Ceremony and accomodations: Wynn Las Vegas: A+++++++++++++++++
I cannot say enough good things about the Wynn in general. We had such a great experience there. Every staff person we encountered spoke to us with a huge smile on their face, and everyone was so friendly. We wanted for nothing.
Accomodations: We stayed in a resort room and it was fantastic. One entire wall of the room is floor to ceiling windows, and we had a wonderful view out onto the strip. The bed was super comfortable and the linens very silky. We had a sofa and ottoman as well as a small table with 2 chairs and a desk area, and a large flat screen TV. The bathroom was huge, with 2 sinks and a vanity area in between, and a small flat screen TV there as well. It also had a jacuzzi tub, separate glass shower, and separate room for the toilet.
Wedding salons: We almost didn't consider having our wedding here because of the cost, but the minute we saw the Primrose Courtyard we knew it was the place for us, and without a doubt it was worth every penny we spent. From day one my wedding coordinator Kabbie made me feel like my wedding was as important to her as it was to me. I was never just another bride. Kabbie and her assistant Angela were there every step of the way and made my planning so stress free. She was always quick to respond to my questions and offered great ideas and suggestions to work within our budget. We were also able to bring our own officiant and customize our entire ceremony which was really important to us.
One of the things that really made a difference to me and allowed me to be totally at ease on my wedding day was the fact that we planned everything well in advance at Kabbie's suggestion. She was ready to start working on details as soon as we booked the date and time (which was 8 months in advance). At the 6 month mark she suggested we start gathering thoughts and ideas, and we finished everything one month in advance so that during that last push we had one less thing to worry about.
We did have a minor technical difficulty with the music during the ceremony which caused a slight delay, and while it was a bit frustrating to have to wait to get it sorted out, everything else that day was more than perfect. The staff at the wedding salons (and especially Kabbie) were really upset by this glitch and went out of their way to let us know that and to make it up to us. But it took nothing away from a truly amazing day. My wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed of, and I know a lot of that is due to the staff at the Wynn.
Floral: Everything you've heard about the flowers at the Wynn is true. When my bouquet was delivered to my room I started crying it was so beautiful. I had sent Kabbie a picture of what I wanted and the finished product was even more than I imagined. We discussed decor for the courtyard in detail, but when I came into the hallway on my way into the ceremony and saw it for the first time my jaw dropped. It was like a piece of paradise and was simply stunning.
Cashman photography: We specifically chose Joe to take our pictures based on his proof book I had seen, and we are so glad we did. He was so easy to work with and took some gorgeous photos.
Our appointment to view the pictures was the morning after our wedding and was easier than I anticipated. I expected to sit through a high pressure sales pitch and to have to make all our decisions on the spot, but that wasn't the case. They presented all the options and pricing, and while we were able to select the prints included with our package we weren't pressured to even do that if we wanted to continue to review them. Overall a good experience.
I highly recommend the Wynn to anyone considering a Vegas wedding. They truly redefine customer service and go above and beyond with everything they do.
Photography: Ron Miller: A+
We love working with Ron! I have only seen some teasers so far and they are great! I can't wait to see the rest. He has such a good eye for detail and I love his perspective.
Ron and his assistant Deanne are both so so easy going and fit right in with all our guests. The next day everyone was talking about how they took pictures all night long and were always working to get a good vantage point. At one point Ron was even behind the bar taking pictures - wish I had seen that!
Hair and makeup: Lori White: A+
Lori is so wonderful! She was always prompt to answer my emails, and was flexible to meet with me for a trial a couple of months before my wedding. She listened to my ideas and then added her special touch. She is a true artist and made me look and feel more beautiful than I ever have on my wedding day! I received so many compliments and couldn't have asked for anything more. Despite a quite windy day and taking pictures outside my hair held up nicely and my makeup was still perfect at the end of the night.
Reception: Maggiano's: A+
Because our reception had a later start (8pm) we didn't want tableside ordering or a traditional plated meal, so family style service at Maggiano's was a perfect fit. We're very familiar with their food so knew it would be excellent, and the fact that it was right across from the Wynn and needed no additional decor made it a logical choice. We were also glad to have access to the outdoor patio to enjoy the nice weather.
Marc and Cassy were wonderful vendors. They answered what seemed like a dozen inquiries as to availability, and then once everything was booked were always quick to answer any questions I had regarding logistics or menu options. Our banquet captain was Krista and she worked our event flawlessly. She was there to greet us upon our arrival, then kept everything flowing nicely and interacted with me as necessary. She even made sure all of our leftover cake was boxed up for us to take.
We had the Calabria and Abruzzi rooms and it was perfect (9 tables, and 68 guests). The buffet of appetizers was set up in the Abruzzi room in the corner near the pillar since that space is kind of a dead zone and it was ideal. When we entered we did our introduction, first dance, thank you and blessing and we went right into dinner since the appetizers had already been served while our guests were waiting for us.
We used the Special Occasion menu. The food was outstanding, and our guests raved about it even the next day. Our menu was as follows:
Appetizers: Crispy zucchini fritte, and Mozarella marinara
Salads: Antipasti and Caesar
Pastas: Baked ziti with sausage, and Four cheese ravioli with pesto alfredo sauce
Entrees: Chicken marsala and beef tenderloin
Desserts: Apple crostada and NY cheesecake
We also upgraded the bar to include the martini option which was definitely worth it!
An added bonus is that they put menu cards on each table - one less thing to worry about!
Cake: Freed's Bakery: A
Freed's is one of the preferred vendors at Maggiano's but we ordered our cake on our own and chose a package without cake instead. What I wanted was outside the cake allowance given in the package pricing so it was more cost effective for us to do it this way.
Our cake was exactly as I pictured it and it was delicious! The tiers were: Red velvet with cream cheese, chocolate with bavarian creme and raspberry puree, and almond with amaretto.
Centerpieces: The Palette: A
We used Pam at the Palette for our centerpieces for our reception, and it was quick and easy. I emailed her to set up a phone consultation, we discussed my ideas and she sent a quote within a day or 2. Other paperwork (contract and payment confirmation) followed just as quickly, and she even called me the day before our wedding to confirm the delivery and time. Our flowers were exactly as she described and were very pretty. I love the way they gave a little burst of color to the room, and they look great in the pictures. Afterwards she sent us a thank you note which was a nice touch.
DJ: All Night Long: A
Like many others, we used All Night Long at the recommendation of Maggiano's, and their fee counted towards our room minimum.
Ryan was our DJ and he was great. We had given him a list of or major songs, and a general set of guidelines of what we liked and what we didn't like, and left the rest up to him. The music he played during dinner was more than typical elevator music and set a good tone while we were eating. Once people started dancing he played a great mix to keep them on the dance floor all night.
He was also a great emcee for the evening, from introducing us (and Elvis later on) to prompting the toast and cake cutting at the right times.
Eddie Powers as Elvis: A
Eddie Powers is a true entertainer!! I hired him as a surprise and he was a huge hit! He loves what he does and it shows! Because of the later hour he actually sang an extra song and stayed longer for pictures with our guests.
He interacted with the crowd and got them singing along, and everyone really enjoyed his performance.
Gold Coast Bowling Center: A+
We had a bowling party the afternoon after the wedding and it turned out to be an absolute blast!! Everyone had so much fun and Janie was so helpful and easy to work with.
Since our party was mid afternoon we chose a bowling only package as opposed to one that included food. Janie suggested that we give wristbands to everyone to allow them to order at the snack bar and put it on a tab for us, and that turned out to be a great idea. She even had the wristbands waiting for us at the desk when we got there.
I had preassigned everyone to specific lanes, and the staff entered all of the info into the machines for us, and then started the timer for our bowling to begin. We also set it up on a NO TAP format, which basically means that any 9 is scored as a strike. The games go a little faster and it results in some artificially inflated scores which can be fun.
Janie gave DH and I t-shirts for hosting our party there, and everyone got a Gold Coast baseball cap. They had photographers going around to the lanes to take team pictures which we could purchase later. And to top it off, Janie wrote us a Thank You note for hosting our event there!
The only outside food allowed is cake, so we took all our leftover wedding cake and it was just as good the next day :)
This was the perfect way to end all of our wedding festivities. We got a chance to see most of our guests again, and it was nice to be able to reflect on the wedding and reception with everyone while it was still fresh in our minds.
Dress steaming: Fit for a Bride: A
Debi was another vendor who was so easy to work with. She contacted me quickly after I sent in my reservation to confirm the date and time.
The day we arrived in Vegas she actually called to confirm that we had made it so she could coordinate my dress pickup. The nice thing about being at the Wynn was that the wedding salons coordinated everything with her. I dropped my dress off to them and she picked it up there and delivered it there again when it was ready. She did a great job - my dress was perfect!
