Even renting a bus didn't solve all the problems. Photo by Light on Life Images.
We knew it could be a big issue for the wedding: The ceremony at the Adler Planetarium was scheduled for the same time as a monster pop concert at Soldier Field. In case you’re not familiar with the geography, there are exactly two roads that lead to the stadium off of Lake Shore Drive. They converge just before you reach the planetarium, to which there is, then, a single road.
I had helped the bride and groom to charter a bus to bring their guests to the wedding so they could avoid the worst of the traffic and parking hassles, because 60,000 fans were expected for the concert. I had even accounted for traffic by tripling the usual travel time from the hotel in the schedule. That did not mean it was all smooth sailing, though.
Half an hour before the ceremony was scheduled to start, the bride’s uncle received a call from a family member who was on the bus. He said the bus wasn’t allowed on the main road to the planetarium. Well, I knew that and had carefully instructed the driver to use the secondary road. I asked the uncle to relay the message again just to be sure the driver knew. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the bus arrived, unloaded, and went back for stragglers.
We started the ceremony a bit late because it took a while for everyone else to arrive, but I kept the caterer informed, and we were back on track in no time.
Then, at the end of the night, there was more fun. The bus arrived for its early pick-up at the appointed time. The driver asked when he should leave. I told him that as soon as he had the grandparents on board, he should take them to the hotel. He did that, and got out of there just before the concert ended. That was good timing!
Then, my assistant and I watched lines and lines of slow-moving traffic go by while the concert-goers left the area. And we waited for the bus to return. And waited. And waited. And waited.
The wedding was over. The guests were out front waiting for transport. I had called the driver but didn’t get him on the phone. Suddenly, the bus appeared, right on schedule. I was able to alert the guests that they would be able to leave as expected. And all the traffic was gone.
It was a combination of good planning and good luck, and it all worked out, with a little patience.
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