Hello All! For the last 8 months I lurked on this board looking for tips on planning my Vegas wedding. I would check every day in anticipation of a new review being posted. For me to not pay it forward would be inconsiderate and I hope you find this helpful.
All of my vendors were chosen though reviews read on The Knot, Vegasgroom and The Wedding Wire. All of my expectations were exceeded – the day couldn’t have gone better. We’re so happy!
Our ceremony was at 6pm on Saturday with a 7-10pm in suite reception. We flew in on Thursday night and left Monday morning from NY. Hotel – Mandalay BayMandalay Bay was awesome. We’d been to Vegas numerous times but had never even stepped foot in Mandalay Bay. The resort was bright, clean and spacious. You didn’t feel overwhelmed and were just far enough away from the strip to feel relaxed, but close enough to jump into the action when you wanted to. It was the perfect venue.Originally we booked a Vista Suite (to be used for our reception as well). We also requested the attached room for our daughter and her sitter. They couldn’t accommodate us Thursday night, but the suite and their room were in the same wing. It wasn’t ideal, but we could work with it. We got to the suite and we were very disappointed. Our room had a parking lot view and a wheelchair accessible shower. We went back down to the front desk and nicely let them know that wasn’t what we were expecting. After a few minutes, they said they could move us to a different Vista Suite on Friday and could also get us the attached room so we were thrilled! We stayed Thursday night in the not so nice suite but Friday morning the bell hop came up with new keys and we all moved.The new suite was amazing! The view looked straight down the strip – room number 34135. It was roomy, clean and had a beautiful steam shower and Jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom. The attached room was really nice too. It was perfect! We were also very happy with the assistance from the front desk, they really went overboard to help us out.Our in suite reception was Saturday night from 7-10 pm and couldn’t have been more fun. We had 35 people plus the DJ, bartender and 3 wedding coordinators. I wouldn’t put any more people in the suite, that really seemed to be the max, especially if you want people to dance. It was roomy enough that it wasn’t cramped but was also quite intimate. Hair/Makeup – Francesca Lombardo, Bobbie Pin BeautyI just love Francesca. She’s so nice and you can tell she loves what she does. She was right on time, lugging a huge suitcase full of top notch makeup and hair equipment. She just did my hair/makeup and I really was pleased with her service. Not only is she great at what she does, but she’s easy going and nice to talk to. Having your hair/makeup done in suite is the way to go. It took about 2 hours from start to finish. Catering – Masterpiece CuisineOMG! The food got rave reviews! We didn’t eat (figures) because we were having too much fun chatting it up but everyone said it was amazing. The Ahi Poke Wontons, Meatballs, Filet wrapped asparagus and Bruschetta got the highest marks from our guests. They cleaned house, we didn’t have much left. We also had Masterpiece provide the bartender and alcohol and it was great. The bartender was so nice – we did run out of Vodka about an hour into it, but we had our own personal bottle that we broke out. Scott was so helpful and we couldn’t have been happier with our selection. DJ – All EventsGabriel was great. We had spent quite a bit of time on our playlist and he played all the songs we wanted and kept the party moving. He had an amazing sound system set up and after about a half hour everyone started dancing and didn’t stop. The music was really quite loud and we got no complaints. With that being said, a Marilyn Manson concert was happening at the same time, so we figured security had their hands full with that crowd. The only “talking” we asked him to do was the introduction and after that he just spun tunes. Gabriel was $650. Uplighting – Wollard ProductionsGET THE UPLIGHTING!!!! It really set the party atmosphere. We didn’t need any additional decorations, it was perfect. You can choose any color you want and it really showcases the room. Between the view and the uplighting, the suite looked awesome. Our guests were so impressed! Bryan delivered on time and picked everything up right after the party was officially over. That was $400 and well worth it. Fit for a Bride We shipped out my husband’s suit and my dress to get cleaned and pressed ahead of time – that’s the way to go! Debi emailed and called us as soon as our garments arrived (on Thursday) and they delivered them to Mandalay Bay on Friday at the bell desk. You can tell they take great pride in their work and they were super nice to work with. Sure beats trying to carry it on a plane or stuff it in a suitcase. Wedding Coordinator – Scheme EventsThis is the one review that isn’t 100% positive. We hired them to help coordinate the vendors, let everyone in to set up and let everyone back in to pick up their stuff. I had all my vendors chosen before I had reached out to them for day of coordination so I just really needed them to help tie everything together. We were under the impression we would have them for 8 hours, they showed up at 4:30 and left as soon as the reception was over at 10. During the reception they also left to go have dinner. Did they do what they said they would do? Yes, everyone was on time and the room was set up when we got done with the ceremony. They called housekeeping to come clean up afterwards – but for $995, I’m not sure I got the value for my money. I would definitely suggest a professional wedding coordinator if you are trying to pull off an in suite reception but I would find someone that charges by the hour, not in a one lump sum package. They were nice and friendly for sure, but I don’t feel that it was worth the cost.RSVP Party Rentals – Another positive review. I had ordered 3 high top tables, 1 6 foot buffet for the food and the appropriate linens. We definitely needed the tables, I’m glad we got them. They were right on time with both delivery and pickup. The linens were pressed and hung on hangers when they dropped them off – what more can you ask for?!?! That was approximately $325 with delivery. Retro Bakery YUM! We got 120 mini cupcakes, a 4 tier stand with delivery and it was awesome. The flavors were amazing, they looked so pretty on the stand. Again, delivery was right on time. $160 total with delivery. THE Chapel at Mandalay BayWhat a great ceremony. It was really well done and QUICK! We got the Opal Shores package (the basic one) and it really was nice. We never met our wedding coordinator (Aleena) but she was helpful throughout the process. I didn’t have many question for her, so that was really easy. The chapel is cute, everything was bright and clean. My only complaint was that we did get the rose petals/candles for the walkway and you could tell the rose petals had been used before. They were crushed and browning, for $250 I was a little irked at that but oh well, what can you do. I had troubles coordinating the time to review my pictures on Sunday (I had left messages on their machine but apparently nobody ever got them) so they arranged for a mail away package – and now they want $30 for shipping which is really annoying. The pictures came out nice – in hindsight there were more that we wanted but forgot to ask for – also got the webcasting for our grandparents and friends who couldn’t attend. The SPA at Mandalay BayOn Saturday morning the girls and I went for massages. The spa is really nice but it was packed. We went at 9 AM and it was chock full of guests. On Sunday we went to Spa Mandarin and that was beyond amazing – very intimate. The massages were lovely and we all were happy at both places. Vonn’s Grocery StoreWe can from NY and brought our 1 year old and a sitter. We didn’t really want to pack a lot of food in our suit cases and we needed to make sure we had staples in our room for her – milk, yogurt, water – that kind of stuff. We had originally wanted to cab it to a grocery store but the coordination of that was becoming kind of difficult, plus a cab ride in Vegas isn’t cheap. Vonn’s had a delivery service where your first order is free delivery. IT WAS AWESOME! We had put in our order before we left and requested delivery on Friday morning between 10-12. They were right on time and delivered us some snacks, milk, 3 cases of water, a bottle of Vodka and mixers. I can’t suggest that enough, even if you don’t have kids. To get food/drinks delivered is amazing – and we crushed the water which saved us a lot of money! Marriage License – we pre-registered, went down Friday around 4pm. We were in and out in under 10 minutes. What a place to people watch!!! It’s downtown, not too far from Fremont Street. We had to walk to the Golden Nugget to get a cab back, which was fine because it was nice out and the fresh air was welcome. I’m not sure I’d want to do it after dark though. The concierge at Mandalay Bay was also phenomenal. I had worked with a really nice lady to set up the spa appointments, dinner reservations, and the crib. Everything was done promptly and they couldn’t have been nicer. I really was pleased with Mandalay Bay. Every employee you ran into was friendly and really helpful. The resort really was beautiful. The best part was it didn’t reek of smoke. We had our 1 year old daughter with us (we also brought a baby sitter) and everyone was helpful in accommodating her – we went to Lupo for dinner on Friday night and they were really great in assisting us with a high chair, moving our table from a high top to a normal table so we could use the high chair and they even went so far to drain the broth out of some soup for her to eat! The bell hop was also amazing, they helped us with our grocerys and delivered our wedding dress/suit right to our room. All with a smile! These days you can’t ask for more. My only complaint with Mandalay Bay is that stupid resort fee. We had 2 rooms for 4 nights and that was steep. We all had our smartphones, no need for local calls or internet service – we do that on our phones! They also charged us $35/night for a pack and play which I thought was steep, but again, we’re not going to Vegas to be cheap I guess. I hope you find this helpful, thank you to all past brides for posting your reviews. I couldn’t have planned a better wedding without all of your advice and reviews. There wasn’t one single thing I would have changed about our wedding weekend. If you are even considering a Vista Suite reception – DO IT! The hotel is way too big to get busted, the only reason I could see it being a problem is if you have cranky neighbors to complain about the noise. If you are really worried, knock on their door, let them know beforehand and invite them over for a drink. Most people won’t hound newlyweds…….