Limos An Iconic Part of Wedding Experience

Photos courtesy of Twin City Limousines

Stretch limousines have become an iconic part of the wedding experience in the United States. Few people likely know, however, that Fort Smith is credited as the birthplace of the stretch limo.

Tom Armbruster’s Armbruster & Co. launched in the cradle of the Arkansas River Valley in 1887 to build and repair horse-drawn coaches — essentially, the first “limousines” — according to Coachbuilt.

Roughly two decades later, when the automobile revolutionized the way humans moved about, Armbruster was ready to adapt. Jordan Bus Lines in Fort Smith, the story goes, commissioned Armbruster in the early 1920s to build an extended-wheelbase, multidoor touring vehicle that could be used for short inter-city runs — the kinds for which a full passenger bus was not necessary.

With commercial air travel evolving into a more prominent component to travel, limos — as they came to be called — soon became associated with the ferrying of VIPs to and from airports, galas and other social events.

Fast-forward a few decades, and the impact of limos was being felt by not just the Thurston Howells of the world but by the working class, as well. Limos became a part of the pageantry associated with proms and weddings and are a staple of funerals, during which they transport close family members of the deceased to and from the church and/or gravesite.

A resemblance in headwear caused limos to be named after the Limousin region of France.

The term “limousine” as we know it today was coined during the 18th century in the former French province of Limousin with the introduction of carriages, mostly for the wealthy, that included separate compartments for the driver, or chauffeur.

The carriage driver’s cover often resembled the cloaked hoods worn by shepherds in the Limousin region, and the name stuck, eventually evolving into the term that has become almost synonymous with weddings, proms and VIPs.

Limos, of course, are simply the modern-day horse-drawn carriages. Chauffeurs as they are today replaced the coachmen of the past, and automobiles replaced the horse-drawn carriages. Perhaps most significantly, limos became accessible to almost anyone, and Greg Hatcher-owned Twin City Limousines and Event Center in Little Rock has a stable of impressive “horses” in its barn for central Arkansas residents to rent for weddings, proms and more. Once viewed exclusively as a status symbol, limos are now associated more with special events, regardless of the passengers’ income status.

Though weddings make up about a quarter of the company’s limo rentals, TCL manager Leslie Barlow said she still sends vehicles out every weekend. In addition to weddings and proms, TCL’s limos are used for airport runs, trips to Oaklawn in Hot Springs, executive pickups, and even transporting coaches to special events or recording artists to concerts, she said.

“Anytime there’s a big show at Simmons Bank Arena and the stars are flying in, we’re grabbing them,” Barlow said. “The same thing with football when the Razorback coach comes to town.”

Weddings, though, can be among the most logistically challenging. Barlow said the company has had shuttle buses pick up brides and bridesmaids at hotels, deliver them to the church and then go back for the groom and groomsmen to avoid the chance that the newlyweds-to-be will see each other before the ceremony.

Limos, of course, are popular for those wanting to travel in style and, especially, for those planning to drink alcohol on their way to an event. Limos check both boxes, enabling users to enjoy a safe and worry-free night while riding in luxury. Most stretch limos today include full bars, plasma screens, sunroofs, leather seats, plush carpets, intercom systems and DVD/CD/streaming media players, and some even are equipped with fiber-optic lighting systems and strobe lights.

TCL’s fleet has seven vehicles, including two “stretch” Lincoln Town Car limos, one seating up to eight people and the other up to six passengers. The stable also includes a 14-passenger Ford transit van; a 2019 seven-seat, black Chevrolet Suburban; a Krystal limo/party bus that seats up to 26; a Ford shuttle bus with individual seat belts that accommodates up to 21 passengers; and a Mercedes sprinter/limo van that seats up to nine. All the TCL carriages are black except for the white Ford shuttle bus.

In addition to its fleet of modern-day carriages, TCL has an indoor event center at its base of operations on Main Street in downtown Little Rock. The center’s main space accommodates up to 220 people, while a separate room, designed for smaller settings, can seat 80.

“We utilize the space pretty regularly,” she said, adding that the space is ideal for rehearsal dinners and receptions, as well as corporate events, business luncheons, holiday parties, and family reunions. “Wedding showers and those types of events work out really well here.”

The restored space includes modern amenities and new, dark, wood-paneled walls that help deliver historic downtown charm, Barlow said. She called it a flexible “empty canvas” for clients to create the precise event they want.

Barlow said TCL has limo and event packages available that are crafted for almost any budget. One does not need to be a rock star — literal or figurative — to enjoy the benefits of traveling by limo.