Back and Married!!

[Amber]

Well ladies, I'm baaaaack! We had a fabulous time in Vegas! First off anyone going there don't forget there are food courts, we ate at a few nice places that were pricey, we didn't know there was a food court in our resort until our 2nd or 3rd day! But we had so much fun! My HUSBAND won $600 at the Craps table! It was cool. We saw so much. We walked a lot, so I think I burned some calories, hehe! We saw the Titanic exhibit which was incredible, and we saw the IMAX movie Haunted Castle, and we shopped and walked around, and had a great time. The wedding was great! Except that NO ONE did their speeches, not my Dad, not the best man nor my maid of honor! I think no matter how long you make your wedding day events it will seem to go by quickly. I was a little disappointed that the staff at the chapel nor or DJ didn't structure things better (me and my husband remembered nearly at the last minute that the bouquet and the garter hadn't been tossed so we did get that done!!)....but we danced, took tons of pics and shared laughter and tears, no wedding day is perfect....and honestly I am not that upset about those few kinks....if that is the "worst" then it was pretty close to perfect!!! We even rode around on my FIL's Harley with his tux on and my huge dress! But we changed eventually into jeans and stuff and had a real send off. It was awesome. I have some wonderful memories to cherish forever! I now realize that it is just 1 day and wish I hadn't been so crazy and stressed about things! I did enjoy it and loved that we did it all, finally! Tomorrow is back to work (suck!) but I am excited about my future! I am chaning my D.L. tomorrow and bankcards and things, yay! I am so relieved it is all done, it was fun, but now its time to just enjoy life and not have a huge weight on me! =)

[WhiskeyGirl]

Congratulations and welcome back!! I'm glad to hear that you had a wonderful wedding day! It sounds like it was an absolute blast and that you all enjoyed yourselves! Congrats.

~CanadianBride~

[LaceyinPgh]

Congrats on the wedding. I'm glad to hear that it went well and you enjoyed yourself.

[sstark1218]

Congrats! Everything sounds like it went well. My FH and I are going to Vegas as well, any other tips for us? We aren't going until June so things will no doubt be different, but any advice would be great! Congrats again!

[Amber]

I think for advice, I would definitely point out to realize there should be a food court in your hotel! Haha! Where are you staying? A few nice restaurants were okay for us, well a couple rather, but it gets expensive. I would check out the living statues in Ceasar's Palace, they come out every hour, really cool, and we saw an IMAX movie at the Luxor where we stayed, lots of fun. There is so much to see and do. The Titanic Exhibit travels so I don't think it will be there when you go, it just happened to be at the Tropicana when we were there so I was excited! Every hotel has different things going on, there is the stratosphere, and a rollercoaster in front of New York, New York, it is so awesome, there are lights everywhere, its crazy I've never seen anything like it! I am sure you and your FH will love it! =)

[usahgrad]

Congrats Amber! When do we get to see pictures? Lol! Glad to hear you had such a good time and everything went as smoothly as it could go. Enjoy being married; we'll all be with you soon!

[sstark1218]

Thats awesome. We are staying at the Stratosphere actually, so I know quite a bit about what goes on there, but that's just a small part of our trip. I know there's so much to do, but I am the type that would like to have it all planned before we get there...

[LaceyinPgh]

If you are like me, and love animals I would definately check out the "Seceret Garden" and dolphin habitat at the Mirage hotel. There is a really cool predator based aquarium at Mandalay Bay that is worth a stop too. The Roman Circus at Ceasar's Palace is always fun to check out. Shopping at the Bilagio and the Venetian and Paris is my favorite past time.

Now for ultimate romance if you are into getting all dressed up and spending some cash....The Fontana Bar at the Bellagio. It always has a great jazz band playing. It is very private. And it has this gorgeous balcony that overlooks the fountains. It is a great place for celebrity sightings too. It is my absolute FAVORITE place in Vegas. I highly recommend their Bellini's.

As places to eat go, I was highly disappointed by Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse. The servie was terrible and food was only so so for what I was paying. Le Cirque is always good but very expenise. I would recommend it for a special night though. They have a fixed menu where they charge the same price per person and you get to pick from the chef's offerings. I have never been let down.

My final two bits of advice are this....WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. You have no idea the amount of walking that is to be done. Invest in a couple cute pairs of dress flats. Don't even bother with high heels. Also, pack a light sweater to wear in the casino's during the day and a nice evening wrap for at night. Even though it is 100 outside they keep the air cranked up on high. I about froze to death in Las Vegas in August.

[sstark1218]

Wow, lacey, thanks for all the info! I can't wait to go. We are trying our best to save every penny we can so we can go to a couple expensive restaurants/shows, etc. How much spending money do you think is appropriate or how much did you ladies spend? I know everyone is different in shopping habits, budgets, etc, but how much would you need to have a good time in Vegas for a week?! Thanks again!

[CarlosHoney]

Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful time! Congrats!

[LaceyinPgh]

Gosh spending money isn't really something I worry about when we go to Vegas. I just plant Sean at a craps or blackjack table then go and entertain myself for awhile. Then when funds start to run low I go and collect some of his chips and it is off again. It is like the best of both worlds...a great vacation with him but still doing my own thing. Since I don't gamble I can't help you out there. The most I indulge in that is $5 or $10 in a nickle slot here and there until I get bored. (Which isn't terribly long.)

It really depends on how much you want to spend. A really nice dinner in Vegas can run upwards of $150 for two without a bottle of wine or cocktails. But you can get a great buffet a various places for less thant $20. It just depends on what you are in the mood for. I would check out www.vegas.com for some ideas and prices. Also, if you have a AAA in your area they would have some good tour books. If you are really into researching it check out Froemmer's Guide at your local book store. I am certain they will have a Vegas edition.

Let's see some of my other favorite things to do.........Red Sqare, it is a vodka bar in Mandalay Bay. The bar itself has a top made out of ice to set your drink on so it always stays cold. I love it there. Everything is very stark with muted greys, black, and white. It definately gives the feeling that someone like Lenin could walk in at any second. (I reach history, I get off on wierd things like that ok?) You have to do the ultimate Vegas expereince....Wayne Newton. He is so cheesy Mr. Las Vegas that he is delicious. And if you like them because you either like them or hate them, check out Penn and Teller. They were hilarious when we were out there. So was The Second City comedy group. They do a lot of improv work. Skip Celine Dion and the Blue Man Group. I have no idea what the Blue Man group was about. It was just weird. I didn't see Celine because she is, to me, a blight on humanity. But I would LOVE to see Elton John in Vegas. That would just be too cool. His show was in a blackout date the time I was out there.