Our wedding weekend went without a hitch (except for the most important one, of course!). We had a small, immediate family-only wedding at 10 a.m. at the Flamingo. I can't believe it's over!
Thursday June 20, 2013Allegiant Air - A
I've flown Allegiant before, and it's pretty much your average budget airline. No complaints; we were on time and arrived safely.
Bell Trans - AOur driver to the hotel, Ivan, was super nice. He took us to the Las Vegas sign at my request and waited while our parents took 1,000 pictures of us (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it felt like it in the afternoon heat!). There was cold water waiting in the limo as well, which was a nice touch.
Four Seasons - A+
This hotel was uh-maz-ing, especially the pool area. The newly renovated rooms are very stylish, and my husband kept remarking how clean the entire hotel was. My new sister-in-law and her family stayed there as well, and actually preferred the Four Season's pool to Mandalay Bay's, as it was easier to keep track of a six-year-old and almost four-year-old. The loungers are padded and free, and the entire area has cooling misters. Staff circulates with ice water, ice pops, and towels.
Border Grill (Mandalay Bay) - A
Delicious! Everyone enjoyed the food and drinks here. I had the Seasonal Vegetable Enchiladas and a some sort of cherry mojito. Everything was very fresh, and not cheese-overload like a lot of Mexican food can be.
Marriage License Bureau - A-I pre-applied online and we were in there 10 minutes at most. The woman at the counter was grumpy. I got the feeling issuing marriage licenses wasn't her life's calling
Mix Lounge (THEhotel) - AThe adults met up here for several drinks to watch the sun go down and the Strip light up. I highly recommend doing this, as the drinks are strong and tasty. The view is stunning, especially at night. We had some appetizers as well, and the food was delicious. I am not a huge potato wedges fan, but they were served with a pretty incredible remoulade-type dipping sauce.
Friday June 21, 2013 - Wedding Day!Four Seasons Room Service - BI ordered a couple of pastry baskets, juice, and coffee for breakfast before the wedding. The pastries and drinks were way overpriced ($80), but delicious. My husband and I ordered breakfast on Saturday from them as well, and the omelet I had was solid but not mind-blowing.
Flamingo Wedding Chapel Staff - AKristen and the other ladies were totally great and promptly responded to any questions or concerns I had. Although I didn't meet Kristen in person, the woman I worked with the day of the wedding provided very clear instructions and we never felt like we lacked direction on what to do, even without a rehearsal.
Flamingo Chapel Falls - A-I originally booked the Paradise Falls, but the coordinator offered the use of the Chapel Falls instead. I accepted, since the area was much more private and looked very lovely. The only mark down is that the falls made it hard for my father-in-law to hear the ceremony due to the background noise since he's deaf in one ear. I would still recommend asking for Chapel Falls over Paradise Falls for the privacy factor.
Flamingo Floral - BThe bouquet was pretty but not gorgeous, and held up well throughout the day. I didn't provide a lot of direction in regards to flowers, so YMMV depending on how detailed of instructions you give.
Bentley & Wilson - A Todd was awesome (I'm sure you're all shocked). He indulged my nephew who was very curious about the camera and who wanted to ham it up. He knew a bunch of great places to take pictures around the center Strip area.
Afternoon Tea at the Petrossian Bar (Bellagio) - AWe had planned a big, multi-course wedding dinner for the evening, so I wanted something lighter for lunch. This hit the spot. The tea was incredible, and the selection of scones, pastries, and tea sandwiches were delicious. There was more than enough food for everyone and it worked as "lunch" for me and my husband.
Bouchon (Venetian) - A+
Both the food and the service were outstanding at Bouchon. I'm so happy I picked it for my wedding dinner. We reserved the Point room, and it was perfect for 8. When we first arrived my husband's name was spelled incorrectly on the special menu they had printed. I mentioned it to the server, and within 10 minutes she had new menus printed and placed on the table. The sommelier popped in several times throughout the evening to consult with my husband over the wine list and to help him pick wines within our budget. At the end of the evening he recommended the best champagne I've ever had (Billecart-Salmon, Brut, Rose, MV). I'm not a huge cake fan, but the wedding cake we had was fantastic (white cake with lemon curd). Everyone ate and drank too much, but it was worth it
Saturday June 22, 2013Jean Philippe Patisserie (Bellagio) - A+
The best pain au chocolat I've had outside of France. It was so good I nearly cried.
Verandah (Four Seasons) - A
Delicious pasta dishes. A lot of vegetarian pasta dishes are uninspired, but the one I had here was zippy and flavorful.
Nicole & Dinesh
~* June 21, 2013 *~
