Weddingbee Blog

Before we started planning a wedding, Mr. G and I needed to have a serious discussion about where we’d like to move to after we’re done with Japan in September. We wrote out a pros (”jobbertunities”) and cons list for each country and talked about all the points. I thought once we’d done this a decision would become clear, but I was just as undecided as ever! I knew I could be happy in either country, but we had to think of things in the long run, which is usually my favorite thing to do. But so many things depend on other things: the economy, health care plans, etc. How can we determine how the economy will be for the rest of the year?

It was a very difficult decision, but Mr. G said he was leaning towards the United States. I asked him to please think about it because it’s a very big decision on his part. We left it at that and maybe and said we’d discuss it more later.

Since we had a better grasp on things, we could start thinking about wedding plans a little more seriously. So exciting!

I really liked the idea of having a Vegas wedding because people get married in Vegas all the time, so the venues out there really know how to make things as easy and stress-free as possible. Planning from all the way over here would be major stress, so the best thing to do is basically pay and show up. And where better to do that than in Vegas! The only real decision was where to hold it, and since we wouldn’t be putting a lot into the decor, we should pick somewhere that we already liked the look of.

I had been researching a couple of hotel wedding packages, like Caesar’s Palace and Bellagio, but what I was really taken with was the Valley of the Falls at Mandalay Bay. At $3,000 for the basic package, it is a steal by most standards, but it was still too rich for our blood. Lucky for us, my mom said she’d help us out! Look how pretty!

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I hadn’t been in touch with Caesar’s Palace, but looking at their website, they offer basic packages for $1,600 for their chapel and $1,800 for the garden on weekends.

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For the reception, I was looking at a buffet reception at one of the hotels that provides a semi-private or private room. I hadn’t really found anything yet, but I was also looking at another popular option for Vegas brides: getting a suite for the night and picking up some catered dinner and cake. It would have been really intimate, and we could have controlled what goes on at the party—board games, dancing, drinking, etc. Either option can get pricey, but it’s all about priorities!

The best resource I’ve found for Vegas weddings is here. Mr. G’s parents have some reservations about doing a Vegas wedding, but I really believe it can be a classy and beautiful event if it’s executed in the right way. It would also be easiest for people from England, since everything is walkable and it’s a very tourist- friendly town. Mr. G’s dad expressed interest in seeing the Grand Canyon, which sounded like an opportunity for some family bonding time.

So we had a lot of options, and we needed to decide what would fit us (and our budget) the best.

Have you considered a destination wedding? What would your dream destination be?