Anita and Brian travelled all the way from New Zealand to tie the knot in Las Vegas. Well, the desert anyhow.

They chose a New Years Eve elopement which seems so impossibly romantic. Anita’s gown has just the right level of glitz and glam to match the date and venue, bringing in a chic feel. This is such a personal, private capture of their vow exchange that I feel like I’m spying!

VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :

PHOTOGRAPHER . Taylored Photo Memories
CEREMONY VENUE . Calico Basin at Red Rock Canyon

OFFICIANT . Weddings by Bonnie

Sabrina and Tyler infused their wedding day with fun, flirty and feminine details. Pink ruffles and cream details accented with gilded embellishment completed the classic glam theme. Located not far from Las Vegas, this couple chose their home of Boulder City for the event.

As the reception started, the bride’s brother strummed a guitar and serenaded guests with an Ed Sheeran song they found their seats. Pink roses, candelabras, chocolates and golden votives decorated the tables covered with cream linens underneath chandeliers and rows of bistro lights. Before dinner began a fun contest: Tables were called onto the dance floor to show off like crazy and receive approval from the newlyweds before moving onto the meal. Awesome, right? Scroll on for more details from this beautiful event.

When she shared these photos, Kristen, their photographer wrote this about the couple:

When I asked Sabrina how she would describe her love, she said, “The phrase that comes to mind is, ‘It was always you.’ He is the love of my life. I’ve never loved anyone else.” Sabrina and Tyler are just beautiful, not only photogenic, but their personalities and love for each other shine so bright.

VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :

PHOTOGRAPHER . KMH Photography
CEREMONY VENUE . Wilbur Square Park in Boulder City, NV
RECEPTION VENUE . Boulder Creek Golf Club

OFFICIANT . Judge Miller / FLORAL .Naakiti Floral Design Inc. / RENTALS . Sit on This / CAKE . She She Sweets / HAIR + MAKEUP . Torrey Moyes / ENTERTAINMENT . DJ Richard Steele / PHOTO BOOTH . Elegant Entertainment

One of the biggest advantages to a Vegas wedding has to be the flexibility in terms of timing. Extra important due to the heat from May through September. An afternoon wedding too hot with too flat of light? Try a night ceremony. Or, better yet: a fun breakfast ceremony.

Jake and Elena went just that route, hosting an incredible early morning ceremony at the Neon Museum right in the Boneyard, complete with mimosas and a doughnut bar. Later they moved everyone over to Mundo (then located at World Market Center) for a lunch reception. Read on for all the details from this couple.

WHY LAS VEGAS?

After searching for venues in Texas without much luck I remembered coming across a Thrillist article about the Neon Museum. In all our trips to Vegas we never made it there for sightseeing, though. I thought I’d inquire to see if they did weddings and much to my delight they did and at a reasonable price!

THE CEREMONY — Boneyard at The Neon Museum

It was so great! We were crazy enough to decide to get married in Vegas in August and I was determined to have an outdoor wedding so I knew we had to do it early in the day so as not to give our guests heat stroke. With a morning ceremony the feel was more informal yet still nice, which I loved as we weren’t looking to have a traditional wedding that our guests have been to many times over. We wanted something memorable and fun and it was that and then some.

THE RECEPTION — Mundo

We were transported by private bus from the Neon Museum to Mundo for our reception. It was more of a lunch reception. The majority of the guestlist live in Texas, a state heavily influenced by Mexican culture, so we knew our friends and family would enjoy a lunch with some Latin flair. Mundo did not disappoint both with its excellent cuisine and its fun and funky atmosphere! Instead of a traditional wedding cake we served wedding CHURROS! How fun is that?!

DIY DETAILS + DECOR

We chose to go with a color palette that reflected the colors of the desert. Nude, terracotta, cactus or sage green, lilac/lavender, light pink/blush, mustard and pale yellow were all incorporated. I didn’t want anything too dramatic or bold since we were getting married in the morning, so we went with soft and muted. The girls picked their own dresses in shades of pink and the boys were in matching lavender shirts with deep purple ties: the color of my husband’s collegeM Texas Christian University, with khaki slacks. I carried a simple bouquet of white tulips while the girls carried bouquets in shades of dusty pink, ivory and mustard yellow.

FAVORITE MEMORY

I loved everything about our wedding day. From primping with my gals over Champagne and breakfast in our room at the Aria pre-ceremony, to the fun and colorful atmosphere of our morning ceremony at the Neon Museum. Then the delicious food and cocktails and fun photo ops with the teal wingback and birdcage chairs at Mundo to the after party at the pool at Aria that afternoon. If I had to pick a specific element though it would have to be the doughnut and mimosa bar we served during our ceremony at the Neon Museum. We are known to be the Among our friends and family we are known to be doughnut and Champagne lovers so it was our way of putting our “stamp” and a personal touch that played out perfectly with our morning ceremony. Since we incorporated the breakfast element at the ceremony we decided to go with serving lunch at our reception.

LAS VEGAS WEDDING TIPS FROM JAKE AND ELENA

If our budget allowed I would’ve hired a wedding planner to help me with details. That’s something I would highly recommend especially for brides trying to plan from another city. It would’ve alleviated so much stress since I wasn’t very familiar with the wedding scene in Las Vegas. I would also hire private transportation to take you around town if your ceremony and reception are not at the hotel you and your guests are staying at and especially if the ceremony and reception are at different locations as were ours.

VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :

PHOTOGRAPHER . Brilliant Imagery
CEREMONY VENUE . Boneyard at The Neon Museum
RECEPTION VENUE . Mundo Restaurant

CEREMONY CATERING . Events with a Twist

Jill and Nick were married at Vegas’ off-Strip rustic beauty: Legends Ranch. This all-inclusive location is a beautiful option for a one-stop-shop outdoor wedding for combined ceremonies and receptions. Jill and Nick made the venue their own, adding Vegasy touches such as huge monogram marquee letters which not only make great photo opportunities but keep things modern and personal.

Choosing sunset for their ceremony made for cooler, happier guests but also incredible lighting in the photos, as evidenced in this post. Read for more about this wedding from their photographers at the Amberlight Collective!

More from Amberlight Collective, their photographer: 
One of my all time favorite venues, Jill and Nick chose to have their wedding at Legends Ranch. Why is it my favorite? I love it because it has a small town feel, is all-inclusive, and is only minutes from the Strip. Love, love LOVE IT!

In addition to the completely incredible rustic theme, the property itself has SO many opportunities to customize the space for your big day. Jill and Nick chose to bring along several small signs with sayings on them to make the space feel like their own. Their monogram letters turned out to be the total centerpiece of the reception.

They held their ceremony under towering trees in the lowered courtyard just outside the main lodge. Holding their ceremony at sunset was great timing as the Vegas heat dissipated and the sun created golden light all around. Jill’s uncle officiated, which made the ceremony that much more special for the couple and their family and friends.

My favorite part about the whole ceremony was right after the couple was pronounced and walked down the aisle for the first time as husband and wife. Their eldest daughter was overcome with emotion and couldn’t stop hugging her dad. It was the best, and so precious.

After the sun set, the real party began. There was a dance floor surrounded by retired stables, and the head table was placed on a risen stage surrounded by vintage decor, and of course, those amazing giant marquee letters. So. Much. Fun.

The entire reception, every single guest was laughing and having a great time, including in the photo booth.The night culminated in a dramatic sparkler exit near the stables, and I have a feeling that once I packed up my gear for the evening to go home, Jill and Nick’s party was just getting started. I loved every moment with this couple and their beautiful family, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!

VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :

PHOTOGRAPHER . The Amberlight Collective
CEREMONY + RECEPTION VENUE . Legends Ranch

CATERING .Masterpiece Cuisine / HAIR + MAKEUP . Makeup in the 702 / ENTERTAINMENT . Elegant Entertainment

When choosing a location for their destination wedding, New Yorkers Melissa and Daniel were drawn to the desert. They checked out the Valley of Fire on a scouting trip and instantly knew it was the place for them.

Guests were transported into a whimsical desert scene for the ceremony. Cactus and Lace Weddings co-ordinated everything, combining the soft tones of the desert with fresh florals and succulents alongside blush and gold details that ruffled in the wind. Antique books and china completed the vintage feel. After the touching vow exchange was a dessert reception and toasts with a beautifully dressed sweetheart table. A hand-carved vintage door was set up behind the table as a backdrop and as a reminder that doors symbolize hope, a new beginning, and will always stay open for loved ones.

Combining their ceremony with a private restaurant reception at Tableau at Wynn Las Vegas turned out to be the perfect combination for these two. But as an In-n-Out fan, I love that this couple made time for a pit stop for some burgers, too!

WHY LAS VEGAS?

My husband, then fiancé Daniel, came up with the idea to have a desert wedding. We figured Las Vegas had a lot of activities and attractions and would be the most fun for our guests. We had also been to Vegas three times together in the past. We found Cactus and Lace and instantly fell in love with the Nevada desert and the ladies at Cactus and Lace were the sweetest.

THE CEREMONY — Valley of Fire

Since we are from NYC, we Skyped/emailed with Rachel and Lory many times. They setup everything at the ceremony based on my Pinterest board of wedding ideas. The ceremony was beautiful beyond what I imagined it to be. Having the Valley of Fire as the backdrop, chairs for our guests were set up and flower petals were scattered down the aisle. We had a string quartet play during the reception and then we did a first dance to the Phantom of the Opera’s “All I Ask of You.”

THE RECEPTION — Tableau at Wynn Las Vegas

Our reception was held at the restaurant Tableau within the Wynn hotel. We love the whimsical decor of the Wynn and the food was outstanding.

DETAILS + DECOR

My color palette for the ceremony was blush and white with touches of gold. There were also vintage books, Lace, and mirrored decor layered in. This look is similar to how our home is decorated so it matched us well. Cactus and Lace supplied all the decor. It was such a beautiful setup.

FAVORITE MEMORY

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2016 so just a few months before my wedding. The week before my wedding was her final round of chemo. The wedding was also a celebration for her finishing chemo and a strong and healthy future ahead. Daniel and I did not give out wedding favors and instead made a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

LAS VEGAS WEDDING TIPS FROM MELISSA + DANIEL

I was stress free through the entire process thanks to Cactus and Lace. The only advice I would give to couples is enjoy the day to the fullest and try to take it all in while it’s happening. It felt so surreal and the day flies by. Having a great photographer to capture all the moments is important.

VENDOR + VENUE DETAILS :

PHOTOGRAPHER . Cactus and Lace Weddings
CEREMONY VENUE . Valley of Fire
RECEPTION VENUE . Tableau at Wynn Las Vegas

WEDDING PLANNER . Cactus and Lace Weddings / FLORAL . The Front Porch Flowers and Gifts / CAKE . Peridot Sweets / BRIDAL FASHION . dress – Karen Willis Holmes / HAIR + MAKEUP . Ruby Finch Salon / BRIDESMAIDS . BHLDN / GROOMSWEAR . Macy’s Bar III / RENTALS + DECOR . Cactus and Lace Weddings / VIDEOGRAPHY . Lighten Films