Hello everyone! I have never posted on these boards before,
but I am a long time lurker, and many of my ideas and decisions have come from reading
these boards, so I have decided to pay it forward to future brides by posting
some reviews! Also because I loved all my vendors SO SO much (as you will see
from all the A+’s). I’ll just start by saying that on Friday, May 9
th,
2014, I had the wedding of my dreams in Las Vegas; it was better than I could
have ever imagined and everything and everyone I worked with exceeded my
expectations.
WestJet – A+
We booked direct flights from Winnipeg, MB, to Las Vegas,
NV, both ways, arrived on Monday, May 5th, and returned on Tuesday,
May 13th. I read somewhere that if you are flying WestJet with a
wedding dress, you could ask the boarding desk to be included in early boarding
and then lay your dress on the top of other carry-on luggage in the overhead
storage, since they do not have closets. So while we were waiting to board, I asked
the lady at the boarding desk and she confirmed it was no problem for us to be included
in the early boarding with my dress. After a Vegas-related trivia game they
played with all of us waiting to board (how cool is that?!), the same lady approached
me & then-FI and asked for our boarding passes. She came back with new
seats for us – 4A and 4C – she upgraded us to their Plus section! -obviously 4B
was an empty seat :-) Their Plus section includes free drinks/snacks, more leg room, etc, and best of
all, my dress got its very own overhead storage section all to itself!! As
great as all of this was, the most important thing is that WestJet got us to
our destinations safely, and on time.
Presidential Limousine – A+
We actually booked with them for 2 separate occasions, both
times the Executive Escalade Limo that seats 8 – total cost each time including
tax (gratuity not included) was $91.00. The 1st time was for pick-up
at McCarran International Airport and drop-off at our hotel, The Flamingo Hotel
& Casino, for the two of us + 6 of our family/friends. Due to airport error
(they took our luggage to the wrong terminal) we ended up waiting for 1.5
hours. We only booked the limo for 1 hour, but ended up taking 2 hours total of
their time. When the limo driver dropped us off at The Flamingo, he told us we
would only be charged the 1 hour! We thanked him profusely, and gave him a
hefty tip. The 2nd time we used them was on the day of the wedding
for 1 hour, where they drove us from the Platinum Hotel, to the Famous Las
Vegas Sign, and back to the Platinum. For both trips we received complimentary
champagne & water bottles. Both drivers were on time, and they were polite
and professional. Their online booking
was quick and easy, and they even have an iPhone app which notifies you when
your driver is on route and the status of your ride! This company is great and I
would recommend them to anyone.
Clark County Marriage License Bureau – A+
We did the pre-application at home online several weeks ago. The day after we
arrived in Vegas, we took the Deuce bus downtown and stopped at the Marriage
License Bureau. We gave them our confirmation number, showed our driver’s
license, and signed the papers. There was no line-up, and we were in and out in
less than 5 minutes.
Fit for a Bride – A+
I filled out the reservation form at home online for the
Silver Mirror package – steaming of Wedding Gown & Veil, drop-off &
pick-up at their location. The cost was $100, and in my opinion it was well
worth it. The lady at the front counter (not Debi) was very friendly and
helpful. When I picked up my dress the next day, it was wrapped beautifully and
they used tissue paper in my wedding colours – royal blue & silver.
Harmony – A+++++
Harmony. Is. Amazing. Within 10 minutes of meeting her, I
felt like we had been friends forever. She is SO nice and friendly. I showed
her pictures of how I wanted my hair and make-up to look, and she was bang on –
even better than I imagined. She made me look more beautiful than I have ever
looked in my entire life. I also paid for my 2 MOH’s to have their hair &
make-up done by Harmony, they both also loved her and loved how she did their
hair & make-up. I thought my ladies were absolutely stunning. We all gave
her a hug when she left, and we made a few comments later in the evening about how
awesome she was. I plan on booking with her again next year for our 1-year
anniversary Vegas trip :-) Ladies who are already booked with Harmony, rest assured that you made the right
decision. Any ladies still deciding, go with Harmony and I promise you will not
be disappointed!
Retro Bakery – A+
I called and spoke with the owner Brian to order a cupcake
tower - 6-inch cutting cake + 120 mini cupcakes. We had originally planned on
going to the bakery a few days before the wedding for taste tasting, but
because their location is so far from the Strip, we decided to just choose
flavours we thought would be good from their website. The flavours we chose
were: (cake) Vanilla cake with peanut butter
buttercream, and (6 flavours for mini cupcakes) Creamsicle, Red Carpet, Coffee
and Donuts, Cookies and Cream, Cotton Candy, and Maple Bacon. Everyone loved all
the cupcakes and the flavours; I think the most popular one among our guests
was the Maple Bacon – might be because we’re all Canadian ;-) Unfortunately I
only got to try the Red Carpet, and our cake of course, and both were absolutely
delicious!! We had it delivered and set up for a fee, and it was on time and
set up beautifully.
Roxi Floral (vendor for Platinum Hotel all-inclusive package)
– A+
I was contacted by Angel via email. Our package came with: Brides Bouquet (12-Rose), Maid of Honor
Bouquet (5-Rose), Groom Boutonniere, Best Man Boutonniere, 2 Bags of Rose Petal
, Custom Designed Centerpiece (8 Centerpieces for Large Tables and 4 Small for
High Boys). Angel was very accommodating with making substitutions, since
we only needed 6 centerpieces total. She was able to include an extra MOH
bouquet, BM boutonniere, sign-in table centerpiece, and boutonnieres for my
dad/step-dad + wrist corsage for my mom, at no extra charge. I emailed her a few times with changes or
pieces I forgot about, and she made the corrections very quickly and with no questions
or problem. She was very easy to communicate with and always responded within
24 hours. I provided her with pictures of what we were looking for – white roses
& blue dendrobium orchids – and they all looked perfect & even better
than the pictures I sent her.
Memory Lane Video (vendor for Platinum Hotel all-inclusive package)
– A+
Our package came with 1 camera coverage of ceremony only.
They had contacted us via email for more comprehensive coverage, which included
more cameras, recording of the reception, etc, but we didn`t really feel the
need to have it all recorded. They emailed the link + password to view the
video very promptly, the very next day. They also give the option for us or
anyone we send the link to to purchase copies of it on DVD (with our
permission). We just finished watching the video, and it was just great, audio and
video were clear. It just brought us back to that moment; I’m really glad it
was captured on video :-)
Pastor Pete Starzyk – Elegant Vegas Weddings (vendor for
Platinum Hotel all-inclusive package) – A+
Pastor Pete contacted us by email with a questionnaire for
my then-FI and I to complete, which included questions about why we chose to
marry each other, how was the proposal, what are our interests, etc. On the day
of, he met with us half an hour before the ceremony to confirm some details, and
explained to my dad and I what to do when we reached the end of the aisle. His
ceremony was fantastic; he made it unique and personal to us based on our questionnaire
answers, he included just the right amount of humour, and all of my guests just
loved him!! I had guests throughout the
night tell me how great they thought he was and how amazing the ceremony was,
and my co-MOH said if she ever gets married she is flying him out to Winnipeg
to perform her ceremony :-)
All Night Long Entertainment (vendor for Platinum Hotel all-inclusive
package) – A+
They had originally contacted us by email to fill out a form
requesting ceremony music, cake cutting song, first dance song, etc, as well as
“must play” and “do not play” song choices for the reception. The DJ
(unfortunately I did not catch his name) was great, he played all the correct songs
and on cue, and he was also a great emcee. Right before dinner I asked him to
make an announcement, and he obliged no problem. The fact that he played all of
our songs as requested, and all of my guests were on the dance floor for the
entire reception, proves just how great the DJ services were, and I would
recommend them to anyone.
Chiemi Photography (vendor for Platinum Hotel all-inclusive package)
– A+
Our package came with photography for 4 hours (7:00-11:00pm),
and 250 4”x6” prints along with a CD of all photo proofs. We had also booked extra
time separately with Chiemi for an additional 2 hours to start at 5:00pm as we
wanted to take “first look” pictures before the ceremony and take a limo to the
Las Vegas Sign for pictures there as well. Chiemi was very easy to communicate
with by email. When she arrived to my hotel room to take pictures of me and my
ladies getting ready, she was so friendly and jumped right in taking pictures
of us. My now-husband says when she came to his room, she was like a
firecracker! She was very energetic and dynamic. She also knew all the great
places around the Platinum Hotel to take pictures, probably because she’s done it
so many times. I have only seen a few of our pictures she has posted on her
Facebook page, and so far they are all amazing! I look forward to seeing the
rest, which she said will be sent to us within 3-4 weeks. I plan on sending her
a thank you card/tip once we receive the final copies. She did a really great
job.
Sin City Entertainment – A+
I admit, I completely stole this idea from @missmo14 ! After I
saw that she hired Elvis and 2 showgirls for her wedding, I knew that that’s
what I wanted for my wedding, as something special for our guests. I brought it
up to my then-FI, thinking he would totally oppose, but he was completely on
board! We made the decision on a whim 2 weeks before the wedding... and I am so
glad we did!! Everybody LOVED taking pictures with Elvis and the 2 showgirls -
they were a hit! The Elvis looked exactly like the real Elvis, and the
showgirls were gorgeous. We were able to keep this a secret so it was a
surprise for our guests. This is an extra expense we did not plan or budget
for, but in the end it was so worth it as it made our wedding extra special and
unique, and it made our guests happy. Thanks for the great idea @missmo14 :-)
The Flamingo Hotel & Casino – B+
We decided to get room blocks at the Flamingo Hotel &
Casino, as well as the Platinum Hotel & Spa where our wedding was held. For
the Flamingo, I contacted Total Rewards, and dealt with Douglas Gardner, Total
Experiences VIP Manager. He was nice and easy to communicate with via email,
always responded promptly. He provided us with a fair rate for our group - $50
per night on weekdays / $123 per night Fri/Sat. We had several of our guests
stay at this hotel, including us from May 5-9th. They were able to
put all parties of our group on the same floor, so all of our rooms were very
close together, which was convenient. The rooms were nice and clean, nothing
special, what was expected for the cost. Our only complaint was the front desk
when checking in – 2 separate guests had to speak with the front desk manager
because the front desk worker (not sure if it was the same girl both times) was
being rude and unhelpful. Other than that, the Flamingo was fine and we would
have no problem staying there again.
New York New York Hotel & Casino – A
I redeemed points from the Facebook game myVEGAS Slots, so we got to stay at this
hotel for one night (Sunday May 11th) for free :-) We also pulled the
newlyweds card, so they upgraded us from the Park Ave room to the Madison Ave
Deluxe room.... not bad for a free night! The room was nice and clean, and we
loved the vibe of the whole hotel and casino, very fresh and modern.
The Platinum Hotel Kil@wat Restaurant & Pool Deck
Wedding Ceremony & Reception –
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Where do I begin?! There are no words to explain how great our
wedding at the Platinum Hotel was. I am SO grateful to you ladies as I heard
about it from The Knot. My then-FI and I went on a scouting trip in Jan 2013, we
walked to the Platinum from the Strip (takes about 15 minutes) and met with Jamie
who was super friendly and helpful. We had originally went there to look into a
ceremony on the Misora rooftop, but then Jamie also showed us the Kil@wat Restaurant
& Pool Deck location, and we fell in love. We booked their all-inclusive
wedding package, and were immediately contacted by the included vendors. I
originally was in contact with Jamie, and then Sandra took over the responsibility.
Both Jamie and Sandra were great to work with, always answered any question I
thought up, and were just incredibly helpful and accommodating. We ended up with 50
guests total. Our dinner was absolutely amazing; it included 3 hand-passed hors
d’oeuvres – we chose vegetable spring rolls, bruschetta, and mini crab cakes. The
stations buffet included fresh bread, fruit display, vegetable display, Caesar salad,
whipped potatoes, Pasta station, and a Carving station with both Prime Rib and
Smoked Turkey. We also got the Platinum Silver Bar menu, which included all
different kinds of beer, wine, and liquor. All of the servers and bartender were extraordinary,
so polite, courteous and professional. They made a plate for my husband and I
so we didn’t have to serve ourselves, and also put a small plate at our table
with all 3 hors d’oeuvres, 2 of each so both of us could try one, we thought that
was very thoughtful of them because we didn’t get a chance to try any during
cocktail hour. Everyone raved that the food was delicious. One of my guests said
he requested a liquor they did not have in the bar, but the bartender left and shortly
returned with it in hand – not sure how he got it, but he did!
We also got a room block for our guests at the Platinum
Hotel, and they gave us a rate of $142 per night, which we thought was fair given
the fact that all of their room are suites, which includes kitchenette, separate
living room space, washer/dryer, bathrooms with double sinks, standing showers
& whirlpool tubs, etc. Also there are no resort fees, and they have free
Wi-Fi, which is hard to find in Vegas! We stayed 2 nights at the Platinum (May
9-10th), the first night was included in our package and we paid for
the 2nd night. After we checked in, they brought up complimentary
champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries. When we returned to our room after
the wedding, they had formed towels to look like swans kissing and red rose
petals on our bed. Their front desk service was wonderful, very polite and
courteous, any time you saw staff around the building – in the elevator, going
around to us hotel guests laying by the pool, etc, they were always so nice and
friendly. I better stop now because I could rave about this place for hours and
hours!
If you decide to have a Platinum wedding, trust me, you will
NOT be disappointed! They completely exceeded our expectations, the view of the
Strip is spectacular, all of our guests keep telling us what a wonderful time they
had, everything was absolutely perfect. This was the best decision we ever
made. We had the perfect wedding.