 46 min |
| Hever Castle | 20.6 | around 47 min |
| Richmond Park or Kew | 15 to 16 | around 45 to 50 min |
| Maidstone | 31 | around 45 min |
| Tunbridge Wells | 31 | around 50 min |
| Guildford | 36 | around 1 hour |
| Canterbury | 57 | around 1 hour 15 min |
On a Saturday, our rule of thumb is to add at least a third, plus 15 to 20 minutes for anything that touches central London or the M25. Travel is included within 50 miles of Beckenham, which covers all of these.
Getting guests home by train
For a country venue, the last train often decides when the evening ends for London guests. Check the last trains back from the nearest station for your date, not a weekday, because weekend engineering work can replace trains with buses. Put the times on your wedding website, book taxis from the station in advance, and consider a late coach back to a central drop-off if many guests are relying on one train.
How travel timing shapes your photos and film
The car arrival. If you want the car pulling up on film, we need to be there first. With photo and film booked, one of us leaves getting ready 15 to 20 minutes before you, and we agree the drop-off point with the driver.
The baraat. A coach of the groom’s family arriving late moves everything after it: the procession, the milni and the ceremony. The procession itself usually takes 20 to 45 minutes; see our guide to planning the baraat.
The light. A long transfer can cost you your portraits. On 1 December, London sunset is around 15:55:
| Time | A winter Saturday, 45-minute transfer |
|---|---|
| 13:00 | Ceremony in south east London |
| 13:40 | Family groups on the steps |
| 14:00 | Leave for a Kent venue around 45 minutes away with no traffic |
| 15:05 | Arrive, with the Saturday buffer used |
| 15:10 | Twenty minutes of portraits in the last light |
| 15:55 | Sunset |
Leave half an hour later and the portraits run into dusk. In June the pressure runs the other way, with golden hour around 20:25, after dinner. Our guides to golden hour times and sample wedding day timelines help you plan around it.
From behind the camera
Most timing problems on a wedding day start on the road, not at the venue: a Saturday diversion, a coach that can’t find the drop-off, a groom’s party still parking when the dhol should be playing. All of it is easier with a buffer. I always ask couples for the driver’s mobile number, and I check the route on the same day of the week as the wedding. On film, the ten calm minutes you gain from a buffer are often the ten minutes that hold the best moments: the last look in the mirror, a parent fixing a collar at the door.
Frequently asked questions
Do wedding cars have to pay the ulez?
Yes, unless the car meets the standards or is exempt. The ULEZ covers every London borough, 24 hours a day, and costs £12.50 a day for a non-compliant car (checked October 2026). TfL lists no wedding-car exemption, so ask your car company whether the car is compliant and whether the charge is in the quote.
Is a classic wedding car exempt from the ulez?
Only in some cases. TfL exempts all vehicles built before 1 January 1973. Its other historic route depends on the DVLA historic tax class, which isn’t available to vehicles used for hire or reward, so a hired car built after 1972 generally won’t qualify. Ask the car company to confirm in writing.
Do wedding cars pay the Congestion Charge?
Yes, if they drive in the zone during charging hours. TfL lists no exemption for wedding or historic cars. The charge is £18 a day, or £21 if paid within three days after (checked October 2026). TfL’s own pages currently disagree on weekend hours, so check before a Saturday or Sunday wedding.
Do minibuses pay the Congestion Charge?
Vehicles with nine or more seats get a 100% discount, but only once they are registered with TfL. Minibuses still need to meet the ULEZ standards or pay £12.50 a day, and coaches over 5 tonnes must meet Euro VI under the Low Emission Zone. Ask your coach company to confirm all three.
Keep reading
- Wedding day timeline UK: sample schedules with travel built in.
- Baraat and dhol: planning the groom’s arrival: horse, car or on foot, and how long it takes.
- London city weddings: the journey from register office to reception.
Planning a day across London or out to Kent? See how we cover London city weddings and multi-day Asian weddings, then check your date and send us your route.
