Planning a destination wedding is exciting. By nature, they tend to take away a lot of the planning stress, allowing you to focus on the wedding celebration. Several years ago, when I was engaged to my husband, on a whim he suggested getting married in Las Vegas. At first, the very conservative nature in me screamed Hell NOOO, but I decided to take a scouting trip just to turn the suggestion down easy. Little did I know, after the trip, one thing was very clear, we were getting married in Las Vegas. Instead of a traditional in and out weekend destination wedding, we planned a weeklong celebration full of site seeing and family time with a wedding in the middle of the week. We wanted our guests to have days before and after to really experience all that Las Vegas has to offer. In planning my destination wedding to Las Vegas, there are a few helpful tips that may assist you.
The first tip involves knowing the difference between a wedding and venue coordinator. A wedding coordinator assists the couple throughout the entire planning process, assuming you elect for full coordination. This can include planning guidance, timeline organization, invitations, design and floral selections, venue selection, vendor recommendations, wedding rehearsal and day of assistance. The wedding coordinators primary objective is taking care of their client. Venue coordinators are responsible for everything directly related to the venue. Their primary objective is the venue integrity then the client. With my years of industry experience, I was able to make the best decision for me. I did most of the planning, but still hired the venue coordinator for day-of to run all of the wedding day details. When planning a destination wedding, I would strongly encourage hiring a local wedding coordinator. He or she can assist you in navigating the complete wedding planning process. Furthermore, there are always little things that occur after the wedding. Having a wedding coordinator will assist you wrap all of the details after the wedding date.
The second tip involves selecting the venue. Las Vegas has so many options that fit any style or whim that a couple can imagine. For my wedding, my now husband and I first defined what we wanted and selected the venue that best fit our wedding vibe and style. We decided to have our wedding ceremony at one of the chapels within Caesars’ Palace because it provided a great central location and all of the opulence of an upscale celebration. For the reception, I wanted a luxury private room experience with a view overlooking the strip and booked the Gigi Room at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab within the Forum Shops at Caesars’ Palace. Selecting both these venue options allowed a complete turnkey planning experience that included the following: day of planner, officiant, music, flowers, food and alcohol. The only outside vendor I needed to secure was a baker. I asked local professionals and hands down the number one recommendation was Freeds’ Bakery. To this day, my husband and family still rave about the food, wedding cake and overall great wedding experience.
The third tip involves planning activities in your destination location. In my opinion, Las Vegas is the activity capital of the world. I wanted to include activities that appealed to singles, married couples, families and mature guests. These activities included a tour of Las Vegas including Freemont Street, a family friendly variety show, play date at an outdoor play area for the children, family celebration evening, shopping, additional site seeing and a stripper 101 class for the adult ladies. Thus, one of the best activities was turning our wedding cake tasting into an experience for our immediately family. This activity also included a limo ride to the bakery. This was a special way to make a lasting memory of the wedding celebration. According to my husband, you cannot have a wedding without cake. My husband still brags that we had the best cake selections ever!
Overall, your destination wedding can be what you want it to be. Be sure to click on the link https://www.vegas.com to find deals and discounts for planning your destination wedding to Las Vegas. Remember, always stay true to what you want and focus on the experience and your guests will enjoy this more than you can imagine. My husband and I have fond memories of Las Vegas. Now that we live in Maui and just like the locals we get to call Las Vegas the 9th Island!!! Happy Destination Planning!
