Thanks to everyone who has helped me over the past few months! I couldn't have done it without you. I have a VERY long review of my day as I was always eager for details when I was reading reviews! I had a great day and am happy to answer any questions.
Casa Di Amore (meet and greet): A+
We went to Casa Di Amore the night before the wedding for an informal meet and greet. Initially I wanted all 25 of us to go and each pay separately. I was told that a group of our size could not do this (as it ties up the server) but everyone would have their own seat number so we could figure out how much each of us would owe and just pay cash. In the end (without any prompting) the servers did deliver separate cheques and let each of us pay by any method. The service and food were excellent. We were set up all together in the middle of the restaurant right in front of the live crooner. He sang all of the classics and had many of us singing along. The manager checked up on us several times to ensure we were happy and well taken care of. Free limo transportation was provided for up to 16 of us from the strip, and the rest of us drove or took cabs. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a group or even just a couple‘s night out. We go every time we are in Vegas. Our whole group raved about the experience.GlamSquad: A
Elise was always quick to answer my emails and was so friendly and helpful. I changed up our services more than once and she was always a pleasure to deal with. James and his assistant were scheduled to arrive at our hotel room between 8-8:30. They arrived around 8:40, which I expected as other reviewers mentioned their tardiness. They got to work quickly- the assistant (I forgot his name) would start us off, then James would finish the look. James did the final touches on both hair and makeup. We all opted for airbrush makeup and I also splurged on false lashes. There were 5 of us and 2 of the airbrush makeup looked caked on, but I think it was due to the girls’ skin types and not a fault of James. My makeup was flawless and photographed very well. I asked for high glam hair and makeup and that’s exactly what I got. I did remove the lipstick he applied as he “enhanced” my lip size, and I prefer my natural lip shape. My hair was not exactly like the picture I provided but was beautiful and well done. He put in hair extensions and they were very secure- my hair held up from 11am to 2am when I went to sleep! James is a perfectionist and still had us all ready to go within 3 hours. I really liked his personality and enjoyed having him around- he is VERY calm and no-nonsense.
Chapel of the Flowers: A++
They are a well oiled machine- everything was so smooth and professional! All email correspondence was with Melody Williams. She was prompt with her responses and to the point. At times she came across as a little short, but it is hard to read intention/emotion in email. My limo to the chapel was on time and the driver was great. I did not get to have a pre-consultation at the Chapel and our driver was able to answer my questions and prepare me for the ceremony. We got married in the Victorian Chapel which was the perfect size for our group of 25. A different wedding co-ordinator greeted me (forgot her name too- was a little distracted that morning J) and she was friendly, calm and in control. Our minister was very warm and friendly. We also had a harp player that was willing to learn a new song for our ceremony. The video of the ceremony was really well edited and looked very professional. Ceremony pictures were included with the package, but they also took some outside shots which they try to sell you later. We ended up purchasing an extra 4 photos at $10/each. All the photos were beautiful, and to buy the whole kit which included all prints, digital plus a canvas , was $900. This is a very classy chapel. The grounds are small, but beautiful. I was really struck with how professional the employees at the chapel are. I would highly recommend them! AWG Limo rental: B--
We rented a 16 passenger Hummer limo for our 2 hour picture tour, then later got a 28 person party bus to transport our group to and from the buffet. The hummer picked us up from the chapel and was about 15 minutes late. Once it arrived the driver tried to turn around and got stuck as soon as he arrived. It took about 15 minutes to move the car that was in the way. (in the end the AWG charged us an extra hour which we are currently disputing). Our driver was a great guy and very accommodating. We dropped champagne and beer off the day before at the AWG offices and everything was stocked and chilled for us. We played loud music from our Iphone and had a great time on the limo. I LOVED the hummer limo- it was luxurious and fun to cruise around in. The party bus was also quite nice. They had more of our booze waiting for us and sat 25 of us very comfortably. There were party lights on the ceiling and radio only. My one complaint if that we couldn’t play our own music from our Iphone as we could on the hummer. We did a strip tour AFTER supper, at which time our guests were full and tired. We should have done the tour before supper while everyone was excited and ready to party! All in all, the bus was very fun and set the right mood for the rest of the night.Studio B Buffet at the M Resort: A
Very far off the strip, but still cheaper to eat there in a private room including the transportation than it was to stay on the strip. Our price included beer, wine, and alcoholic cider was $23.99/person plus $250 for the private room. We walked straight past the line to our private room. It was set up very nice with a head table and our guests surrounding us. The room was much bigger than we needed. The food and service was excellent! One of the best buffets as far as quality and variety. We had vegetarians, vegans, children, elderly and picky eaters and everyone was full and happy. The only complaint I have is that we had to wait in line to get our own alcoholic beverages. We never had to wait long in line, and most of us would grab 2 or 3 at a time to avoid coming back. All pop/coffee etc... was served to us at the table. They also served espresso and lattes at the dessert bar. I had great correspondence beforehand with the manager, Missy. She responded to me promptly right up to a week before the wedding. I emailed her our final guest count and I never heard from her. Cosmopolitan: A+
We had an after party at the wrap around terrace suite at the Cosmopolitan. There are 2 price levels as one suite overlooks the Bellagio fountain show and one does not. We went for the cheaper option ($330/night) and asked for a view at the same cost when we got there. It turns out there are a few of the cheaper suites where you can get a view, but just can’t hear the music. The view was SPECTACULAR and the terrace was great for smokers. I was worried about space, but we had more than enough room for all 25 of us, plus a dance floor and Elvis entertainer. There was a full size fridge which we paid $25 to have emptied. That was very convenient and great for ice consumption (as we didn’t have to full coolers). This room was beautiful and significantly cheaper than the other options we looked at. We were initially booked at Aria in the hospitality suite but cancelled when we saw the option at Cosmo to have an outdoor area for a cheaper price. When we check in we informed the front desk that we would be having a party and had alot of stuff to bring into the suite. He told us the Bell Boys would bring everything up for us. We went to Valet and when they saw that the majority of our stuff was booze and mix/snacks we were informed that the Bell desk was not allowed to “assist” us with our party goods. They were not allowed to handle liquor and could only take a few snack/mix bags. They would not lend us a luggage cart either (and we offered a big tip to do so) so we proceeded to leave our car in the valet drop off and make several trips with the boxes and bags (which upset the valet attendant). Amongst the chaos we also dropped a box in the middle of the lobby and broke our 3 most expensive bottles of vodka! To sum up, everything was perfect except for the incident with the bell desk (who was very apologetic). The customer service was great and we never had to wait more than 3 minutes in valet for our car. Just be warned that if you are bringing up a lot of booze you will not be helped!Donny Edwards (Elvis Entertainer): A+++
We found Donny in a google search of Vegas Elvis’s. We were struck by his resemblance and you tube video performances. He looked and sounded just like Elvis. He was the same price at Travis Allen ($400 for an hour), but we couldn’t find many reviews on him. We decided to take a chance on him as we thought his videos were a little better than Travis’s. I am so glad we did! He was prompt and helped us keep everything a surprise. My groom met him in the lobby and set up his equipment while Donny waited in the hall. The looks on everyone’s face was priceless when he came strolling in his white jumpsuit! He immediately grabbed his mic and started singing. He would always chat between songs and give little tidbits on the next one. We arranged 11 songs for him to sing, which were programmed into his sound system. He ended up singing 3 requests acapella (sp?) without any music and sounded great. Everyone danced; he took pictures with all the guests and stayed after to chat a bit. He was warm and kind and was a pleasure to watch perform. The only downside was his sound system. It was a little rough and could probably be upgraded. He said he is used to performing with a band behind him so maybe it’s not a priority? Regardless I HIGHLY recommend him. Everyone was thrilled and he was definitely the highlight of the evening.Todd Wilson of Bently and Wilson: A
I haven’t seen any of his pics yet, but I can tell you he was prompt, professional, and a nice guy. He was easy to work with and was very flexible. He started shooting immediately and was great at capturing unposed moments (he was constantly snapping away). He took me up on all of my suggestions and had a few ideas of his own. If I could change one thing, I would have went in with a more prepared idea of what I wanted. Alot of his suggestions were similar, and in retrospect I wish we had taken some more fun shots. We went downtown, to the Vegas sign, Bellagio and the Cosmo. I had alot of fun with him and would hire him again. Now hopefully the photos reflect our good time!