I'm sure you've all seen this already, but if you haven't, it's good information to know in planning!
The Cosmo's 14th floor pool caught fire yesterday. It's believed to have been started from a lit cigarette thrown from one of the higher rooms. Luckily, there were only 2 injuries at the pool, and the huge blaze was contained in half an hour (100 fire fighters, 35 trucks). Original reports suggested that it was the Aria that was on fire. I think it's their regular pool for guests because Marquee day club is at the front of the resort if I remember correctly.
Sources:
So, other than starting to freak out about the potentials of it happening to us, let's plan! What do we brides & grooms take from this?
Provide for your guests that are smokers.
It is not enough to just say, go smoke outside, especially if you're planning an in-suite wedding. Make sure there are ash trays available, and enough of them to go around, and, of course, check with the hotel to make sure that smoking inside or outside is allowed, first!
If you're doing an indoor venue or the like, have instructions or directions on where to go to safely smoke, be it the casino floor, a designated smoking area, or otherwise. You don't have to stick this on your programs or anything like that unless you have room -- an announcement on a double decker bus, at the start of the reception, or before the ceremony will suffice.
It's easy for a non-smoker to say, 'well they will just have to go without for my ceremony and reception,' but we're playing hosts to our guests. We have to accommodate for this. It's like saying you won't serve coffee and only tea because you don't drink coffee (I know I personally would lose my mind, I could live on coffee!) It doesn't need to change your ceremony or reception plans, but is something that a quick e-mail or phone call to your venue(s) and vendor(s) can answer.