Newbie and only a few months to plan 11/11/11! HELP PLEASE!

sdrake11 · August 2011

We are planning out DW it will take place at the Bellagio Fountains 11/11/11. That is actually the only plan set in stone at this time, so ANY info will be helpful at this time!!! Dress, Comfy shoes, weather this time of year and so on....SERIOUSLY, any advice will be greatly appreciated! We will have a simple and small ceremony, originally it was just the 2 of us but now we have app 15 guests coming and no formal reception will be held there it will take place when we return, so any suggestions on what to do to spend some time with our guests? Thanks so much! Hint: neither of us have ever been to VEGAS!

zitiqueen · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_newbie-only-months-plan-111111-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:1ae6786f-2bd8-49c0-937b-0dc045ecef96Post:a50ad35c-1d74-4379-be9a-49f1242fd137">Newbie and only a few months to plan 11/11/11! HELP PLEASE!</a>:
[QUOTE]We are planning out DW it will take place at the Bellagio Fountains 11/11/11. That is actually the only plan set in stone at this time, so ANY info will be helpful at this time!!! Dress, Comfy shoes, weather this time of year and so on....SERIOUSLY, any advice will be greatly appreciated! We will have a simple and small ceremony, originally it was just the 2 of us but now we have app 15 guests coming and no formal reception will be held there it will take place when we return, so any suggestions on what to do to spend some time with our guests? Thanks so much! Hint: neither of us have ever been to VEGAS!
Posted by sdrake11[/QUOTE]

Look at the posts pinned to the top -- they're filled with all the information you need. And you need to decide <u>quick</u>. 11/11/11 is going to be a <em>very</em> popular wedding date. Not quite the Valentine's Day 10-minute-weddings conveyor belt, but pretty damned close.

vegasgroom · August 2011

By fountains do you mean an official Bellagio event or just do a fountain wedding in front of them with your own officiant?

When you go to Vegas what do you normally like to do? Hard to plan when you don't know who you're planning for lol.

sdrake11 · August 2011

Vegasgroom
We actuallly booked with Las Vegas Strip Weddings so it will just be in front of the fountains. Neither of us have ever been to Vegas so we were just looking for ideas.

Ziti
We have our room and ceremony booked already and yes I learned quickly this was a VERY popular date! lol

Thank you both!

j_jaye · August 2011

Welcome.

Have you talked to the company. Its just that these companies really have no authority to hold events at these places (such as the fountains). It is a public space. Whilst this isn't normally a problem for a couple eloping when you start to add guests it becomes more probalematic.
Basically when I was looking into this stuff I was told that at anytime during the ceremony you could be moved on by the police. On another forum I heard a horror story of the wedding being interrupted by first security and when that didn't work the security got the police to come down. The couple ended up getting married back at the companies chapel.
Now this may not happen but I personally prefer to be fully informed before making a decision. When I questioned companies about this happening (and I believe I spoke to the strip wedding people) they confirmed that it could happen and was more likely the more guests that you had.
This is why we have chosen the Vegas sign even though my first choice would have been the fountains.

sdrake11 · August 2011

Thank you Jaye.....Oh My, I didn't even think about something like that occuring! I did ask the lady I spoke with at Strip Weddings if it was legal and she informed me it was and it was a public place. I have already paid them and I'm sure I can't get a refund but I will be placing a call to them tomorrow. Thank you so much for informing me of this!!

j_jaye · August 2011

I think it only happens when you have guests. I think it falls under civil ordances around obstructing pathways and public safety. Personally I think it is because the big casinos want you to spend the money to hold weddings on their grounds (such as the terrace for the bellagio fountains) so may even slip the cops a little $$ to move people on. Just a theory!
And an FYI the companies will tell you anything to get your cash! Most of the chapels don't mention the convey belt weddings that they have because it would put people off! That is why forums like this are such great places. You get to know the score!

missjets · August 2011

Is there are reason why this date is important to you? I just know that on a regular day Vegas is busy...I can only imagine how crazy it will be that weekend! Dont get me wrong, I love the hustle/bustle but I wouldnt have my wedding there (on the street no less) on 11/11/11. I guess if you go into it with a positive attitude Im sure it will be great.

First thing I did when researching what to do in Vegas was to get a list of the hotels on the strip and see what attractions they have. Some are free (lions at MGM, pirate show at TI, ...), some are cheap/reasonable (roller coaster and NYNY, madame tussauds at the Venetian, ...) and some are pretty pricey (the cirque shows ...). Then see what interests you. When you know what you want to do/see you can plan the days budget and path.
Also, make sure to take a trip to Freemont!

Good luck and congrats.

nycheryl · August 2011

I'm just going to throw this out there (since Smokey seems to be MIA in this thread)... I'd recommend at least buying your guests dinner, even if it's at a restaurant/buffet. Especially if they're taking time off from work, flying across the country, and staying in a hotel to watch you get married.

Best of luck!

smokeybailey · August 2011

Thanks, Cheryl, my spidey senses were tingling on this one.

Yes, OP, you MUST receive your guests. They have traveled all this way to be with you. Please consider treating them to dinner. Girls do it here all the time on a budget.

Also, the sidewalks at the fountains are crowded on the best of days, so imagine people walking around and through your ceremony, cars driving by, people yelling and shouting. As long as you are open to that, you will be fine. If that's not your bag, then you might consider taking it inside some location.

missjets · August 2011

I didn't even catch the no formal reception part...I was focused on the date/location.

You dont need to have a reception in Vegas, but you do need to do something for your guests. We did a buffet dinner and there was something for each of our 42 guests. We had a whole section to ourselves and the food was delish! I didn't have a cake, dj, bouquet toss or many speeches but it showed my guests they were thanked for coming. It wouldn't cost you much to treat 15 guests to a meal, even less if you do a brunch/lunch instead to be able to forgo the alcohol.

I don't agree with at home receptions, but to each her own. Maybe do some more research here on the knot to get other perspectives before you put your plan in stone.

EverlastingLove2012 · August 2011

The sidewalk in fromt of the Bellagio is big, so if your guests squeeze into an alcove in front, you shouldn't be blocking anyone. After 8:00 every 15 minutes the fountains go off unless there's too much wind. Before 8, it's every half hour. Some people will hang around and wait for the next water show, but most do leave after each one. My guess is since it's a Friday you might have a lot of Californians visiting (and traffic is worse Fri than on Sat), but if you're in one of those alcoves, I seriously doubt the police will move you along.

Wear a jacket of some kind, especially if you're getting married after dark. Vegas is probably close to Atlanta's temps in November.

For a reception, you could either book a room at the Bellagio and do a nice in-suite room service thing, or you can go to a restaurant inside. I can't remember ever eating at the Bellagio, but I do go to The Venetian just down the road, and their Grand Luxe Cafe is to die for.

The fountains usually will play some old school romantic song or something from A Chorus Line or something patriotic.

sdrake11 · September 2011

Thanks to everyone that has responded all of you have great advice! For some reason I thought I would receive notifications when someone replied to my post, so I am just now checking back! Sorry! I assumed since I wasn't getting any sort of notification that no one was responding! Oops, I'm still learning as you can see! Thanks again!! :-)

direy25 · September 2011

At the top of the post, you can click on "e-mail replies," you'll then get an e-mail every time someone responds.

Newbie and only a few months to plan 11/11/11! HELP PLEASE!

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