I have used this board a lot when planning my October 2018 wedding. I found reviews really helpful even though there has been a serious lack of posting over the last few months.
In September we did a preview trip to Vegas to tour some venues and do our engagment photos. I thought I would post my thoughts on the venues we toured and the vendors we used to hopefully get some discussion going!
Wedding Planner - With Love by Tara Marie
I contacted Tara in the fall and she was great and responsive. She has always been right on top of responding to any emails. I had some concerns that our styles wouldn't mesh - her portfolio is filled with beautiful garden weddings and I want a crazy party Vegas wedding. We met her via video chat and decided to hire her on a limited retainer meaning, she would suggest vendors, provide advice and do day of coordination. So far she has gone way above and beyond our expectations. She did tour a venue with us in September and the questions she asked were great. We keep her copied on our emails with vendors and she never hesitates to jump in with suggestions. When we face problems she provides great solutions. She was able to suggest venues that accommodate our style. I would highly recommend Tara on a limited or full basis - I can't say enough good things about her.
Engagement Photos - Gin & Sake
People have raved about Brandon from Gin & Sake on here and I would echo every good thing that has been said about him. He was a pleasure to work with, reasonably priced, flexible and the photos turned out so so great. Again, he had suggested some ranch/garden type places for photos but we wanted something more Vegas. He was able to provide further suggestions and, when one location was unavailable, he came up with something else on the day. We will be using him for the wedding for sure. Can't say enough good things!
HMU - Mariah Mirabel
Mariah was a suggestion from Tara. Her rate was a lot lower than the companies and people usually suggested on this board. She was a little tough to communicate with at first and we had to juggle the times a bit but I was happy with the result.
Venue: these are the ones we toured, I'll give you my impressions from the tours but these are, of course, not reviews of an actual wedding day
1. Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay
The Foundation Room had a cool vibe. The enterance looks awesome and you can really imagine your guests approaching and being impressed by that venue. They have a few different rooms and then an outdoor space for cocktail hour. My Fiancé probably liked this place the most but it was too small for our needs. We couldn't do a seated dinner and there would be no minors after 10pm.
2. Platinum Hotel
I liked the price of Platinum and the packages they offer - it makes it kind of a no brainer. They have a roof top space and a pool,side space. They were easy to communicate with. There is a fee to bring outside vendors which is kind of annoying . What I did not like is that the hotel itself feels like any hotel anywhere in the world. Walking into the lobby has no Vegas feel. If I wanted the easy choice I would have gone here. But it wasn't as 'special' as I wanted.
3. The Palms
Ugh. Even writing this review makes me sad. We REALLY REALLY wanted to have our wedding here. We had seen pictures of the Ghostbar online and fell in love. I thought it was perfect for the party atmosphere I was going for. Right off the hop I found communication with them hard. There was lots of different information. No one could confirm if there was a venue fee for the ceremony in addition to the reception. Some of the brochures said it was included. I actually handed over communication to my husband because I was so frustrated. When we got there in September we notice there is basically like a pile of furniture outside of the hotel - they are renovating. They have new owners who are putting money into the hotel which is great. We tour potential venues including Ghostbar and some of the suites and fall further in love. I'm thinking the hotel will be redone by October, it will be all new and shiney and I'm ready to commit to the venue of my dreams. As soon as we get back to Canada we email them and confirm our start and end times and request a contract. When the contract comes back they note that the wedding has to end by 9pm when we had previously been quoted a rate for the whole night. I know that it might seem like a small detail but the difficulty with communication and going back on what they had previously quoted us was a deal breaker. I am frustrated and disappointed. I tried really hard to give The Palms my money! But, for now, I wouldn't recommend it.
4. The Red Rock
The resort at Red Rock is so beautiful. It's about a $25 Uber from the Strip. The entrance is gorgeous and the pool area looks amazing. We toured the Strip Suite and the 180 Suite but we ended up booking Crimson. This used to be a nightclub but it is now used exclusively for events. It has a pool area for the ceremony as well as space for a dance floor and seated dinner indoors. Lydia from Red Rock is a dream to work with. She has great ideas and is very responsive. The resort is a bit different being off the Strip but we plan to offer a bus to get people there and back. After the disappointment of the Palms I know this is the right choice.
So that's where we are so far! We will be proceeding with Red Rock and I'll keep you updated through this process. If you have any questions about the venues we toured or vendors we used be sure to ask and I'll be happy to answer if I can!
