When most couples start searching for a wedding car, they picture a long white limousine or a classic saloon parked outside the church. What very few realise is that there is a category of vehicle entirely apart from both — one that has been the choice of royalty, heads of state, and discerning couples for over a century.

That vehicle is the Landaulette.

What Is a Landaulette?

A Landaulette is a formal motor car with a fixed front cabin and a rear section where the roof folds completely back. The result is a vehicle that is simultaneously a closed, weather-protected saloon and an open-top carriage — depending entirely on what the occasion calls for.

The name comes from the horse-drawn Landau carriage, which originated in the German town of Landau in the eighteenth century. The carriage was designed with a folding hood so that passengers could travel in comfort in poor weather, then open the roof to be seen — and to see — when the occasion demanded it.

That same principle carries directly into the modern Landaulette. And on a wedding day, it makes all the difference.

How It Differs from a Standard Wedding Car

A standard wedding car — whether a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a Bentley, or a classic saloon — is a beautiful, closed vehicle. It protects you from the elements, it is comfortable, and it arrives with presence. But it is fundamentally a box on wheels. Your guests see the car. They do not see you until you step out.

A Landaulette changes that entirely.

With the roof folded back, you are visible from the moment the car turns into the venue. Your guests lining the path see you seated, composed, radiant — before you have even opened the door. The photographs taken as you arrive capture something no closed car can offer: the full picture of you, in the car, in the moment.

It is the difference between arriving and making an entrance.

The Daimler DS420 Landaulette

The Daimler DS420 is widely regarded as the finest Landaulette ever built for private use. Produced between 1968 and 1992, it was the official state limousine of the British Royal Family and served at royal weddings, state funerals, and official engagements for over two decades.

The DS420 was engineered to a standard that no modern vehicle matches for ceremony. The rear cabin is vast — genuinely spacious enough for a wedding dress to be arranged without compromise. The fold-back roof operates smoothly and quietly. The ride is long, low, and unhurried in a way that modern cars simply cannot replicate.

At Get Wed, our DS420 is finished in black over ivory, with the cherished registration G37 WED. It has been maintained to the standard the car deserves, and it is presented on your wedding day exactly as it would have been for a royal engagement.

When to Have the Roof Down

The fold-back roof is not simply a fair-weather option. Many couples choose to have it down even on cooler days, because the photographs and the experience are worth it.

That said, the decision is always yours. If the morning is overcast or there is a chance of rain, the roof stays up and the car remains a beautifully appointed closed limousine. If the sun is out and the sky is clear, the roof comes down and the car becomes something else entirely.

Your Private Attendant will discuss the forecast with you in the days before your wedding and advise on the best approach. On the day itself, the decision can be made as late as the moment of departure.

The Photographs

Wedding photographers consistently say the same thing about Landaulette arrivals: they are among the most photographed moments of the day.

A closed car produces one photograph — the door opening. A Landaulette produces a sequence. The car turning in. The couple visible in the rear. The approach to the venue. The moment before the door opens. Each of these is a distinct image, and together they tell a story that a standard wedding car simply cannot.

If photography matters to you — and for most couples it does — the Landaulette is not a luxury. It is a practical choice.

Is a Landaulette Right for Your Wedding?

The honest answer is that it depends on what you want your arrival to feel like.

If you want to step out of a beautiful car and be seen, a standard classic saloon will serve you well. If you want your arrival to be an event in itself — something your guests remember, something your photographer captures from the moment the car appears — then a Landaulette is in a category of its own.

There are very few genuine Landaulettes available for wedding hire in the United Kingdom. Fewer still are maintained to the standard the vehicle deserves. If you are considering one for your wedding day, the time to enquire is now — availability is limited, and dates are held on a first-come basis.

We would be delighted to talk you through what a DS420 Landaulette arrival would look like for your wedding. Get in touch and we will take it from there.

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