Tell me about Vegas weddings

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I am headed to Vegas for Mem. Day weekend to scout out wedding venues. Today I started looking online and am just overwhelmed by the sheer number and variety of options. I don't know where to start. Blues Brothers theme, Harley drive-thru, Vally of Fire by helicopter....where does it end? Some of these look a little cheesy and some look far out. Who's done this or knows about it. Where the hell do I start? I'm guessing if I invite 100 people, 50 might show, since it's pretty far for everyone.

Joeaksa · 03-27-2007, 06:00 PM

Sooooo, its starting to look better and better huh?

You need to talk to Jordi and Tabs, as well as anyone who has gotten married. I do know that they have just shortened the opening hours of the license office. It used to be 24/7 (I believe) but now its been shortened.

Let us know!!! Hope I am not working and in town!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

We'll probably grab the license when we're there in May, but the wedding won't be until the fall. How many Pelicans can we get there?

Joeaksa · 03-27-2007, 06:15 PM

More time you give us with a date, the more Pelicans that will attend.

Hmmm, maybe its time for a Las Vegas Pelican meeting in conjunction with this blessed occasion??? !!!

Joe

PS Do not forget the BMW rental!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I will rent a 1200GS for one of these trips, but not sure which yet. If we can get the wedding stuff nailed down in the first day or two when we're there from 5/24-5/28, I'll rent a bike a ride out to Zion for a day with the fiance.

pwd72s · 03-27-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
We'll probably grab the license when we're there in May, but the wedding won't be until the fall. How many Pelicans can we get there?

As you're grabbing the license you might ask about a simple courthouse ceremony. That's what Cindy & I did in Reno, back in '75...the "chapel" scene just seemed so hokey to us...

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Yeah, the chapel thing looks a little hokey to me too. I'm headed to NJ to talk it over with the folks this weekend. My fiance is more than happy to go to the courthouse and then hit a bar afterwards. Did I mention she's low-maint.? I just hate the whole planning thing and hate being the center of attention.

pwd72s · 03-27-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Yeah, the chapel thing looks a little hokey to me too. I'm headed to NJ to talk it over with the folks this weekend. My fiance is more than happy to go to the courthouse and then hit a bar afterwards. Did I mention she's low-maint.? But if the folks want to pay for a big deal, I might let them. I just hate the whole planning thing and hate being the center of attention.

You & me both, hate ceremony...Cindy & I "eloped", in a way. Just took a long weekend, drove to Reno in a 1972 911S.

When at the courthouse getting the license, we realized we could get married right then & there...so we did it...both wearing jeans & sweatshirts. Went back to our room, put on the glad rags, partied the night away...watch the booze tho...everywhere you go, you'll be offered a drink on the house. Whatever you decide on the ceremony...my best wishes for you both.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I mentioned Margarita and I married in Vegas. We did 2 scouting trips. We checked out every major hotel on the strip. Most of the hotel chapels were nothing more than a wing or a few rooms of the Hotel, redone as a chapel. And most of the Hotels wanted you to use thier event and hospitality service. After checking everything out, only 2 appealed to us. Getting married in St. Marks square at the Venetian and Mandalay Bay's Chapel next to the beach.

At St Mark square (2nd Floor of the Venetian, far end) is a large open area. There are some very wide stairs over the canal. Usually they set you up there. It's cheap, some nominal fee (like $200).

We opted for the Chapel at Mandalay bay. It was more like a "regular" church wedding, and not at all cheesy. We chose these places based on how they "reflected" in my bride-to-be's eyes. She melted at the look of the chapel and the surrounding area. There are a few different levels. We opted for the "middle" one where we did not stay at Mandalay bay. It did include a photographer, and they had the proofs ready by the next day.

After checking out most of the hotels, we started looking at resturants in the Hotels to hold the reception. Most of these have back rooms for receptions. I can't remember the name of the resturant, Aqua-something, on the 1st floor of the Venetian. The manager showed us what she could do, then looked at us and said, nope. You need to go upstairs to Caneletto. She was right.

Caneletto has an "upstairs". It over looks St. Marks in the Venetian.

We did have to arrange for a few things. The wedding cake had to be delivered.

We did arrange for several limos to get us from Mandalay Bay to the Venetian. And we forgot to have music...

Total cost for Wedding, Hotel Rooms (we payed for several), reception for 50, limos, etc, was around $8K. We had an afternoon reception, not a sit down dinner. And I think most of our guests liked that fact that after the wedding, they were in Vegas!

And more than a few Pelicans attended!

Hawktel · 03-27-2007, 07:48 PM

I got married in Vegas Nov 25th last year.

We got married at the little chapel of love. We didn't want something big, just cheap. It was her second, my first. We invited everyone we knew, not expecting anyone to come. My wife had a "Big Wedding" the first time, and her parents bowed out of this one, and we didn't want to go into debt, or use savings for a wedding now.

Turns out almost all my family and a bunch of friends came.

The place was okay. Our package included them picking us up at the hotel in a limo, and driving us to the place, and driving us back. It took prolly 1 hour total, with the cerimony taking perhaps 10 minutes. We had a little older lady playing some wedding chapel music for us. My father walked Cassie down the isle.

You have to go to LV courthouse to get your wedding license. I think that was 50 bucks. When your there there is about 5-10 guys out on the steps all hoping to get your business. SOme of them had a limo right there to take you to go get it done.

After that we went to a buffet ( not my choice some of the family who hadn't been to vegas wanted to go) and we all had a meal together. They were every nice and set us up in a unused room. It was actually very nice.

I think my expences on it worked out to..(I could be off on a few of these, it was a long weekend)

50 for the liciense
300 for the service
90 for photos
10 buck tip for the Driver
40 buck tip for the minister
10 bucks for the Little ole lady running the organ.

Things I didn't like....
The place suprized us when we got there, but pulling out a clause that only they could take pictures in the chapel. I had been planning on my father, and 4 sisters, and 1 brother, and all their familys just taking enough pictures for us.

So they charged me 90 bucks to have the place's phtographer to come in and snap 12 frames. (that we got the film and had to develope).

The minister, We told her we are non religious so we'd be happy with a godless cerimony ( she asked) She then tossed in a complete wiccan, new age, earth mother, hug the tree's spin on it, and the one line that caught my attention was the "worship at the feet of your wifes fertility" or something like that. WTF? Good thing I'd tipped her before the service had started.

Overall it worked out okay. We just wanted to have a cheapo wedding, and this fit the bill. For 500 bucks what can you expect? If I knewit would work out this way in October of last year, I'd have gone ahead as we did.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Red-beard, yours looks just about right IF my folks want to pay for it

. Will definitely have to scout those places out in May.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Of the $8K, I think $800 was for the wedding dress, and maid of honor. Nearly $2K was for rooms I paid for others. $1K for the chapel (includes 1 limo). Reception was around $2800 plus a 20% tip. Technically, the reception was open bar, (if someone wanted a drink, it was covered), but we had waiters walking around with very nice Champagne. Oh, I'm also including the cost of our wedding favors, bottles of wine from our favorite vineyard, about $800. Cake I think was $200-300.

So, even something like ours, could have been done for less. The $8K covered _everything_!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

So I'd probably be on the hook for $5k for a similar wedding and that's pretty doable. How long in advance did you have to line everything up?

Tim Hancock · 03-28-2007, 06:59 AM

I thought the whole getting married in Vegas was for spur of the moment eloping types. If you are have 50 or so guests, why not just get married at home?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Where's home? Half my guests would have to travel to get to Virginia and several of them will be coming from China and Europe. NJ, where my folks and grandmother live, is no cheaper and I can't stand the place anymore. AND it would make my mom want to invite all sorts of people I either barely know or have never even heard of. I think Vegas is a way to weed out the folks who don't really, really want to come and I love it there, to boot.

Tim Hancock · 03-28-2007, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Where's home? Half my guests would have to travel to get to Virginia and several of them will be coming from China and Europe. NJ, where my folks and grandmother live, is no cheaper and I can't stand the place anymore. AND it would make my mom want to invite all sorts of people I either barely know or have never even heard of. I think Vegas is a way to weed out the folks who don't really, really want to come and I love it there, to boot.

Ok, now I get it.

jriera · 03-28-2007, 08:35 AM

Richard, back in town ...

Ping me and let me know more details, I can do some scouting for you.

scottmandue · 03-28-2007, 08:44 AM

Congratulations, I know nothing but:

scottmandue · 03-28-2007, 09:06 AM

It's your wedding so do what you want but is a LV wedding really "cheap" anymore? I know rooms/food/entertainment aren't cheap by my meager standards. Be aware that I was a Vegas rat back in the 80's when a room was $20, a buffet was $5, and a show was $15.

Getting married at Zion would be way cool.

Can you get married on a boat out on the lake?

Just my two cents.

Mike Andrew · 03-28-2007, 09:23 AM

If you want real simple and real Vegas tacky you can do a drive through and throw a party elsewhere. I rented a Boxter, dropped the lid and drove under the canopy while a preacher(probably Universal Life) leaned out the window and mumbled some words. Very McDonalds like but was done in 10 minutes. Had a great laugh about it and it makes a great story. For a few extra bucks, they will even take some pictures.