Weddingbee Blog

Let’s be honest, guys. When you hear the phrase “Vegas Wedding,” what immediately pops into mind?

Image via Luster Studios / Photo by Craig Carpenter

Image via DJRider.com / Photo by David Johnsen

Image via The Sun

If you pictured any (or even all) of the above, you are not alone. A lot of people associate Vegas weddings with Elvis officiants, quickie ceremonies, and/or drunken mistakes. So why in the world are Mr. Mole and I getting married there? Is my dream to get married by Elvis in a drive-through chapel at 3:30 AM while sealing our marriage with some Apple Pucker shots? No, not at all! Here are some great reasons why we ultimately decided to get married in Vegas—and why we think that more people should consider getting married there as well.

How cool with this be as a background shot?

First, Las Vegas is a perfect destination for out-of-towners. Mr. Mole and I have lived together—and made friends—in three different states. Our families are located on all sides of the country: eastside, westside, midwestside. So, no matter where we decided to get married, it was going to be a destination for a sizable portion of the guest list. Vegas offers cheap flights, a variety of different hotel options, and millions of things to do. I know that my mom is excited about seeing the lights of the strip; some of our friends are looking forward to taking a side trip to Red Rock Canyon; and I am planning to hit a spa or two. And, honestly, who wants to fly to windy Chicago in the middle of a snowy winter?

Second, Vegas is close enough for us to visit whenever we need to take a planning trip (read: a weekend vacation). It takes us about four hours to drive there from our home in Los Angeles. Although we’ve been able to accomplish most of the wedding planning thus far over the phone or computer, we are glad that we were able to do some things—like seeing our ceremony space or tasting our menu—in person. Luckily, Mr. Mole’s parents live in Henderson part of the year, so they’ve also been able to help us out. We really appreciate them!

Third, Vegas offers up some gorgeous ceremony spaces. You can exchange vows at the top of the Eiffel Tower. You can get married in front of the rotating windows of the Stratosphere. You can even get married in front of a shark tank at Mandalay Bay!

Image via Mandalay Bay / Photo of Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium

We decided to go in a more traditional direction and get married at the Wynn. The Wynn has always been one of our favorite casinos. After doing some internet research, we also found that the Wynn Wedding Salons were our favorite as well. (In fact, this was one of the fastest wedding decisions that we made.) We were impressed by the elegance of the space and the wide variety of packages offered. We also liked the fact that we would have exclusive use of the salon during our ceremony. Our ceremony itself is going to be in the Lavender Salon, the largest of the chapel spaces. It holds up to 120 guests.

Ceremony space

Detail shot of mantelpiece

Fourth, Vegas allows you to be as hands-on or as hands-off with your wedding planning as you would like. You can get married spur of the moment, or you can plan for years. You can do an intimate ceremony and champagne toast, or you can go for a more traditional shindig with a big ballroom reception. The choice is yours! As for us, we are doing a hands-kinda-on approach. We picked a ceremony package, but we are writing our own vows and choosing our own readings. We picked the colors of the flowers, but we told our consultant to arrange them however she sees fit. We picked the “wedding dinner” package for our restaurant reception, but we are adding cones and cones of delicious frites to the passed appetizers. (I can’t wait to post about our restaurant! It’s one of my favorites.)

In all, we are thrilled about our decision. Would you ever decide to get married in Vegas? Why or why not?