Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Willi Wedding Extravaganza - location, location, location

In case you live under a rock {or just don't pay me very much attention}, Mr. Willi and I celebrated our first wondrous year of wedded bliss this past Saturday... and since I'm not ready to stop singing it from the mountaintops, so begins a week of complete self-indulgence and reminiscing.


First on this trip down memory lane, our location... two words: Vegas, baby ♠♣♥♦



Confession time: Vegas wasn't our first choice {gasp!}. We were knee deep in planning a hometown wedding and it was beyond time consuming. One day, while sifting through an endless pile of swatches, "Sin City Weddings" on WeTV popped up on the tube {of course I remember the name of the show that changed it all}. I didn't really pay it any attention because the first 15 minutes were supremely cheesy {think Elvis, drive-thrus, etc.} Cut to the last 15 and I was captivated. The weddings were... normal... even... dare I say—lovely.

Could we really have a "normal" wedding in Las Vegas? Would anyone even come to said "normal" wedding?

After the show, I called up the mister and asked rather timidly, "What do you think about Las Vegas?" He clearly knew what I was talking about—and he didn't laugh me off the phone, so I knew I had him. 

We're not very traditional, so there's no reason our wedding had to be!

Countless hours on The Knot Las Vegas board, a ridiculous amount of phone calls, and one {yes, only one} scouting trip later, we were ready. 

The fun began with a Meet and Greet Bowling Party at the Orleans Hotel and CasinoI'm still so glad we did this! I knew we didn't really want a full on rehearsal dinner, but a few hours of bowling, pizza and adult beverages were all we needed to kick off our wedding weekend. It was truly an activity that everyone {of all ages} enjoyed, and it was nice to have a party like this that was so reflective of our personalities. 


We were married in the Treasure Island Hotel...  perfect central location and the chapel was cute and quaint. What {or I guess who} really sold me was the officiant. I saw a couple of his ceremonies and they made the decision pretty simple. 


Our ceremony was smack in the middle of the strip, but our reception was downtown in Old Vegas. We hopped shuttles north to Firefly* at The Plaza for an all-you-can-eat tapas banquet. The food was superb, our space {although awkwardly designed} was set up beautifully and the staff was just phenomenal.



After the reception, we headed back to the strip for an impromptu after party at Blush at the Wynn. More booze, giant velvet couches and awesome music. What more could a girl ask for?


All in all, the Willi Wedding Extravaganza was pretty stinkin' awesome. Which makes sharing these details oh-so-fun! 

Next installment... the EATS! I know you're excited {I certainly am}.

Stay tuned...

 




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