Ask The Celebration Advisor: My boyfriend is a history professor at a small college in Saint Louis, Missouri. He’s very into the aristocratic periods of France and England so I thought I would rent us a horse carriage one night as a just-because surprise. What style do you suggest to make this experience the most authentic? Thanks! ~ Lorie
The Celebration Advisor: Good question! The horse drawn carriage that you are after can actually be one of many styles. At their peak, there were more than 300 styles of horse drawn carriages and choosing between them was a status symbol much like luxury cars are now.
Of the main styles that currently exist, your best bet will likely be a vis-a-vis carriage. Even still, this only narrows down the field a little. Vis-a-vis means face-to-face in French and refers to the type of carriages that allow seating on either side (facing the driver or away from). These are less intimate than many other types of horse drawn carriages but are very authentic.
Victoria carriages are also very intimate and authentic. Horse drawn carriages in this style usually hold two people along with the driver. Talk about a romantic evening!
My best suggestion is to call about hiring a horse and carriage in Saint Louis. Before you get into the particulars, ask if they have any carriages that would fit the theme of the evening that you want. Mentioning “victoria carriages” and “vis-a-vis carriages” reveals a lot about the style of evening and carriage that you want. After that, it’s just ironing out the details!
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