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Nevada-Las Vegas

Married reviews from 6-4-11 :)

I just wanted to thank all the knotties for all the great planning information and pass on my reviews...

Flamingo Hotel (B) ~ The regular rooms look just as they do in the pictures on their web page. They are not fancy, but all we did is sleep in them. The location of the
Flamingo is GREAT and the POOL and grounds are beautiful. We also had friends stay at the Imperial and they all came over to use the Flamingo pool. They had bull riding and limbo contest by the pool. We blocked off rooms by using total rewards. Total rewards (Ryan) was very helpful. They would not let us upgrade our room since we had the room block and we ended up with a not so great view. Our guest loved the pool and location. 

DD Bus (A+) meet and greet~This was the best part of the week:) Our guest LOVED it. We had it for 2 hours. Our guest had a little to much fun and got yeld at a few times for standing on the seats and mooning people (this was a wild group). We bought alcohol for the bus at Sam's and Lee's ($300 for 45 people) and it almost all went. We also passed out our welcome bags on the bus. Everyone raved about the bus and how much fun they had. In welcome bags (water, Advil, hand sani, Vegas photo album, glow bracelets, cheese crackers, map, Vegas book.

Glamsquad (A)~ Me and my new sister in law got our hair and makeup air brushed. Our hair turned out exactly like the pictures we showed! Esther did a great job on our hair. James did the airbrushing. The only thing I did not like were the fake eyelashes. One corner kept coming up so I just pulled them off mid reception. The makeup did stay on all day and took well to the heat.

Flamingo Garden Gazebo (A+)~ We loved the Flamingo grounds. The grounds and gazebo was better then expected! Our ceremony was beautiful and went smooth. There are so many great photo options on the grounds. Our coordinator Kris was fine. I really didn't talk with her much. The garden gazebo is off in a secluded area and is next to the family pool (noise level from the pool was fine and the habitat smell was not near the gazebo) they also block off area to hotel quest during ceremony.

Sin City Brewery Bar (B+)~We used this as our meeting place for the week. It has a out door seating area and indoor small bar. It was perfect for guest to wait and have a drink before getting on the DD bus and limos after ceremony. Only one bar tender so slow service. Beer is ok, but margaritas were GREAT.

Cashman Photography (A)~Our pictures turned out very nice. We got 15 in our package and ended up buying a few extras. Yes the princes are ridiculous! They asked us to sign a release form to use some of our photos in their office.

Mike L Photos (A++++++)What can I say Courtney is the BEST! We had Courtney for 3 hours pre ceremony. Mike was not with her (we knew this in advance). She had an assistant Elise and she was also great. We hit it off with Courtney so well, we didn't want to leave her. If you want to feel relaxed with your photographer then choose them! I cant wait to see our pictures, we had so many fun pics, our faces hurt from laughing so hard during the pictures. We had great communication from day one.  Courtney made our day Smile

Presidential Limo (B+)I gave them a B+ because after the ceremony they called me and told me their part bus limo bus broke down :( They were very professional and VERY apologetic and sent us 2 stretch hummer limos to replace the limo bus. This worked out fine and they were even 30 min early. We just wanted the bus since it is easier to get on and off with dresses and for our uncle with MS.  We also use them for our strip photo tour and got a 6 passenger limo and the driver was VERY nice and helpful. 


Retro Bakery (B+)~ Communication went smooth from day one! We ordered cup cakes 4 dozen reg size and 2 dozen mini. We ended up with way to many cupcakes and tossed 2+ dozen away. The tasted great (key lime, cherry cheese cake, pucker up, coconut). The only complaint I have is the color of the frosting. I requested it to be lime green and they were yellow. Oh well, they still turned out fine. They also delivered on time and called with a time frame.

Master Piece Cusine (B+)Scott was great to work with from day one! We ordered...Chicken bruschetta (A), chipotle steak squers (C steak was dry), jack Daniels meatballs (A), coconut fried prawns (B), shrimp  (A), gourmet beef sliders (C beef was very dry).  We had so much food left over!  Not sure if we just didn't get to the meat in time, it was just very dry and most of it went to waste.  I know other brides say the beef sliders were a hit, so might have just had a bad batch. Over all the food was good and guest liked it.

We also picked up fruit and veggie trays at sams club.

reception liquor, pop, water, mixers also from Sam's club: $400 worth for 50 guests. This time we had SO much left over.  Everyone was flying out the next am and did not want to drink like they did on the bus.

Mandalay Bay Vista Suite (C)~Ok so we were lucky and got the VIsta suite. Our suite had GREAT views (pool, strip and mountains). The down side was... There was some big jewelry convention and they had high security at the hotel. You had to show room keys to get on the elevators to the rooms. Well after dealing with the front desk staff and security for 2 hours, they agreed to give us 50 dead door keys so our guest could get up to the room. They wanted us to have someone sit by the elevator all night with a guest list and escort people up (um NO!!!).  When we arrived at Mandalay after the ceremony it took us 30 minutes for just myself and 6 bridesmaids to get on an elevator (so I missed some of our reception). The convention just let out and you could not fit one person on the elevators, After we finally arrived at the vista suite for the reception we had security come to the room and tell us to keep it down. The person next to us called and complained (the security officer was very nice and apologised. She was just doing her job. We were told that after 2 complaints they kick out all guests. Needless to say after that complaint I worried about every peep and ended everything early. We had 50 guest and everyone fit great. We had people come and go so I'm sure there was not 50 quests at once in the room. We got the last vista suite and  checked in at 2pm Friday. They gave us the handicap suite (so I had to bend down to shower and the tub was just standard). The suite it self was nice (GREAT VIEW), carpets very stained, furniture worn and halls were filled with pot smoke, only 1 bar stool and 3 dinning table chairs. So if your looking for a very classy affaire theses are things to consider. They didn't bother me, just wanted to let others know. I was just glad we got the suite after some of the past brides getting turned away.

If I had to do it over...I would not have had my reception in the suite. The day before our wedding we switched from the flamingo to the vista. Ran errands and packed/unpacked all day Friday. We missed so much with our guests :(  In the end we would have saved money doing a restaurant reception like Magginos. Paying for taxis, bell hops, valet, tip tips tips and more tips. I would have loved to spend more time with our guest and not have stressed about getting kicked out for noise complaints. If you are doing an in suite I recommend having a bar tender bring the booze and ice (getting ice sucked  and they charge $25 for a small bag at Mandalay) also get a person to let in the caterer,  cake delivery and to set it all up / clean it all up! Our moms also missed out on a lot because they were so busy helping us. I just felt like we worked the first few days in Vegas and missed out on a lot of the fun.

Other recommendations...Rent a car and plan to bring a ton of $ for tipping (bell hops, maids, taxi drivers, valet. My mother in law drove to Vegas. We used her car for a few errands but still tipping valet and bellhops cost a lot. We spent around $500 between taxis, bell hops, maids and valet. Just our cab ride to get the marriage licences was $65. Take some time out of all the hustle and bustle and spend it with your groom. When it was just him and I in the limo we had a great time no worries. We also had a cry fest in the bathroom during the reception together (he would kill me if he knew I posted this, he never cries) We were just so happy to be married and spend that few minutes together alone.

In the end everything was fine and all that really mattered was we GOT MARRIED :)
 Or guest loved how it was not a typical wedding and had so much fun.
I hope these reviews help someone...



Re: Married reviews from 6-4-11 :)

  • edited December 2011
    Thanks for all the reviews!!!  Glad you had a good time :)
    That's too funny that your guests were mooning people hahaha.  I can't wait to do the bus I think it's gonna be a blast.
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks for the reviews!  I love the note about your private moment with your DH :)

    Congrats!

    Edit:  There's free parking at Mandalay Bay, did your MIL use that or valet all week?  Just curious cuz we're planning to rent a car and $500 for all that is steep :)
  • edited December 2011
    cry fest sounds sweet congrads to you both.  I was thinking about Vista reception, but now maybe not. Sounds like too much hassle.
    Fuuck your feelings
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_married-reviews-6-4-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:64914768-9093-4f50-abea-b9fac63f5813Post:5070f5b1-eb9d-4bcb-a66f-cdd34ed5c7d4">Re: Married reviews from 6-4-11 :)</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thanks for the reviews!  I love the note about your private moment with your DH :) Congrats! Edit:  There's free parking at Mandalay Bay, did your MIL use that or valet all week?  Just curious cuz we're planning to rent a car and $500 for all that is steep :)
    Posted by nycheryl[/QUOTE]

    We did use Valet most of the time since that is where the bell hops are and they can't give you a cart to hall all of your stuff up to your room. We had a few car loads of stuff for the reception and DD bus.  We did the free parking when we didn't have lots to bring in.  Just plan taxi rides, tips, bell hops and valet in your budget. We never thought we would take so many trips between Sams, liquor stores, hotels it all added up. We also were in Vegas for 8 days so thats why it cost to much. We made 3 trips to Fremont and 2 down to the stratosphere and its around $20-$25 per way. Renting a car is the way to go! Just be prepared to tip.
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_married-reviews-6-4-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:64914768-9093-4f50-abea-b9fac63f5813Post:92fc67ee-e900-4fa8-b583-e57089839097">Re: Married reviews from 6-4-11 :)</a>:
    [QUOTE]cry fest sounds sweet congrads to you both.  I was thinking about Vista reception, but now maybe not. Sounds like too much hassle.
    Posted by verucasaltytoo[/QUOTE]

    I don't want to scare anyone out of the Vista suite. I just want to share my experience and have brides prepare. If your trying to save money by doing the vista make sure you add in all the little things (tips, taxis, wedding planner, bartender ect.) I think it would have been fine if I hired a planner and bar tender. If I had someone to do all the prepping work it would have been great. It was a little nerve racking knowing that we had already got a complaint and the next one we would have been kicked out (something to consider). The staff at Mandalay Bay were very nice and helpful, it was just to much hassle for me.
  • edited December 2011
    Congrats sounds like you had a lot of fun!

    Just on the Cashman thing- did they offer you anything in return for letting them use your pics for advertising?
  • edited December 2011
    Congrats! And yes, JCK is a major convention. I planned my wedding around the conventions lol
    *MyBio-> 07.05.2012* UPDATED: 06/08* Daisypath Anniversary tickers Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • edited December 2011
    CONGRATS!!!  It sounds lke you had some wonderful private moments with your husband that you both will cherish forever. 

    These are great reviews.  I really appreciate your honesty and details.  Thank you for your tips and suggestions.  I found this very helpful and sure others will as well.

    I hope you will share some photos as well?!?!?!  :)
  • edited December 2011
    Aw! Congrats! Sounds beautiful! Thanks so much for all the helpful reviews! :)
  • Sara191431Sara191431 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Congrats!  Thanks for the reviews!  Sorry the reception didn't go as you hoped, and kinda sucks on the food too. I will be sending Scott an email to make sure we don't have to worry about possible dry food.

    Question, we also plan to get a veggie/dip tray and a fruit tray, did guests eat a lot off of these?  Just want to make sure it's worth it to get them.  Also, when did you pick your's up?  I was thinking of seeing if our Coordinator will pick them up the day of so they are the freshest, plus not sure the fridge is big enough in our suite anyways to store...

    TIA and post some pics!:)
  • edited December 2011
    Congrats Mrs... Awesome reviews :-) I loved the crying in the bathrm moment that's priceless.
  • kateynjoekateynjoe member
    Seventh Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Great Reviews!!!! The "if I had to do it over section" is super helpful and the cry fest....I think all us girls want a cry fest now ♥ Such a great moment for you and your Mr!
    "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all!" ~Anonymous~ "It is far better to be small and *Shine* than to be big and cast a Shadow!" ~Anonymous~
  • edited December 2011
    Congrats! Glad it all went well. :)
  • edited December 2011
    I'm not sure why our meat was so dry :(  Everything else was great and Scott is very nice to work with. I hope it was just a fluke that our meat was not so great. I have never seen other brides say anything negative about the beef before. For the fruit and veggie trays...We got 2 of both at Sams club and 1 of the veggie and both of the fruit went. We tossed a whole un opened veggie tray. We brought along large tin beverage bins and also used  rubbermade totes with ice to keep them cool overnight.. In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_married-reviews-6-4-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:64914768-9093-4f50-abea-b9fac63f5813Post:9d4edaed-8870-48a2-95cb-b21b7ddd83f1">Re: Married reviews from 6-4-11 :)</a>:
    [QUOTE]Congrats!  Thanks for the reviews!  Sorry the reception didn't go as you hoped, and kinda sucks on the food too. I will be sending Scott an email to make sure we don't have to worry about possible dry food. Question, we also plan to get a veggie/dip tray and a fruit tray, did guests eat a lot off of these?  Just want to make sure it's worth it to get them.  Also, when did you pick your's up?  I was thinking of seeing if our Coordinator will pick them up the day of so they are the freshest, plus not sure the fridge is big enough in our suite anyways to store... TIA and post some pics!:)
    Posted by Sara191431[/QUOTE]
  • edited December 2011
    Congrats!  Thank you for sharing your reviews!
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  • justine043justine043 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    thank you for your honest reviews! I'm not a vista bride, but i am doing a suite reception in MB so i'm definately considering a bartender and coordinator!
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  • edited December 2011
    CONGRATS!!! I am glad your pictures from cashman turned out great, I am a little worried about that! I have heard way to many horror stories about them!
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