I'm attaching a selfie here.
We started planning last Friday, 6/7 and were married on 6/12. Of course, I'd been reading this board for weeks but couldn't plan until the divorce was finalized.
And I would NOT have been able to do this without all of you! Many many thanks for your generosity and help.
Las Vegas Weather: C I mean, I knew it would be hot and I melt in the heat but everyone was saying it was too early to be 105-109 in June like it was. My husband was seriously worried about me when we tried to walk anywhere. At least now he believes me when I say I can't deal with heat. (I was born and raised in San Francisco so my comfort range is extremely narrow.)
The Aria Hotel: A++ We used miles to pay for a corner suite and it was fantastic! Great view, modern aesthetic, comfy bed, amazing bathroom, great service. The food in the hotel was very high quality. Usually while traveling we end up eating rather poorly, but this was not an issue here. The buffet was wonderful. Lots of fresh veggies and fruit. Of course this was a splurge, so if we were on any kind of budget it would have been harder to eat well. The service was also amazing at the hotel. Everyone has a sincerely helpful attitude. It's either real or they are really good actors.
Jean Philippe Patisserie: A++ This is the bakery at the Aria and also at Bellagio. I'm so glad someone mentioned just getting a cake at the hotel! Our cake was the same price as one from the budget category at Freed's but with beautiful filigree all over and air-brushed flowers on the top. Jean Philippe was voted the best pastry chef in France before coming to Vegas so you can't go wrong with that, I figure. And it tasted great, too.
Angie Kelly at PeachyKeenUnions.com: A+ We used her quicky ceremony. She was on time and did a really nice ceremony. She let us add our own vows at no extra cost. She was really excited when I told her this was my first marriage at the age of 50.
Keith Kaplan Photography: B+ Our photographer was David Taylor and he was really nice and we got a preview of of our shoot and the photos look nice. I'm guessing they'll look better with some photoshopping. After we emailed Keith and told him we wanted to hire him and gave him all the information he asked for we never heard from him again. We tried calling and emailing and texting and no contact for days. Extremely nerve-wracking for a planner like me! And we liked David Taylor but we had no idea he was coming instead of Keith. So, if you need confirmations, buyer beware!
Harmony Medina: A+ She was awesome. Lots of confirmatory stuff going on to keep me calm. Very personable, and encouraging, which is what a bride needs. And I looked great--natural, not too caked on, everything I wanted. She even worked a bit on my sweetie (see below).
Enchanted Florist: A for effort? I had to seriously manicure my bouquet. I said I like spikey things but there was eucalyptus sticking out all over it and the tips of the leaves were cut off due to them being yellow, I presume. It looked strange. The boutonniere and corsage were HUGE. We took the giant rose off before dinner. Also, I never wanted red in my bouquet, but now I know it's also important to say what colors you DON'T want as well as the colors you do want. It's kinda hard to not like flowers, though and it was very last minute and they were delivered early.
Salon at Aria: D I wanted to get my sweetie a razor shave on the day of, and he came back all nicked up! He said he thought the woman didn't do many shaves. So go to a real barber if you want this service. Harmony spot-airbrushed him and he looked good for the pics.
Charlie Palmer Steakhouse at the Four Seasons: B We had a hard time coming up with a fancy place to have dinner. My husband doesn't like fussy food, but we wanted to have some nice atmosphere. Finally we were enticed by the Cut of the Week at Charlie Palmer. Forty-eight dollars for 3 courses and bottomless wine. I'm actually glad we went for it because we were way too tired to have sat through a fancier dinner and enjoyed it. Everything was great--exceptional--except for the steak! Good flavor but chewy texture. It changes every week, so you might get lucky. I'd go back and just order the truffle potatoes gratin.