After relocating to Las Vegas, Kate and Jake decided to celebrate their wedding in country club style with their daughter. With friends and family joining them from all over, they worked to create a fun destination wedding where guests danced under glowing bistro lights in the warm desert air. The seeming secluded Las Vegas Country Club is located on the north end of the Strip, tucked in just behind Westgate and the Las Vegas Convention Center. The dazzling lights of nearby hotels like the Stratosphere light up the sky, adding an extra layer of romanticism. These newlyweds ended their evening with their guests and the quintessential Vegas wedding shot: a group photo at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the south Strip.
VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :
PHOTOGRAPHER . Fabio and Adri Photography
CEREMONY VENUE . Presidential Garden, Las Vegas Country Club
RECEPTION VENUE . Event Terrace, Las Vegas Country Club
FLORAL . ACS Floral + Events / HAIR + MAKEUP . Stevee Danielle Hair + Makeup Salon / ENTERTAINMENT . Knight Sounds Entertainment
I have to admit something: I am obsessed with The Smith Center. The art-deco architecture, the great location and the mix of indoor and outdoor spaces add up to one killer wedding spot. It’s no surprise that Ryan and Danette chose the famous performing arts venue for their romantic wedding.
Dressed up in roses and draping with black and white decor, the venue allowed this couple to shine on their wedding day…and for their wedding party to get a little dancey later on. Every detail was taken care by Scheme Events of and allowed Ryan and Danette to just enjoy their amazing day.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE SMITH CENTER?
It is a beautiful location which gave us a few options when deciding if we wanted an indoor or an outdoor wedding. It gave us an urban city feel while offering the capability to customize the venue to tie into our theme.
THE CEREMONY — Courtyard at The Smith Center
The ceremony was held in the courtyard of The Smith Center, which is a naturally stunning location and the perfect size for our wedding. With the addition of white flowers, white draping, and everyone we loved surrounding us it was everything we could have imagined and more.
THE RECEPTION — Troesh Studio Theater at The Smith Center
The theatre was perfect stage for all to showcase their jokes and dance moves. The night started off with a roast before the toast that had everyone laughing at the jabs from Ryan’s close friends. It led into the jokes and our hidden secrets from Ryan’s brother and best man and the maid of honor. Once the dinner was done and the dancing started there was everything from the Montana country dance, to Bruno Mars, to the Sigma Chi sweetheart serenade (that’s a thing…) everyone had a blast. Even Ryan’s 90-year-old grandparents made an appearance on the dance floor.
FAVORITE MEMORY
The best moment of the day was our first look. We had a quick moment to see each other and have a few moments to ourselves in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the day. It was refreshing to get our focus on each other right before the ceremony when there are so many other things going on around you.
LAS VEGAS WEDDING TIPS FROM RYAN AND DANETTE
Hire a wedding co-ordinator or planner. It made our lives so much easier. We used Scheme Events and our co-ordinator Francesca had an answer for everything. We used all of her vendor recommendations and she was only a phone call away anytime we needed something. We only had one mishap with our venue but Francesca was there to keep Bridezilla from making an appearance…kind of. When Bridezilla came out she just giggled and refocused me.
GUESTCOUNT + BUDGET
We had a budget of $35,000 and a guest list of 100.
VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :
PHOTOGRAPHER . Adam Frazier
CEREMONY VENUE . Courtyard at The Smith Center
RECEPTION VENUE . Troesh Studio Theater at The Smith Center
OFFICIANT . Pastor Vance Pitman, Hope Church / DAY OF CO-ORDINATION SERVICES . Scheme Events / FLORAL . Flora Couture / CATERING + CAKE . Culinary Arts Catering / HAIR + MAKEUP . Amelia C. & Co. / RENTALS . RSVP Party Rentals / FAVORS . Welcome Bag Shoppe / ENTERTAINMENT . Harry O. Productions / LIGHTING . The Smith Center
If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting The Peppermill, you will understand why I am so excited to share today’s wedding. And if you haven’t been … what are you waiting for!? It’s a kitschy classic that oozes old school Vegas style. Lots of neon, cozy couches and cheesy details served alongside big cocktails and diner classics. It’s a must go. Especially after you see how awesome a wedding reception there can be!
Lauren and Joe had a day full of amazing moments, from a first look at Cosmopolitan’s Chandelier Bar to cruising the Strip in an oversized Dodge Challenger, and of course, celebrating their wedding with loved ones.
WHY LAS VEGAS?
I first went to Vegas in 2008 with my best friend Charlie. I loved it out there so much. I said back then that if I was ever “stupid enough to get married” I would do it in Vegas…haha! Careful what you wish for. When Joe proposed to me the first thing I said (after yes!) was: Please can we do it in Vegas?
THE CEREMONY — Elvis on the Terrace at Vegas Weddings
it was dark and the fairylights on the gazebo were simply beautiful. It was a fun-filled romantic ceremony … we loved every second. I walked down the aisle to Can’t Help Falling in Love and my mum gave me away. We had 20 guests which was amazing considering my side of the wedding party were from the U.K. and Joe’s family are spread out across the U.S.
THE RECEPTION — The Peppermill
The Peppermill was an amazing place! The food is incredible and the ambiance was just perfect for us. I love the colours and the neon lights. Reminds me of old meets new Vegas. I made contact with Peggy, the owner, and asked if it would be possible for us to have our wedding reception there. She was more than happy to accommodate us and was really helpful. I had a purple colour theme and she even offered to order in purple napkins. I dropped my table decorations and favours in the day before and they laid them out beautifully for us. It was perfect! We opted for the normal menu but they do have set menus, too. As our wedding was quite late it was the best venue, being open 24/7. And there was no deadline or curfew. Three weeks later we had another reception in the U.K. for 70 people.
DIY DETAILS + DECOR
I made all the ladies in my wedding group a bracelet with a purple ribbon and a silver State of Nevada charm as a thank you gift. I also made the save the date note myself and all the wedding invitation inserts. The wedding favours were also DIY’d. I bought poker chips and stuck on some stickers I had made onto them. These were included with a thank you poem. I was trying to keep the costs low and the wedding personal.
FAVORITE MEMORY
There are so many. It was just incredible. Just being able to get married to the man I love, in one of my favourite cities in the world, surrounded by our friends and family was a dream come true. Our wedding had a live feed too so all our friends and family who couldn’t make it could watch. My dad also couldn’t make it out to Vegas for the wedding, but en route to the wedding chapel, Joe and I FaceTimed him in the U.K. He had a mini bottle of Champagne at the ready while he watched online (even though it was 3:30 a.m.)
LAS VEGAS WEDDING TIPS FROM LAUREN AND JOE
Be organized and do your research. Make sure you have an itinerary and that you get confirmations for everything. I didn’t see my actual wedding venue until two days before the wedding, but it was perfect. I spent hours online reading reviews and estimating travel times etc.
VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :
PHOTOGRAPHER . Popography
CEREMONY VENUE . The Terrace at Vegas Weddings
RECEPTION VENUE . The Peppermill
CAKE .Gimme Some Sugar / BRIDAL FASHION . dress – Justin Alexander / MAKEUP . Makeup in the 702 / STATIONERY + PAPER GOODS . Bride and Groom Direct
Submitted via Two Bright Lights
With all of the flowers, cakes and tablescapes, sometimes it is easy to forget that at its heart, a wedding is a union. The magic occurs at the ceremony, where personal vows are exchanged in front of those nearest and dearest, drawn in to witness this amazing life moment.
Kelley and Jesse did not forget this, which is why I’m thrilled to share a little snippet of their wedding day. Such unabashed joy and tender moments, such as their first look and the foot washing. A gorgeous garden surrounded them at Shadow Hills Church, a place that clearly means a lot to them.
