Justine and Chase are from Canada and traveled to Las Vegas on their five year anniversary of being together to celebrate their union with marriage. Everything was done in-house at Mandalay Bay – the wedding ceremony was at in the hotel’s modern Platinum chapel, the dinner reception was at Wolfgang Puck’s Italian restaurant Lupo and then a cocktail and cake party was held back in a hospitality suite high up on the 60th floor of Mandalay Bay.
Justine said the following about her wedding when I asked her “Why Vegas?”
We wanted to do a destination wedding, and loved that Vegas allowed our guests flexibility in planning their trip (i.e., they didn’t have to commit months in advance to a week at an all-inclusive and could tailor the trip to fit their budget) and did not require me to walk awkwardly down the aisle in dirt on a beach somewhere uncomfortably hot. It also gave us a lot of options for venues to throw a fun, classy & memorable party. The ‘package’ concept offered at most Vegas chapels is wonderfully stress-free and perfect for couples like us who wanted to celebrate our wedding with our friends and family, but weren’t interested in dealing with all of the minute details involved in planning a wedding.
Many of the touches and details were personalized by the bride and groom or completely do-it-yourself: the photography, and the bride’s hair and makeup for example. I love the details at the afterparty, featuring Retro Bakery cupcakes, the deliciously famous TKOs from Bouchon Bakery and even a popcorn machine rental.
The hospitality suite at Mandalay Bay can hold up to 40 people, and includes a bar, seating area and dining tables, but is not designed to be slept or showered in – it’s a true party suite! They designed the post-dinner dessert reception to have a “house-party” vibe, and provided nametags for the guests to get to know each other while they snacked on the cupcakes and popcorn, signed the guestbook or sipped cocktails served by one of the groomsmen. Dancing and speeches went on and it looks like they got the classy vibe they were looking for.
Justine closes with her top tip for couples getting married in Las Vegas:
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Be creative and don’t be too concerned about ‘tradition’; the whole point of going to Vegas for a wedding is to have a non-traditional and fun experience!
 Wedding Gallery:
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Wedding Venue: Platinum Chapel at Mandalay Bay / Reception Venue: Lupo at Mandalay Bay / Afterparty Venue: Hospitality Suite at Mandalay Bay / Photographer: Family and Friends / Makeup + Hair: Justine, the bride / Â Cake: Cupcakes from Retro Bakery, Thomas Keller Oreos from Bouchon Bakery at Venetian / Rentals: Popcorn machine, dessert stands, linens, decor, glassware from RSVP Party Rentals / Dress Steaming: Debi at Fit for a Bride