Out in the middle of the dry Nevada desert comes an oasis sprawling with palm-lined streets that flash neon at all hours of the day. You guessed it… Vegas baby!! Unfortunately the celebrities do ruin the appeal a little with their own Vegas quickie weddings, but it truly is an amazing place for a destination wedding. No surf, but plenty of sand and eye popping sites await you and your guests in the entertainment capital of the world.

Destination weddings: it’s all about location

There are plenty of places to throw your Las Vegas wedding while in Sin City. You have a multitude of hotels and wedding chapels at your disposal, not to mention public areas such as parks. I’m sure you could even get a permit to wed in front of the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. The famous Little White Wedding Chapel offers packages that let you get married by Elvis (well, an impersonator) and even have a “Drive-thru” special starting at $40! After you say your “I do’s”, hop in your limo and cruise the sunset strip before partying it up at your reception. Just remember to keep some cash ready for the vendors. After making all your payments and leaving tips, it’s up to you and lady luck!

I know the thought of a destination wedding is appealing, but keep in mind you may not be able to have all the guests there that you want. Travel is expensive and not everyone invited will be able to attend, especially with our current economic situation. If you can afford a destination Vegas wedding then go for it, but if not there are plenty of ways to bring Las Vegas to your neck of the woods!

Bring Vegas to you

Start by deciding on your theme…is it Vegas, is it Elvis, or is it going to be more of a casino theme? All are great ideas and will be totally fun to plan. My suggestion is to combine the whole lot (unless you have a strong aversion to the King!). Look to your local vendors for help. Find a picture of what you’re looking for and use it as inspiration in your planning. Most high schools have a “casino night” that they use to raise money, check with them to see where they get their props. I’m sure they can give a rental supply company to use. You don’t have to go all out with roulette or black jack tables, you just want to give the illusion of Vegas. You aren’t legally licensed to provide gambling, so why bother with the elaborate table set ups?

Theme specialty venders

You might be able to find a baker who can make a cool cake with Elvis’s face or a cake with fondant poker chips and cards on it. Black, white, and red are all good choices for color themes. I like mixing contemporary with a little Retro feel, like black linens and red polka dots! Use old records as as chargers for your place settings or to set your centerpieces on. There are plenty of neat decorations you can use from secondhand stores. Look for old pins and buttons you can use to decorate tables with. Even pull the pink flamingos from the yard and use them as decorations! Keep it simple and whimsical, it will be more endearing and heart-felt.

Be creative with your décor

Look online for nostalgia pieces, like old movie posters, adds, or life-sized cut out of Vegas stars. Use the cut outs as props and set up a red carpet section where your guests can get their photos taken with the stars! It sounds a little corny, but I guarantee as soon as one person does it everyone else will! You will create great gifts your guests can enjoy that evening and in the future. Don’t underestimate bulk online candy stores. Some of them offer great deals on candy of yester-year! One site offered mini slot machines that dispensed gum balls, while another idea was personalized card decks with the name of the bride and groom and wedding date. Another option I’ve seen done before was using chocolate coins. You can usually get them in bulk and can be used not only as gifts, but décor on your tables.

Music and Entertainment

For entertainment try using a band instead of a DJ. Going with live music can be more costly, but if it is a Vegas theme, then I couldn’t imagine a better way to go. As you audition each band, have sheet music available for songs you want to hear. You don’t want your first dance to be ruined by an off -key singer. Make sure you hear them first! They won’t be the genuine “Rat Pack”, but they should be familiar with the tunes and the artists. Just because going to Vegas isn’t an option for your wedding, it doesn’t mean you can’t bring it home for you and your guests to enjoy. Your groom can take a tip from Frank, and “Luck be a lady tonight”! Have fun and let me know how your wedding day turns out.

Images from instyle.com, beau-coup.com, paper-source.com, brianphillipsblog.com, norasweddingblog.com, australiaentertains.com.au, bridgettesdetroitwedding.com, theweddingwizards.com, eastcoastmark, mandalaybay.com, todaysbride, and alldolldup

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 9:32 am and is filed under Trends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.