Weddings – Vegas Style!

Posted on 22. May, 2011 by Corey Hartford in Random

Vegas, baby!

This past weekend I got to share in the joy of my brother-in-law’s wedding, Vegas style. I’ve never been to a Vegas wedding before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Were the rumors of thirty-second ceremonies and Elvis officiants true? Would ten dollars in chips really be bestowed upon the happy couple upon exit? Both to my relief and disappointment, none of the above was true. I will say, however, that Vegas knows how to get folks hitched. I mean, when they say the ceremony starts at 7:30pm, the ceremony *starts* at 7:30pm. There’s no playing around here. Why? Because the next wedding is booked for 8:00pm, and that includes your ceremony, vows, sloppy kisses, and yes, even the family photos.

But, it was done beautifully, it was done efficiently, and frankly, it was just done well. The officiant/pastor/preacher was sincere in his speech, although I am sure the words have graced this room a thousand times (if you need to put things in perspective, Mandalay Bay performed *thirty-seven* weddings the day of our own ceremony. The chapel was more akin to a fine hotel – with a lobby, a main reception area with friendly faces behind the desk to point you in the right direction.

Now, this was all a stark contrast to my own (and awesome) wedding ceremony. Over a year of planning, multiple trips to Austin from LA (we were living in Burbank at the time but wanted to get married in the city where we met/went to school/fell in love), hundreds of hours examining the myriad different flowers, napkins, and chair covers from which we could choose.

(sidetone – a small wedding does not, in any way, necessarily mean an easier wedding. The same amount of work is needed whether you have 30 or 300 people – the only difference, in the end, is the cost)

While I may be a little biased, my own wedding was, hands down, the greatest wedding on the planet. The venue overlooked the Austin hill country, the food was divine, the people partied down, the reception was an exceptional balance of elegance and let-loose, and gosh darn it, my bride was simply the most beautiful woman on the planet, period. (sidenote … she still is!)

However, I will say that the day – however flawless it may have been in its execution – would not have been possible without the help of our wedding planner. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, this woman knew weddings. And, considering ours was her first “destination” wedding (aka, not in the same city) she did a phenomenal job. She saved us hundreds of hours on the phone, in line, dealing with vendors – and all the other “unfun” things associated with weddings. Also, her 10-20% discount on most services actually ended up *paying* for her fee … and then some! If you’re about to find yourself walking down the isle sometime soon, do yourself a favor and look into a wedding planner – they pay for themselves most times, so don’t brush off the idea because of cost.

If you want to take the reigns of your wedding all by yourself, the biggest thing you could do to ensure a smooth process is captured in one word: organization. Serious, serious organization. Our “Wedding Binder” must have been 5″ thick by the time we were done with our big day. A section for seating charts, catering, venues, music, wedding dresses – and the 6.2 million other things that go into making a super-special day super-flawless. Whether you’re getting hitched while overlooking the Austin hill country, or whether you have twenty minutes to shine in a Vegas hotel – you’ll need to be as organized and planned out as possible.

If you ever find yourself planning out your big day, don’t be shy about using the internet to make your life easier. There are a million wedding blogs, tips, experts, and videos online waiting to help make your day crazy-awesome without being crazy-stressful. Whether it’s what to say at a toast, or even if you’re wondering if your wedding is tax deductible, all the answers are out there, you just gotta dig around a little.

Oh yeah … so back to Vegas. The ceremony was short and sweet, the bride was beautiful, the husband shed a tear as his future Mrs. walked toward him down the isle, and we all celebrated by quickly losing $300 on “Let it Ride” immediately after the ceremony

Save Time – Consult the Pros!

To prove that I wasn’t lying about all the information being out there, here are just a few videos you can find on YouTube to help you plan out *your* big day – check em’ out!

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