First off, let me say thanks to everyone (especially Vegasgroom). Without all of you our wedding in Vegas probably never would have happened as we came all the way from Nova Scotia, Canada. We had about 45 people celebrate with us and everyone had a blast! This was my 8th time to Vegas (6th in the past 5 years) so I consider myself pretty experienced but we find something new and amazing each and every time! On to the reviews...
Palazzo - A+
Hands down, one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at (the best in Vegas). We stayed here for 2 nights before the majority of our guests were arriving. Slipped a $20 sandwich at check-in and received free resort fees ($56 value) and 6 free drink tickets at the casino bars. Also got free VIP at LAVO for the night; it was a little too cramped for us. If you stay here and you get hungry and are looking for a delicious, affordable meal then I highly recommend Taqueria Canonita or Dal Toro located in the Palazzo Shoppes.
Mirage - Normally we rate it A, but on this trip it was a B-
From Palazzo, we moved to Mirage for the next 5 nights. We typically love this hotel for its location, restaurants, pool and value but we had a nightmare with room changes that left a bad taste in our mouths. The majority of our guests stayed here with us which was convenient and even though we had bade service, we would stay here again with the great offers I receive from mLife. Oh yeah, I did a $50 sandwich here and requested a suite. The front desk clerk said they were sold out so she offered me one night's resort fee for free and with all of our hassle we ended up getting upgraded to a Tower Deluxe room with a $30 food and beverage credit. She also refused to take my $50... bonus!
Grand Lux Cafe, Venetian (meet & greet) - B+
We had about 30 of our guests show up to our meet & greet at Grand Lux. We chose this restaurant due to their vast menu, location and ease of accommodating our group. We did not want to do group dining with a minimum spend and set menus so we made 3 reservations for 12 people and it all worked out perfect. Be warned, the portions can be pretty large here.
STK, Cosmopolitan (Bachelor party dinner) - A-
Excellent atmosphere in here. The wait staff was impeccable. The food was really good but it didn't quite meet our expectations.
Earth Limos (Bachelor party transportation) - A+
We had Sam as our driver of a stretch Hummer and he helped make our night. He was always a phone call away and did a great job.
Pure (Bachelor party) - A+
My best man booked bottle service for us at Pure on Tuesday night. I have been to 5 or 6 clubs in Vegas but this was my first time doing bottle service. We had a table on the rooftop and were treated like royalty all night. It was a great time and I will definitely be doing BS next time I am with a group in Vegas.
Juno Garden, Caesars Palace (ceremony location) - A+
Our wedding was perfect; short but sweet. The gardens are beautiful, secluded and quiet. Our officiant did a great job and our coordinator Lindsay Desantiago was very helpful. Tell guests to arrive at least 30 minutes early as it is a bit of a walk from the fountains entrance.
Joey Allen (photographer) - A+
We chose Joey because we love the work shown on his website and his prices are great. We had him for 4 hours and brought him along to Fremont before heading to the reception. We can't say enough good things about him. There were a few bridezilla moments and he knew exactly how to calm things down. We should be getting his pictures this week and are super excited to see them!
Vista Suite, Mandalay Bay (reception) - A+
This suite was perfect and a steal at only $400/night. Guests were blown away by the views and we had a great party atmosphere. We had 2 noise complaints from security but after turning the music down a little and a quick handshake we were good for the rest of the night.
Lee's Discount Liquor (liquor) - A+
Prices are amazing, this is the place to go.
Masterpiece Cuisine (catering/bartender) - A
I didn't give an A+ just because there were a few items we ordered that I wasn't blown away with (crab tarts and chicken in puff pastry). The sausage stuffed mushroom caps and the pulled pork sandwiches were both a hit! As everyone else says, there was a ton of food leftover at the end of the night.
Our bartender did a great job, sorry I don't remember his name. Everyone commented on how friendly he was and that he remembered what everyone was drinking.
Retro Bakery (cupcakes) - A+
The cupcakes looked and tasted delicious. Too bad only about 10-15 got eaten out of the 45 that we had ordered.
DJ Godzilla - A+
Calvin exceeded my expectations. We provided him with a fair amount of direction and his music choices were great. He kept the party going all night and even stayed for an extra hour when his scheduled 4 hours were over. He is super friendly and make sure you get the uplighting package. The suite looked like a million bucks as a result.
The Beatles Love, Cirque du Soleil, Mirage - A+
This was our 2nd time seeing this show in 8 months. It is a must for any Beatles fan and great for those who aren't. Of the Cirque shows I have seen, I would rate them in the following order:
O/Ka it's a toss up
Love
Mystere
All shows are excellent and the only reason I rated Love lower than the others is the lack of jaw-dropping acrobatics. Love is my wife's favorite of all of the aforementioned shows. Another great show to see if you have a good sense of humor is Absinthe.
We were surprised at how everything went without a hitch. There were a few stressful moments but if we had to do it all over again we wouldn't change a thing! Feel free to message us with any questions or comments.