Post # 1
Member
9 posts
Newbee
We are getting married in Las Vegas on 10/11/12, a Thursday. We live in Southern California. Since many of our friends and family live out of state or cannot make it to Las Vegas, due to our wedding being on a Thursday, we are thinking of holding our actual reception a month after the cermoney back in Southern California on a Saturday, 11/10/12.
We were thinking that after the cermoney we would just plan to all go to dinner with close family and friends and everyone can just pay their own (since we are having the actual reception later). After reading here it looks like other bees have had the same idea and it didnt seem to go over well.
We cannot afford to pay for an expensive reception dinner in Las Vegas. Any ideas of what we could do after the cermoney that would not seem to be cheap? The fiance thinks we should just tell people we are going to whatever buffet and meet there.
Please help.
Post # 3
Member
1465 posts
Bumble bee
Depending on the time of day you’re getting married, you could go out to lunch, which is usually cheaper than dinner. Also, the Strip is much more expensive than other places in town that no one ever mentions (where only the locals typically go). You may find something there that is amazing and within your budget. If you invite anyone to go along, you need to pay for it.
Post # 4
Member
5891 posts
Bee Keeper
i think if people are traveling to vegas for your wedding, you should be hosting the meal afterwards, even if there is a more formal reception coming later. some of the buffets are pretty reasonable.
Post # 5
Member
1158 posts
Bumble bee
I agree that you should feed your guests.I think it is better to go someplace inexpensive mom and pop,diner etc.than to not provide a meal.I don’t think people expect you to provide two receptions.Is it possible to have cake punch and finger sandwiches at the location of the ceremony?
Post # 6
Member
1465 posts
Bumble bee
Since the wedding is in Vegas, most venues don’t allow cake and punch if it is anywhere on the Strip unless you are marrying in a hotel room, becasue they give you a very short period of time before the next couple is scheduled to marry and they want you to buy their expensive reception packages instead.
Post # 7
Member
9 posts
Newbee
The cermony site is just a small Las Vegas chapel. The cermony with pictures and everything is only going to be an hour and that is all the time we can have at the chapel. In order to do something small and informal after we would need to book another venue and that would take more money (which we dont have, that is one reason we are getting married in Las Vegas).
Many people cannot make the trip to Las Vegas and that is why we are planning on having our real reception later.
The people that are going to Las Vegas are immediate family and then close friends (our immediate families – brothers, sisters, parents and everyone’s significat others) just happen to total over half the people actually coming to Las Vegas.
If people know there will be no reception following the cermony before atteding the wedding can we get away with not having a reception in Las Vegas?
Post # 8
Member
2440 posts
Buzzing bee
I would try to figure something out for those people. I’d be unhappy to drive the 4ish hours to Vegas, pay for a hotel room, take off work, go to your wedding, and then be told to go find our own lunch/dinner. Depending on how many people it is, there are some really good places that would be cheap. Cut out something from your “real” reception to be able to pay for the people willing to make the drive out there.
Post # 9
Member
2254 posts
Buzzing bee
@brittanymarchelle: this is your wedding being attended by your closest friends and family who know you best. Though it would be nice to feed them, if you can’t afford it, then it means you can’t afford it. I think if you opt to let your guests know of your situation, they will understand. If I was told this, I would be fine. I wouldn’t want my close friend or family member struggling.
Post # 10
Member
9 posts
Newbee
@redhead46 We will make sure people know that there is no actual reception right after but we still plan to party on the strip a bit that night (just not fit the bill for everyone). If people don’t want to drive the distance to just see us exchange vows, I am 100% okay with it.
@Olive12 people have basically stated they don’t care if there is a reception because we will be in Las Vegas. My best friend and Maid/Matron of Honor is driving in from Oregon to come and she has stated she could care less if there is anything because it will still be fun.
All friends and family are aware we chose Las Vegas because it is cheap and because we didn’t have the money to have a wedding in So. Cal on the beach like originally planned.
I think that reading other bee’s similar posts has made me a crazy person. I wouldn’t care if there was no formal reception or food at someone else’s wedding so maybe that’s why I don’t see it as a big deal.I am also not a traditional bride, at all.
I just wanted to get some other’s thoughts on the subject.
Post # 11
Member
822 posts
Busy bee
i think if you’re planning on having everyone go to dinner after the ceremony, then you should pay for the meal. it doesn’t have to be an expensive reception. depending on the number of people, i would try to book a restaurant with a semi-private room. most restaurants with private rooms are usually fine with you bringing in your own cake. if you can find a small budget, i can suggest some places. i go to vegas pretty often and we tend to eat at restaurants off the strip. i’m actually looking for an inexpensive place for a rehearsal dinner. it seems like a lot of hosting — rehearsal dinner, wedding reception dinner, day after brunch.
Post # 12
Member
726 posts
Busy bee
Well, these are your closest friends and family and while it may be rude to not feed them, they likely know your financial situation and understand it. Like someone else said, I wouldn’t want my friend/family member struggling to pay for me.
We’re doing a destination wedding and bbqing at the cabin we’re staying at (but I know this won’t work in Vegas).
Is it possible for you and your fiance to rent a suite at a hotel, rather than just a room? Then it would be big enough that you could have a cake and sandwiches and you could party it up in your suite.
My fiance’s grandmother thought it was crazy we were worried about dinner for our guests. She said when she got married, they’d have a cake and punch and everyone was just fine with it. Lol, its funny how times have changed.
Post # 13
Member
822 posts
Busy bee
i like the idea of doing something in the room. you don’t have to get a fancy suite, just something large enough for everyone. i went to a small wedding and they had the hotel cater the reception in the room. when i was going through my photographer’s site, i saw many couples get married in a chapel and host a small party in a hotel room. depending on the time of your ceremony, you can probably get away with just cake and punch/champagne. then after cake and punch, you can thank everyone and mention that you’re planning on eating at a certain restaurant or buffet at a certain time and people can join you if they want. that way there’s a gap between the ceremony and dinner. people don’t feel like they have to go straight from the chapel to the restaurant. they can go back to their rooms, change, play a hand of poker, and can meet up with you for dinner if they want.
Post # 14
Member
726 posts
Busy bee
@profiterole: Haha yeah, I’ve never been to Vegas so I have no idea how the hotel rooms are! If they are big enough, then you don’t need a suite. here in TN, to have anything over 4 ppl in the room without squishing ppl in, you almost always need a suite!
Post # 15
Member
9 posts
Newbee
@paigers91 and @profitefole I really like the in the suite idea for a small cake and champagne reception. I didn’t even think of that idea at all. 🙂
Post # 16
Member
822 posts
Busy bee
since it’s during the week, hotel rates should be a lot cheaper too. some of the older hotels still have large-ish suites that are still pretty nice. we were just in vegas last month to do to last minute wedding stuff and i booked a suite at vdara (our favorite hotel). i think we paid about $90 for the night and the room was over 500 square feet with a small kitchenette. when we were there to look at venues, our best man upgraded our room to the panoramic suite. it was over 800 square feet (larger than some big city apartments). hotel rooms and suites are cheap in vegas. i am always disappointed when i go to another city and the hotel rooms are expensive and not as nice.
send me a private message if you’re interested in a link for a friends and family discount for harrah’s casinos (paris, rio all suite hotel, bally’s, planet hollywood, and a few others). i don’t feel comfortable posting it because it’s from my cousin. she works for harrahs corporate. it’s not always the cheapest option but i was able to stay in paris for $69 on a weekend night once using the discount.
shop around and consider off strip hotels like rio, the palms, gold coast…i think they are perfectly fine. if you will need at least ten hotel rooms, contact them to do a room block. room blocks are for increments of ten! i always get groupon, dealery, and other discount emails for hotel rooms in vegas. the last one was 3 nights for some resort for about $129. i think that one has expired but there’s always a new deal every week or so.
if you have a costco membership, their cakes and cupcakes are cheap and tastes really yummy. let me know if you want to go the real cake route. i just did two cake tastings last month and i can tell you which bakery i prefer. run over to a liquor store and buy some verdi spumante. it’s inexpensive and gets the job done.
i think you can still make this a nice wedding ceremony without spending a lot of money. your closest friends and family will understand. they are going to vegas to help celebrate your marriage — not for the rubbery chicken. i think the cake and punch/champagne will make it celebratory without breaking the bank.
