With more than 120,000 weddings performed each year, Las Vegas is one of the top locations for a destination wedding, offering a full range of options (for all budgets) to entice couples, their families and friends with shows, dining, casinos, golf, spas, shopping and more.
And event planners – particularly wedding planners – need to know all of the elements that go into planning and executing a destination wedding, whether it’s in Vegas or elsewhere. But it’s important to remember that this is a very personal ceremony, which is why wedding planners must offer numerous event options for each bride and groom.
THEwedding chapel at Mandalay Bay is one of the most recognized venues for hosting an elegant and contemporary wedding in Vegas. And they offer a variety of wedding chapel packages for couples to consider.
Chapel Wedding Planners
THEwedding chapel averages between 1,400 and 1,800 weddings each year, so it requires a tremendous amount of organizational and logistics skills on the part of the staff wedding planners, according to Ada Casanova, Assistant Manager at THEwedding chapel at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. And the volume is expected to increase for 2009.
THEwedding chapel has seven wedding planners on staff, so that equates to roughly 200 or more weddings each year per planner. And there are two full time ministers on staff (ordained in Las Vegas) who officiate the ceremonies. “Our job as wedding planners is to help take away the stress around the wedding,” Casanova adds.
With three wedding chapels – two hold 50 guests and one holds up to 100 guests – to manage the volume, wedding planners schedule each ceremony 15 minutes apart at each chapel. Wedding planners will only book two of the chapels at any given time. Weddings are booked about three to six months in advance, but it’s also not unusual to get requests within 24 hours or as much as 11 months out, Casanova explains.
As expected, Vegas weddings are scheduled all year long, but the volume slows down during the winter months of November through February. Spring and summer are the most popular months, as well as dates with numerical patterns (e.g., 7/7/07, 8/8/08, 9/9/09, 6/07/08, etc.) or the Fourth of July.
Chapel Wedding Packages
“Our chapel is very modern and showcases different areas, not just inside,” Casanova clarifies. “We look to create innovative themes.”
This may include anything from seasonal promotions to creating an eco-chic environment. And couples who marry at THEwedding chapel also have the option of having their ceremony at some outside locations on the Mandalay Bay property, such as the shark reef area.
For planners interested in holding a destination wedding at Mandalay Bay, up to 12 different packages and themes are available. A standard package includes the ceremony, bouquet, boutonniere, bridal garter, photography, wedding certificate holder, bottle of champagne, pianist and minister.
Variations of the standard packages will also include options for additional photos, wedding party photography, bride’s large bouquet, maid of honor’s bouquet, best man’s boutonniere, unity candle and service, hors d’oeuvres options, the honeymoon suite, breakfast in bed room service, champagne dinner for two, spa services, hotel champagne flutes, DVD recordings of the ceremony, tickets to shows, access to personal coordinators, and more.
Options also include the ability to hold the ceremony at Mandalay Bay’s shark reef or in a cabana. Wedding packages begin at roughly $2,000 and an additional $400 will provide the couple with a basic honeymoon suite (other upgrades available).
Vegas Wedding Details
Most weddings include anywhere from 30-60 guests, and the couple frequently selects a mid-range package. It’s important to flag that anyone under 21 years old will not be able to drink or gamble in Vegas casinos. “I’ve had couples who can’t drink on their wedding night,” Casanova comments.
Couples who marry in Vegas are required to obtain a marriage license in Vegas ($55 cash plus a photo ID), but wedding planners at Vegas chapels will help handle guide brides and grooms through the process.
To be sure, many additional essentials go into planning a destination wedding, and basic elements in addition to the chapel ceremony include:
- Catering
- Room Design
- Entertainment
- Photography
- Accommodations
- Transportation
- Gifts
Depending on the complexity of the wedding, most planners organizing a destination wedding may need to coordinate the logistics of each of these areas separately, but wedding chapel planners will help guide the process.
Of course, there are numerous wedding chapel options available in Las Vegas, including the famed Elvis weddings at Graceland Wedding Chapel (where couples may have use of the chapel and Elvis will sing and escort the bride).
And for those who are interested in all of the practicals details of weddings, About.com’s Guide to Weddings Nina Callaway has all the fine points covered about wedding dresses, attire, music, food, cakes and more.
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