As you will see from my stats, I'm a long-time lurker and not much of a poster. However, The Knottie's were so helpful when I was planning my wedding, I have to share my reviews for all of the future brides planning a Vegas wedding long-distance.
Our wedding was on Wednesday, August 15 at 5:00 PM and we had 23 guests from around the country. We chose the middle of the week so it was cheaper for guests to fly and stay in Las Vegas, as well as the overall costs of the wedding were cheaper. I'm a very laid-back bride and don't like worrying about details, so Vegas was a great option. I pretty much selected a wedding package and the color of my flowers and then had to show up.
Overview: We married at the Flamingo, took a bus to Main Street Station (downtown near Fremont) for dinner at the Triple 7 Restaurant & Microbrewery, walked to Fremont Street for pics and then took the Double Decker Bus for a strip tour and return to Flamingo.
Venue: The Flamingo Hotel & Casino, Gazebo Chapelhttp://www.flamingolasvegas.com/weddings/flamingo-las-vegas/flv-locations-gazebo-chapel.htmlA+
I had Veronica as my wedding coordinator and she was fabulous. I primarily communicated with her via email the entire time. There was only one-time I called the wedding pavillion for a quick question. Otherwise, she would respond to emails within 24 working hours. I finally met her the day of the wedding and she was amazing. She was so sweet and helpful with all of the last minute details.
The outdoor wedding gazebo was beautiful. It is the gazebo that is tucked away near the wedding pavillion so you don't have a lot of foot traffic in that location. It is near the beach pool so there was some background noise, which don't notice until you watch your wedding video later! Honestly, our guests didn't notice either and could hear the ceremoney and wedding music. Even though it was 100+ degrees at that time of the day, the guests were comfortable as that area was shaded by palm trees and it was a dry heat.
Reception: Triple 7 Restaurant & Microbrewery , Main Street Station Casinohttp://www.mainstreetcasino.com/dine/triple-7-restaurant-and-microbreweryA++++++
This was one of the highlights of our night. Both my husband and I love trying new beer and had found this microbrewery the last time we were in Vegas. Not only do they serve amazing beer, their prices are much more reasonable than any place on the strip so we called and booked them for our reception dinner. They sat us at a long table in their main dining room and started drinks for everyone. We had everyone order off the normal menu and we ordered appetizers for the entire group. The appetizers were standard pub food, such as mozerella sticks, fried mushrooms and calamari; however there were a lot of options on the main menu that our group could choose from. We allowed everyone to order what they wanted as well as many drinks as they wanted. Our total at the end of the night averaged out to be $24/person - much cheaper than if we did an open bar at a venue on the strip.
The chef that night came out personally to congraulate us and offer us a chance to take photos in their private event room. Normally, it rents out for $2,500 a night, but he took us and our guests in the room for group photos. Their decor was amazing. The room is decorarted in hand-carved wood, antique furnishings and tin ceilings. It was absolutely gorgeous for a vintage-style wedding. Had I had the budget to rent this place out, I would in a heartbeat. It was an honor that he let us take photos in this amazing place. We took some of my favorite photos in this location.
Photographer: Keith Kaplanhttp://www.captureproductionslv.com/A++++++
Keith was absolutely amazing. He got along so well with our group of people that it felt like he was our guest, not a photographer. However, he took so many shots all night long and we got an amazing selection of photos. He had so many great ideas on where to shoot and how to shoot, not to mention he kept our group on track with time. His photos were up on Shutterly in about a week and he sends a copy out on a disc. If I go back for our anniversary, I will hire him again.
Earth Limos & Buseshttp://www.earthlimos.com/A+
We rented the 35 passenger party-bus to take us down to Main Street Station. The bus showed up on-time and was equipped with party lights, large-screen televions playing music videos and two stripper poles. This was the perfect place to start the party! We have photos of everyone on the poles at least once. We didn't provide alcohol as we were on our way to the reception, but people brought their own. They initally said that they would charge us $300 for an hour, but only charged us $250. Warning - they do have a $500 cleaning fee if anyone pukes - another reason not to have too much alcohol on this bus.
Double Decker Bushttp://doubledeckerbusoflasvegas.com/A
We had the Double Decker Bus pick us up on Fremont Street and take us down to the Las Vegas sign for photos. We then stopped at the Bellagio to get photos with the Eiffel Tower across the street.
They then dropped us off at the Flamingo. Again, they were fantastic. They provided the coolers for all of the alcohol, sode and water. Since our party was so small we all fit on top of the bus. Our Ipod hooked up with their sound system so we got to listen to our own play list while cruising the strip. We got a lot of attention from the other cars, buses and crowds walking the strip as they could tell our bus was having too much fun. If you are on the fence with booking - DO IT! Totally worth every penny.
My only complaint was that we ran out of beer at our last stop and the driver was really pushing us to stop and get more at a specific store. I said "no" since were almost done, but he continued to push the issue. I'm pretty sure that I read that they get a kick-back from this place which is why he was so pushy. I finally got it through to him that we weren't interested and he needed to return us to our hotel. Still, I didn't appreciate his attitude.
As you can see our wedding was untraditional. We did our own hair and make-up, we didn't offer cake so I don't have reviews for any of those vendors. However, I can say that it was an amazing wedding and I wouldn't have changed a thing. It was perfect for us and
our guests. Most even said that it was the best wedding they had ever been to and never seen Vegas quite like that before. Best wishes to all the past and future Knottie's out there!
