If you haven’t realized it by now, one of the biggest reasons to have a destination Vegas wedding is the excuse to have a weekend (or week) long party! Allison and Robin did just that, traveling from Boston for their wedding with guests joining them from all over the US. Their wedding weekend included stops at the cabanas of Planet Hollywood’s pool, a welcome party in a PH Boulevard Suite and double decker bus ride up and down The Strip. Of course there was also the wedding itself, and then not only one but two afterparties!
I’ve included a few of Allison’s candid photos of the weekend sprinkled in between the pro photos by Neon Sun Photography to give you a little peek into what kind of craziness a Vegas weekend wedding holds.
WHY LAS VEGAS?
Robin and I love to travel, and our friends are always asking us “where are you going next?” We are also creatures of habit. Vegas is a place we return to on an almost an annual basis. In March 2013 we were on a trip with friends for March Madness (we are huge Syracuse University fans!) and Robin proposed at the end of that trip at the top of the “Eiffel Tower.”
We wanted our wedding to be anything but ordinary, different from the typical ballroom event, and most importantly, one big party. We also wanted to keep it intimate. Our love of travel left us wanting a destination wedding, and we thought Vegas would be a perfect fit. Our main goal was to provide our guests with an amazing weekend, to say thank you for making the trip.
CEREMONY – The Chapel at Planet Hollywood
We picked Planet Hollywood primarily for it’s close proximity to the Paris (I wasn’t a fan of the Paris chapel) and the fact that rooms were affordable. The hotel also has a very fun vibe to it and an amazing center strip location. Of all of the indoor chapels (we had to go indoor, was afraid of wind and heat) it’s the prettiest. The Chihuly glass sculpture is beautiful. I also hoped that we might get Britney Spears to make a cameo at the wedding. I actually sent her an invitation! I was sad to find out that her show was dark the week of the wedding. Didn’t think she’d really come anyway :)
The ceremony was short and sweet, just how we wanted it to be. Robin and I wrote our own vows, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Robin’s vows were especially emotional, more so than mine! I wasn’t really expecting that and neither were our guests, hence the crying.
RECEPTION – Mon Ami Gabi
We rented Café Halle at Mon Ami Gabi for our dinner. Mon Ami Gabi is one of my favorite places to eat in Vegas, we eat there almost every time we visit (see, creatures of habit!). The view was spectacular. I felt like we were in a café on the Champs Elysee.
Our guests feasted on escargot, baked brie, salad, filet mignon, roasted chicken, salmon, and of course cr̬me brulee and chocolate mousse. The service was impeccable. Towards the end of the meal we checked in on how we were doing with the room minimum. We still had about $500 to spend so I ran around the room telling everyone to drink up Рthe staff brought out bottles of champagne. It was quite funny.
After dinner, Robin and I did a strip photo tour and we met our guests at Harrah’s Piano Bar. We had a reserved section and two hours of open bar for our guests. My MOHs (there were three) had gotten there early to make sure everything was set up. They ended up moving the tables off to the sides so we had our own private dance floor in the middle of the place. The duelling pianos were a hit, playing lots of 80s and 90s hits (our favorite) and we danced the night away.
VEGAS WEDDINGÂ MEMORIES
Our original photographer cancelled six days before the wedding, so we had to find a replacement quickly! Also, the double decker bus had a bus break down and we had to make some last minute adjustments on the welcome party night. Finally, seven people, including Robin, came down with a stomach virus on the wedding day and afterwards. My husband was a champion. Despite being sick he made it through our Strip photo tour and most of the after party.
Robin and I made a thank you toast to our guests at dinner. Looking around the room and seeing the faces of my best friends and family, who all made the trip to Vegas to celebrate us, was incredible. I felt like the luckiest person on the planet.
OTHER WEDDING EVENTS
I think it’s also worth mentioning the night before the wedding events – the happy hour we hosted in the Boulevard Suite and the Double Decker Bus. The suite was AMAZING. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Bellagio Fountains. Plenty of comfy seating and room for 48 people to mingle, and there was a ping pong table! We also played the shoe game, my sister set it up. It was very cute.
The double decker bus was a ton of fun. We packed up coolers with beer, boxed wine and boxed scotch! (No glass was allowed on board). We had a playlist going with Vegas-themed music and we danced on board. It was a great way to see the Strip, open air, cruising through all of the neon lights.
VEGAS WEDDING TIPS FROM ROBIN +Â ALLISONÂ
Vegas is an expensive city and things add up! At first I thought having a wedding in Vegas would be less expensive. It wasn’t. We had to prioritize what we really wanted. Sure a cake would have been fun, but was it necessary to spend another $500 when we had dessert provided by the restaurant? Nope.
ROBIN + ALLISON’S GUESTCOUNT
We had 48 guests join us, flying into Las Vegas from Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Nashville and Raleigh.
VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :
PHOTOGRAPHER . Neon Sun Photography
CEREMONY VENUE . The Chapel at Planet Hollywood
RECEPTION VENUE . Mon Ami Gabi
FLORAL . Planet Hollywood / BRIDAL FASHION . dress – David’s Bridal, jewelry  and accessories – Glam House, Etsy / HAIR + MAKEUP . Beauty by Brianna / STATIONERY + PAPER GOODS . Sataya House / WELCOME PARTY . PH Boulevard Suite party and double decker bus / AFTERPARTY . Harrah’s Piano Bar