Mandarin Oriental ...just started planning

Naiia

Hello everyone,

My FI and I just got engaged on April 19, 2012 but we have already started thinking about where we want to get married and when.  We have decided on Las Vegas and I really like the Mandarin Oriental.  I just wanted to know if anyone else has use the MO and if they had a good or bad experience.  I have also looked into the Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Mirage and Mandalay Bay.  I personally don't care about going the traditional route but my fiance wants to have a ceremony and reception with dinner, first dance, cutting the cake etc.  We are looking to have about 50 people. 

Please just let me know if you have any suggestions or reviews on the places I listed. We are looking to get married next August.

Thanks!

petitmonstree

I've actually never heard of the Mandarin Oriental before. The venue looks gorgeous online though!! I kind of wish I heard about this place a little earlier lol. Maybe others can give some insight.

Also check out http://vegasgroom.com

SD210

Hi and welcome to the Vegas board!  Definitely check out Vegasgroom's website, which is a great resource! 

I'm planning my August 17, 2013 wedding at the Bellagio.  The Bellagio catering department has been great to work with (although we are just in the early stages).  They have ballrooms of various sizes, so I would recommend calling their Catering department and they will send you sample menus, etc. 

I don't have any info on the Manderin, but it is a lovely hotel!  You really can't go wrong with the hotels that you've named (although, the Cosmo has been a bit "wedding un-friendly" lately, as they have kicked out brides who were taking photos there).  But Mandalay Bay ('MB") is really popular and has some amazing wedding locations.  

Welcome and happy planning!

lsvensson

Mandarin Oriental is beautiful!  I didn't get married there, but just had our wedding a week and a haf ago and had wonderful experiences there.  My reviews for their wedding and reception (catrering) departments here, if you're interested:

http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_51912-reviews-part-ii

http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_51912-reviews-part-iii

klsatlin

The Mandarin Oriental is gorgeous!

maxaroni81

The Mandarin Oriental is beautiful!!!  And of course, it was out of my budget.  I still have the pricing information if you would like me to send it to you. 

sm0810

Newbie here that is also interested in knowing more about the Mandarin.  

Maxaroni81, I sent you a PM. 

I'm so happy I found this board! (or rather, I'm glad that google did . . .)

vegasgroom

Just wanted to extend a welcome to the two newbies in the thread; glad you found the Vegas forum.  I haven't had any personal experience with the Mandarin but know the brand has a reputation for very high quality.

Naiia

Thanks everyone for responding so quickly!

I am constantly going back and forth.  I love the way the Mandarin looks but it is very costly especially because we are doing this in Vegas with the thought of saving money.  Especially given the fact that we are only inviting about 50 people. 

As of right now we are looking into having the ceremony at one of the hotels I mentioned Cosmo, Bellagio, Caesars, Wynn), going to eat dinner at a restaurant and then having an afterparty at a club. 

Decision making is not my strong suit!

vegasgroom

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_mandarin-oriental-just-started-planning?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:2853476b-7b5e-4e14-9aec-7b7df6c343a6Post:077f8744-f791-46c4-85a9-254b101b59a3">Re: Mandarin Oriental ...just started planning</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks everyone for responding so quickly! I am constantly going back and forth.  I love the way the Mandarin looks but it is very costly especially because we are doing this in Vegas with the thought of saving money.  Especially given the fact that we are only inviting about 50 people.  As of right now we are looking into having the ceremony at one of the hotels I mentioned Cosmo, Bellagio, Caesars, Wynn), going to eat dinner at a restaurant and then having an afterparty at a club.  Decision making is not my strong suit!
Posted by Naiia[/QUOTE]

Couple things I can tell you about the ceremony venues you mentioned are that all but Cosmo offer very traditional chapels with Caesars having the one my wife preferred of all of them due to the fact that it has a very long aisle and she wanted something that actually took more than a few steps to walk down.  We didn't get married at any of them but that was what she took away from it.

The Bellagio and Wynn are extremely customer oriented and you can be confident that they'll both get all the details right.

Caesars and the Wynn will both give you the option to pay an outside vendor fee to bring in your own photographer, which is generally recommend by those who've gone through it.  The Wynn's fee is fairly high, $700 last I heard, Caesars is somewhere around $300.  The Bellagio will not let you and forces you to use Cashman who, if you want a lot of photos from your ceremony, could easily result in a bill going into the thousands.  Cosmo has been very anti-photographer lately for third parties who've come to the property just to take photos; I believe they also do not offer an outside vendor fee for those paying them for wedding services.

Cosmo does not have any traditional ceremony venues; mostly just one very non-traditional one where people walking by on the street can watch, or venues based on ballroom type areas.

Bellagio can do your ceremony and/or reception in a ball room or on their grand patio if you don't want a traditional ceremony venue; this also gets you out of the photographer restriction since you'd be working with group dining instead of the chapel.