The Vegas Wedding Planner has been selected as the winner of the 2010 Aisledash Wedding Blog Award for Best Local Area Blog!

We are so honored that the panel of 5 distinguished judges (Marcy Blum, Colin Cowie, Eric Hildebrand, Mark Ingram, and Liene Stevens) has chosen us as the winner!

If you enjoyed this post, we’d love to read your comment! Also, please consider subscribing to the feed or receiving our articles in your email!

website * Email: juliet@greenorchidevents.com

The Vegas Wedding Planner has been nominated for Best Local Area Blog for the First Annual Aisledash Wedding Blog Awards.  And we are in great company along with fellow nominees Atlanta Occasions, Beantown Bride, and Merci New York.

Please check out the rest of the nominees in the other 12 categories.  A panel of 5 distinguished judges (Marcy Blum, Colin Cowie, Eric Hildebrand, Mark Ingram, and Liene Stevens) will meet to decide on the winner by mid August.  Wish us luck!

On a side note, we would love if you could vote for us for the Weddzilla Guru Blog Awards too.

Thank you again for your support!

If you enjoyed this post, we’d love to read your comment! Also, please consider subscribing to the feed or receiving our articles in your email!

website * Email: juliet@greenorchidevents.com

Financial Questions To Ask Before The Wedding

What is “Day Of” Coordination (DOC) and what is the difference between “Day of” and “Month of” Coordination?

Why does wedding cake cost what it does?

If you enjoyed this post, we’d love to read your comment! Also, please consider subscribing to the feed or receiving our articles in your email!

website * Email: juliet@greenorchidevents.com

Location: Digs a studio of photography
231 West Charleston Blvd, Suite 130
Las Vegas, NV 89102 US
When: Friday, August 14, 6:30PM to 9:30PM
Phone: 702.651.6000

Digs studio invites you to enjoy an evening out with the girls with shopping, food and fun. The first 50 ladies will receive gift bags donated by some of our favorite local vendors. Help us raise funds for our local troops in Iraq with the purchase of raffle tickets. Some of the fabulous raffle prizes include: a custom portrait session with photographer Jeniffer LaRocca; a luxurious massage with Hara, massage studio; a Love Story (a short film created for you about your loved one) by Film Maker Jason Roberts and many others. Meet some of our favorite vendors, enjoy a fashion show and mingle with friends new and old.
All ladies that book their own Girls Night Out or Portrait Session with Digs Studio, at the night of the event, will receive a $50 Studio Print Credit.
Bring a care package item for a soldier and receive one raffle ticket FREE!

Girls Night Out from Digs Studio- Jason Roberts on Vimeo.

Timelines will differ from wedding coordinator to wedding coordinator.  The trick is to make it clear and easy to read for you and any wedding vendors and assistants involved.

I like to start from the date of the bride and groom’s arrival into Las Vegas since the majority of my clients come from out of town.  On each separate day, I’ll include the date the couple goes to the marriage bureau to obtain their marriage license, spa appointments, rehearsal time and location, etc.  These items are not crucial on a timeline but it is my personal preference.

Below is a list of some important items to include on your timeline:

On the top or as a cover sheet:

• Name of Bride & Name of Groom
• Day & Date of Wedding (Saturday, June 6, 2009) – I ALWAYS put the day of the week
• Start time of the ceremony
  
• Start time of the reception
• Ceremony Venue – with address
• Reception Venue – with address
• Names of the bridal party members (at least 1 phone number from each side – Best Man and Maid of Honor)
• Vendors’ Names and Cell phone numbers and arrival times
• Main Point of Contact (Usually independent wedding coordinator or someone you’ve designated as your point of contact)
• The hotel that the bride and groom will be staying at the day prior to the wedding and the night of the wedding with phone numbers to the hotel(s).

Actual Timeline:

Wedding Day: Every item should have a time, task details, and location

X:XX am Green Orchid Events arrives: Las Vegas Hotel room #

Hair & Makeup Room # ____________

• List all girls getting hair and make up done and note the different times. The bride should ideally go last.

X:XX am/pm Name-of-photographer arrives to begin photography coverage

X:XX am/pm Linens set on tables and chairs

X:XX am/pm Floral arrives for ceremony & reception floral/décor setup

X:XX am/pm Bakery delivers wedding cake

X:XX am/pm Bridal party leaves bridal suite and heads to ceremony site

X:XX am/pm Guests begin arriving (about 30 minutes early)

X:XX am/pm Ceremony begins

• Bridal party processional order & name of song
• Bride & escort & name of song
• Recessional order & name of song

X:XX am/pm Ceremony ends

X:XX am/pm Cocktail hour begins – name of room

X:XX am/pm Guests start to move into reception room for (seated or buffet) dinner – name of room

X:XX am/pm Grand Entrance

• Family/Bridal party entrance order (if applicable) Song:  ____ by ____
• Bride & Groom – Introduce as Mr. & Mrs. XX    Song: ____ by ____

X:XX am/pm First Dance – Song: ____ by ____

X:XX am/pm Dinner service begins

• 1st course served – note time
• 2nd course served – note time
• 3rd course served – note time

• Vendor meals – note times and number of meals

X:XX am/pm Champagne Toast

• Best Man –  Name of Best Man
• Maid of Honor – Name of Maid of Honor

X:XX am/pm Cake Cutting – Song: ____ by ____

X:XX am/pm Bouquet Toss – Song: ____ by ____

X:XX am/pm Open dancing

X:XX am/pm Dinner reception concludes

• Strike: DJ/Floral/Décor

X:XX am/pm Green Orchid Events coordination service concludes

Screenshot of a sample timeline!

Please note: this is a sample and your wedding doesn’t necessarily need to be in this order but these are important items to keep in your timeline.

Wedding professionals – What are some crucial items on your own timeline?

The thought of a single flower at each place setting at a wedding reception has always appealed to me.   Not only does it add so much to your table decor, it is a nice way to show your guests your appreciation.

Blumebox offers a nice way of displaying your flowers.  From a single bloom to a mini arrangement, Blumebox carries modern, low cost, and recyclable vases that gives you an alternative to the standard glass or ceramic vase.

A few days ago, while I was looking into purchasing a dress for an upcoming photo session with my friend Adam of Imagine Photography, I came across an Ebay auction for this dress.  And I have fallen head over heels in love with this dress!

After a bit of research, I’ve learned that the red dress is the same designer as my own wedding dress – Maggie Sottero!  Maggie Sottero tends to design asymmetrical dresses with a side gathering and I’ve realized that I’m a fan of this style.

The thought of wearing a red or a non white/ivory wedding dress is odd for some (I thought about it however I changed my mind for some reason) but it is gaining popularity as brides are starting to do away with some of the wedding traditions.

Would you wear a red dress on your wedding day?

Bride and grooms have so many options when selecting their rehearsal dinner location that it can be exciting yet overwhelming!  From a traditional sit down restaurant to a non traditional venue like a wine bar or bowling alley, the Las Vegas bride and groom have plenty of options.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Bootlegger Bistro – 24 hour comfortable and cozy Italian restaurant only 5 minutes from Mandalay Bay

Brio Tuscan Grille – located at Town Square and has a replica of the Roman Coliseum that may be curtained off for private functions

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba – located at the Fashion Show Mall.  If you’re early enough, you’ll be able to make Happy Hour for Sangria and tapas.

Daniel Boulud Brasserie – beautiful French brasserie inside Wynn Las Vegas. Enjoy the Lake of Dreams show while you dine; large private dining room available. 1 Michelin star, 2008

Dos Caminos – modern Mexican restaurant inside Palazzo Las Vegas. Private dining room available.  Known for their mouthwatering guacamole.

Fadó Irish Pub – located in Henderson.  Upstairs space available for private parties.  Grab a pint, some cheese dip, and celebrate your upcoming wedding the Irish way!

Hostile Grape (Wine Cellar, Bar, Tasting Room) – located at M Resort on the South side. Sample 1, 3, or 5 ounce pours.

Maggiano’s – family style Italian restaurant located in the Fashion Show Mall. Private dining rooms available.

Red Square – Russian restaurant located in Mandalay Bay. Dinner, caviar and vodka.  Private vodka vault:  Experience the frozen icebar with over 200 frozen vodkas and martinis

Shibuya – the best Japanese restaurant here in town (according to my father – former Bay Area Japanese restaurant owner) is located at MGM Grand.  Prepare the plastic with your highest limit prior to making reservations.

Ventano - Italian restaurant and oyster bar located in Henderson.  Sweeping views of the city

Vintner Grill – Italian restaurant located in Summerlin

VIP Bowling Lanes at Red Rock Casino – private suites may be reserved with catering and bottle service.

Due to the demand, Las Vegas has realized the need for a dedicated salesperson or sales team for private/group dining or a catering department and many restaurants now have that available.

A few things to keep in mind when planning your rehearsal dinner.

• When making reservations for a large group, you will be required to guarantee your reservation with a credit card and contract.
• You’ll be required to select a menu and your guests won’t be able to order off the regular dinner menu
• The majority of restaurants don’t have an option for a hosted bar package.  Beverages are mainly charged on consumption.
• There may be a limit on your time there (usually 2  – 3 hours).
• You will be required to give the restaurant a guarantee (guest count) 3 business days to two weeks prior to your event so treat it as an event and ask your guests to rsvp.
• Unless you’re in a private dining room, speeches and toasts may not be allowed so plan accordingly
• Sales tax and an automatic gratuity of at least 20% will be added to your bill

Happy planning!

“Prior to the ceremony the wedding day is often a wonderful, chaotic frenzy, filled with slipping into the dress and any last minute final touches. But in the midst of all the hustle and bustle leading up to the ceremony, there are moments when time seems to slow down, if only for a minute, and it allows everything to be taken in. That is the significance behind this image. This photo was taken in the bridal salon just minutes before Daniela was about to walk down the aisle and greet her smiling husband-to-be. Her mom and bridesmaids were busy fastening up her dress. But there was a moment where everything stopped — and Daniela had this beautiful pensiveness about her, and I just had to capture it.”

I truly believe that every wedding is beautiful. Every bride has a different style and different wants and needs for her special day.

I wasn’t very much of a girly girl and wasn’t too big into decor.   I didn’t care about fancy linens and didn’t care much for an extravagant ceremony altar piece.  The Four Seasons Hotel was kind enough to provide standard but pretty floor length linens (all I cared about was that they were floor lengh) and an overlay and chargers (usually upgrades).   My focus was the food and service.   I wanted to be taken care of and I wanted the staff to be attentive.  I picked the Four Seasons Hotel because I wanted a venue that was naturally beautiful and that didn’t need a lot of “work”.  I had more important things to do than pick out a swatch of fabric and worry about centerpieces.  I hated chair covers but couldn’t imagine spending $10+ per chair for an upgrade (over $40 for my guest list of 41).  Thankfully their banquet chairs were pretty nice.  So, no thanks on the chair rentals.  That $400 can go towards an open bar.  Dinner wasn’t too fancy but a duet of filet mignon and sea bass doesn’t come cheap there.  We also had an open bar and wine service for dinner.  And you wanna know what people remember about OUR wedding day?  My husband doing the worm dance during our reception and the flowing drinks.

Please note:  Everything mentioned in this post about style reflects my personal taste and has nothing to do with how I plan weddings as a professional wedding planner. As a wedding planner, I love looking through different swatches of fabric with a bride, deciding on which flowers will go in the bride’s bouquet, and talking about event lighting to create an ambiance for the wedding reception.  I do not encourage a couple to spend all of her money on food and beverage if that is not important to them.  And, most importantly, I love attending big fancy parties when I’m not the center of attention.

Here’s a glimpse into my own Las Vegas wedding:

My sister and I went to Robert Cromean’s Salon at Mandalay Bay to get our hair done. We had so much fun with our stylists. I gave them two photos I liked but told them to do whatever they wanted.  As long as I had volume and had my hair half up and half down, I was happy.  They thought I was the coolest bride.

After we left Robert Cromean’s, we checked into our beautiful 180 degree strip view suite. We all (me, Derek, and the bridal party) had lunch in the little dining room area. It was so much fun and relaxing. The few hours spent with Derek and my bridal party was one of the highlights of the entire day.  I then got my makeup done in the bedroom while the guys watched Austin Powers in the living room.  Yup, I don’t really care about tradition except that Derek wanted to see me for the first time in my dress at the ceremony site.

Our wedding ceremony at the balcony off the Mesquite Room. I didn’t want an arch, or a chuppah, or any flowers.

Personalized unity candle with the Irish Wedding Blessing. The breeze didn’t allow us to light it and I’m not keen on the whole sand ceremony thing. I believe I got this off of ebay.  It wasn’t until after the wedding that my mom told me I’m not supposed to have a white candle at my wedding. It’s bad luck in the Chinese culture.  Oops.

On the grand staircase. My mom was not happy that I didn’t wear a veil or a tiara. She said I was missing something as a bride and needed a veil.  I don’t agree.

With my sister and Maid of Honor Jennifer.  Michelle Farber of Fleur de Lis did an amazing job on my flowers. I love the huge full roses and green cymbidium orchids (my favorite of course!).  I added a 4 leaf clover brooch in honor of Derek’s Irish heritage.

My mom made this bamboo arrangement for luck and bought these Chinese bobbleheads from Chinatown.

Family friend and talented pianist Jim played piano during the cocktail hour.

The beautiful Mesquite Room with windows!

Final group shot.  Apparently, shots were included in my bar package.  

One of my favorite photos of us:

All photos by Advanced Photographics.