Realistic Budget

MEMSJQ

Hi all,

So I am planning from Toronto, ON... and at first, I was thinking I could pull off the entire trip and wedding (10 guests) - for about $5k... I am beginning to think that is unrealistic...

Am I looking more towards $10k?

For a first time LV trip, how long do you think the trip should be? Am I crazy to stay for 5 days?

We are looking at March 2014 or Nov 2014... pushing it from 2013 due to my accident.

Where do I look for the best value?

themrsJRD

I think you could, but you'll have to be very careful & put your money where it means the most to you. We spent right at 7k for our wedding with 24 guests at Chapel of the Flowers with an in-suite reception at Artisan.... I'd say nearly half of that was photography, which was really important to me, and our food was pizza & wings, which was very cheap and 'us' so it depends on what's most important to you. If location & food are more important, I think it may be more difficult. The good thing is, you have a lot of time to plan & take advantage of that time by looking for coupon codes & the best deals. Having a wedding on a week day will help your bottom line too. Good luck..!

MEMSJQ

Photography is totally important to me.  We are not fru fru ppl... so I am looking at casual mexican or a bar and grill type place.

Mostly I am worried about acc, flights and food.  The wedding part shouldn't be too bad I guess, my #1 choice at this time is COTF, I got quoted $2100 though for everything I wanted. 

How was the Artisan?  Did you see their ceremony area?

I am looking at a weekday as well... in fact, probably will be there Mon-Fri maybe...

simonik

I think its realistic. We are having 75 people and I am doing it for a budget of $15-20K.  I think it depends on how many people you are inviting. Thats a huge deciding factor on your budget. Food & Beverage is the majority of where our $$ is going. I guess thats to be expected

vegasgroom

Do you care about using a chapel?  You could do an in-suite wedding or a wedding somewhere around Vegas and bring your officiant with you and turn that $2100 into much less, giving you more for everything else.

MEMSJQ

VG -

I want something Vegas-isy!  I figured a chapel would be good, my other options that I am researching are LV sign and a Hot Air Balloon ride over LV (which I would totally love if I can get a sunset one vs. sunrise - who wants to wake up that early). 

The thing with an in-suite... I can do that here in Toronto... I am looking for something I cannot do in Toronto if that makes sense? Unless the suite is really va-va-voom or something!

The reason my COTF cost is so high is b/c of the photography and b/c I want to use the glass gardens... I want all the pix and that's where it goes up that high!  The one hotel ceremony option I like is too high (wynn primrose courtyard)

@ Simonik... oh, only 10 guests invited and then us two, so 12 in total... I just really want a ' WOW' factor since it will be our first trip together and for most, first time in LV (ours too!)

EmiliaC01

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:01fe7d22-5822-4afb-9558-b8139920d54c">Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi all, So I am planning from Toronto, ON... and at first, I was thinking I could pull off the entire trip and wedding (10 guests) - for about $5k... I am beginning to think that is unrealistic... Am I looking more towards $10k? For a first time LV trip, how long do you think the trip should be? Am I crazy to stay for 5 days? We are looking at March 2014 or Nov 2014... pushing it from 2013 due to my accident. Where do I look for the best value?
Posted by MEMSJQ[/QUOTE]




I think it's possible to accomplish. I'm hoping to stay around that amount or less. You'll probably have more travel costs than me, but then you are inviting less people. I've already started mapping out my budget, and you do have to pick and chose, so make sure you and the groom establish what your highest priorities are. Does COF allow outside photography? If not, I would suggest considering A place that does and maybe hiring Bently & Wilson. That way you get a reasonable price, photo cd, and rights to all of your photos. Just something to consider... Since you have a small group of people, a buffet might be a good option since most have a price you can tack on for unlimited wine/beer. And buffets are "Vegas".
If you haven't started using a budget tool yet, I suggest the one on Martha Stewart Weddings' website. You can add your own custom line items, etc.
Glad to hear there's another 2014 bride :)

jmp2004

I'm having 9 people total and spending less than $5k with our hotel, flight and spending money.

It's completely possible.

MEMSJQ

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:95b63cd3-22cb-47f4-a456-ac00d2fdd240">Re: Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm having 9 people total and spending less than $5k with our hotel, flight and spending money. It's completely possible.
Posted by jmp2004[/QUOTE]

I assume flights are cheaper from US to US City... it is the flight that is about $1200 that is me pricing it now!!! LOL

torontozombielover

re: flights from Toronto

We are going from Toronto as well - just keep your eyes open for sales. You should easliy see a sale that will give you a direct flight on west jet (no charge for checked bags) for $400-$450 a person. 

The other option is flights out of Buffalo - i've seen them lately for about $330 - not direct but ok connections. Southwest flies direct out of buffalo, but i haven't seen them get that price lately.

airfarewatchdog.com is a good website for rates. the other thing you may consider is some of the packag deals (hotel and airfare) some of our guests just got their flight & hotel for $600 each that's a wednesday to monday at the flamingo.

icefog34

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one tryng to keep my Vegas budget to 5k at the most.  Unfortunately I didn't take my wedding attire into consideration when I was budgeting!  eeep!  So now I'm really struggling.  I should  just get married in jeans and a pretty tshirt, lol

jmp2004

If you want to look at an inexpensive chapel, look at 702wedding.com.  I'm getting married in their new chapel next week, so pictures will be up soon from that.

MEMSJQ

We sat down and decided it will either be IP Skyline (with the Vegas pic) or the LV sign...

COTF looks great, but I really want to the pix and I know I won't be happy otherwise.. my fave thing about COTF is the crystal canopy they have and also their flower shower pic, which I am sure I can do elsewhere.... 

ha maybe COTF will let me in for one pic @ the crystal canopy - wishful thinking

KikiMira

I agree, it can be done. We are having 50-60 guests and coming in at just under 10k with our flights and accommodations. Some photographers will do a strip tour with you for Vegas style wedding photos, belligo fountains, Vegas sign... Stuff like that. :

themrsJRD

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:464b6344-c686-412e-8be9-978a90ab0f8c">Re: Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Photography is totally important to me.  We are not fru fru ppl... so I am looking at casual mexican or a bar and grill type place. Mostly I am worried about acc, flights and food.  The wedding part shouldn't be too bad I guess, my #1 choice at this time is COTF, I got quoted $2100 though for everything I wanted.  How was the Artisan?  Did you see their ceremony area? I am looking at a weekday as well... in fact, probably will be there Mon-Fri maybe...
Posted by MEMSJQ[/QUOTE]

<div>I did go into the chapel at the Artisan & it was very pretty, & small & intimate. There were some good things about the Artisan but some bad things too, so I honestly can't say I would recommend the hotel as a whole. The suite we had a party in was okay though & a decent size and had a pool table, & you can make a lot of noise because that hotel parties allllllllll night. They also don't try to tell you what you can/can't bring in as far as food/alcohol.

I see that you decided on a different place for your ceremony so congrats :) I would focus on finding deals on hotels and flights since you have quite a bit of time. Also, I would like to say that staying downtown on Fremont Street will be cheaper than the Strip, & personally I really like the atmosphere of downtown better :)</div><div>
</div><div>On food, with very few people like you will have, I would think you'd come out ahead if you just went to a restaurant & let people order what they want as opposed to a set price per person. And if you do in suite, you can think about having food brought in from somewhere like Maggiano's who serves family size platters. We were going to do that but ended up just going with pizza, lol.</div><div>
</div><div>If you want to save on apparel, you can try on dresses in the store then buy one online in your size :) lol. Or, try to buy a dress off the rack. Or try preownedweddingdresses.com.</div><div>
</div><div>Good luck!! Planning is fun, I miss it a little!</div>

EmiliaC01

Yay! Another possible IP bride... I considered COF at first as well, but after further research I considered the Artisan, and then decided to do an onstrip venue either Flamingo or IP. Ended up going with IP because of the cost and I liked the look of their chapel more. The coordinator was super helpful and worked for both chapels. I'm hoping that by the time I get married, over a year away, that perhaps the IP hotel will have some upgrades done with the Linq project to possibly want to stay there. We'll see...

MEMSJQ

EmiliaC01, I also considered Artisan!!!  & the Tropicana, as it has a nice arbour area.  At the end, I narrowed it down to IP, COTF and the LV sign. 

I think the LV sign may be too busy for a ceremony esp since I would like a dusk timeframe... and I do like the fact that IP seems to be a no pressure type venue with the fact that you can bring your own photographer, bouquet etc.

Perhaps by 2014 the renos will be great and I can stay there, in the mean time, I am still trying to figure out the best value with prettiness as well

EmiliaC01

I liked the look of the Artisan, from a photography perspective, but the chapel was a little "too small" for me, and I didn't know if it being offstrip would be a hassle. The coordinator was helpful though. I can say that my experience with IP and Flamingo have been great. I asked questions off and on over a period of a few months, and the coordinator was always helpful and prompt with responses. When I realized she covered IP too, then I inquired about that venue. I have asked many questions about deposits, pricing for addons, etc. Very helpful for budgeting purposes.

Snobuni79

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:c8e31b3b-856f-4dde-9975-d1c55e8a8b55">Re: Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm glad to see I'm not the only one tryng to keep my Vegas budget to 5k at the most.  Unfortunately I didn't take my wedding attire into consideration when I was budgeting!  eeep!  So now I'm really struggling.  I should  just get married in jeans and a pretty tshirt, lol
Posted by icefog34[/QUOTE]

Here is a suggestion: there are several places in Vegas that allow you to rent a wedding dress. That may be a win-win to the financial issues. For example, Cupids Wedding Package (I have never been there) has a Gown and Tux wedding that includes both rentals and the wedding for under $500. Several other non-resort chapels have similar offers.

MEMSJQ

Thanks luv!  If you miss it, you can plan mine hahahaha ;)


n Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:37e8735e-d70b-49eb-b62f-95b3b54663a1">Re: Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Realistic Budget : I did go into the chapel at the Artisan & it was very pretty, & small & intimate. There were some good things about the Artisan but some bad things too, so I honestly can't say I would recommend the hotel as a whole. The suite we had a party in was okay though & a decent size and had a pool table, & you can make a lot of noise because that hotel parties allllllllll night. They also don't try to tell you what you can/can't bring in as far as food/alcohol. I see that you decided on a different place for your ceremony so congrats :) I would focus on finding deals on hotels and flights since you have quite a bit of time. Also, I would like to say that staying downtown on Fremont Street will be cheaper than the Strip, & personally I really like the atmosphere of downtown better :) On food, with very few people like you will have, I would think you'd come out ahead if you just went to a restaurant & let people order what they want as opposed to a set price per person. And if you do in suite, you can think about having food brought in from somewhere like Maggiano's who serves family size platters. We were going to do that but ended up just going with pizza, lol. If you want to save on apparel, you can try on dresses in the store then buy one online in your size :) lol. Or, try to buy a dress off the rack. Or try preownedweddingdresses.com. Good luck!! Planning is fun, I miss it a little!
Posted by themrsJRD[/QUOTE]

themrsJRD

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_realistic-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:d518c8c7-2738-43eb-bfb4-af5c0f766ba4Post:158ad4c8-9284-430a-8175-7538e4e052f9">Re: Realistic Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks luv!  If you miss it, you can plan mine hahahaha ;) n Response to Re: Realistic Budget :
Posted by MEMSJQ[/QUOTE]

<div>I think I may have missed a calling somewhere lol because I truly love & enjoy all things wedding. I actually really would like to open a bridal shop in a few years. Then I REALLY have an excuse to stay involved in wedding stuff!!!!!</div>

bellababe80

Coming out of Canada you really have to shop around. We stayed at the Wynn and flew Westjet and we paid quite a bit. But our guests stayed at the Flamingo and got their flight and hotel for around 500 per person, but they also didn't get direct flights. If you can fly out of the US i've heard it can be way cheaper. 

We had 15 people and everything said and done, we did it for a little under 10k. Don't forget to budget food and gambling and other things you may want to do. Any sort of attraction you have to pay for will run you at least 20 bucks a person and usually it's more like 30-40. Plus food can be expensive. In our hotel it was 70 dollars for two for a dinner buffett. If you like to drink those huge drinks on the strip will run you at least 20 dollars, and gambling can empty your pockets quickly. Just make sure you set a budget for spending money and stick to it. The first couple times we went to Vegas, with food,attractions, shows, gambling and shopping we spent about 2000 between two of us.