If you have decided to have a Wedding in Vegas but want to downsize it and have a smaller wedding reception in Las Vegas, we have some helpful tips and advice. If you have already chosen a ceremony venue and just realized you forgot to plan your Vegas wedding reception for your guests, you may have to move quick and at the last minute to get it sorted in time.
Couples often experience extra guests at the last minute. I often have couples who are try to DIY their Vegas wedding planning and they often ask my advice to help them make a decision. In this article we provide ideas and advice for your edification. There are simple ways you can save your wallet a lot of damage, while simultaneously creating a special day for you and your partner. For some tips to get you started, we have curated some helpful advice below to help you with your Vegas wedding reception planning.
Do you feel overwhelmed with making a last-minute decision and don’t know where to start your wedding reception plans? Trust me, you are not alone! These questions and dilemmas are running through a lot of engaged couples’ minds as they realize they forgot to plan ahead.
With the various effects of the pandemic, most brides, regardless the size of their guest count, have been navigating some roadblocks. Luckily, there are still ways to manifest the perfect, meaningful day within a realistic budget. You won’t even have to forgo too many of your wishes.
Between scheduling out your day, pairing it with the right Las Vegas wedding reception location, and making some necessary cuts, there are simple ways you can save your wallet a lot of hurt while simultaneously creating a special day for you and your partner.
Since the rise of the new pandemic paradigm in the world, couples have had to downsize their events from the larger standard receptions they might have originally planned to have. The new lingo specifying the smaller occasions on the rise is either a micro-wedding or a minimony. Most brides, regardless if they are choosing to have a micro wedding, minimony or large-scale wedding, often are confused about the differences. My experience has been many couples typically don’t know how to stay within a realistic budget and what to expect and plan for. I know because when I ask them what they have allocated for their budget, they often reply they have no idea how to determine what budget they need. They clearly need advice and that is why I have decided to write this article. Hopefully this information will get you one step closer to understanding some ways you may not only save money but some solutions if you are planning your wedding reception in Las Vegas, especially if you have a smaller guest count.
You won’t even have to forgo too many of your wishes to downsize. Between scheduling out your day, pairing it with the right Vegas wedding reception location, and making some necessary budget adjustments, one thing is clear. You will save money by having a Las Vegas wedding planner assist you on your special day.
Minimony verses micro wedding receptions
Depending on how many guests you want to invite to your ceremony, a micro wedding or a minimony alternative to a large reception are great options to consider. Learn more about the differences between the two alternatives to a traditional wedding. In the meantime, there is a brief overview of them below for your benefit as well.
Minimony Wedding
A minimony is smaller than a micro wedding and usually includes 15 or fewer guests. If you have planned a wedding ceremony that involves your closest friends and family, then this is what you are having.
Micro Wedding
A micro wedding is similar to a traditional wedding, because it contains a ceremony, a cocktail hour and a reception. It also contains many of the same customs of a traditional wedding, such as the vows, bride and groom wedding parties and more.
If you have planned your Vegas wedding to feel traditional, and you have a guest count of 50 or fewer guests you are having a micro wedding.
Large Scale Vegas Wedding Reception Planning
Large scale wedding planning for a wedding reception takes a large budget and for a Las Vegas wedding that typically equates to reserving a budget of between $5,000 on up depending on how upscale the event is. You are better off choosing other options than restaurants for a large-scale wedding unless the venue also accommodates the wedding ceremony as well.
Advice for Downsizing your Las Vegas Reception
- Limiting the alcohol selection makes a big difference in your budget allowance
Take a hard look at your beverage list. While it may feel important to include a variety of options for your guests, there are actually plenty of ways to still include some choices on your final menu. To begin, get a feel of what your loved ones are expecting in terms of alcohol. Your guests may love cocktails or wish to have a themed Las Vegas drink within your celebration. If this is the case and you opt for a themed cocktail, you have the flexibility to possibly limit the wine list. On the other hand, if beer is more your speed, satisfy that with a variety of lagers. With the seemingly endless types of beer to choose from, you can handpick some of your favorites. The best part is, the sense of choice isn’t lost with the number of options! Here is another research link to research wine options to choose for your reception.
Las Vegas is also the perfect place to keep the party going after the reception. If you keep your alcohol options on the shorter end, you are able to better continue the party to the strip and truly get the Vegas experience. Encourage guests to stay within the same hotel and make a night of it!
Save money by pairing a ceremony wedding package with a smaller reception:
There are a lot of different types of ceremony-only Las Vegas wedding venues with an assortment of different packages you can choose from. Actually, you can get cross eyed considering all the options. We at Custom Las Vegas Weddings have created some affordable and unique options to consider for a variety of ceremony only venues throughout Las Vegas. These ceremony locations range from the Las Vegas strip to scenic choices such as the red rock canyon for a desert wedding and more options. Our Las Vegas wedding packages will satisfy your needs for a variety of tastes and styles, although we tend to gravitate for more scenic outdoor venues as our client’s favorite go to choices.
In our experience our clients tend to need us to do additional research for them to ensure they stay within budget when they want to add in a Vegas wedding Reception to their planned ceremony only event. This is where the value of hiring a wedding planner in Las Vegas becomes obvious as a money saving essential for clients.
Pair Your Wedding Minimony with a Foodie Tour
Remember, a minimony is a ceremony with 15 people or less. If you happen to have 12 people or less and you are all foodies we have received raving reviews from our customers who have chosen to have a Foodie Tour after their ceremony. Instead of choosing just one place to have your reception you will have about 3 -4 restaurants to choose from depending on the tour and day your wedding falls on. It’s an affordable and fun way to experience a variety of food fare in a relaxing, fun and unique environments and sample different choices from an assortment of restaurants. There are quite a few foodie tours to choose from and we will assist you to plan the total experience. Visit this page to learn more about our Foodie Tour.
Budgeting variables: the venues, receptions and event:
Budgeting: Once you set your limit on what you are willing to spend as your total budget it is easier to get started planning. The value of hiring a Las Vegas wedding planner becomes obvious as it will be a lot easier for you to narrow down an exact budget once your planner provides the price points for comparison. That takes a lot of research to do on your own. We will cover that in another article for you.
Choosing a Vegas Strip restaurant for your reception:
If you are looking for upscale restaurant locations, and are willing to spend the money for a Las Vegas Strip restaurant for a reception, you may need to limit your spending on the actual ceremony. Making compromises can feel discouraging, but when you decide what is most important to you, it’ll make this process that much easier.
DIY Researching for the right after ceremony restaurant
Visit this site for a detailed list of Vegas Restaurants perfect for hosting your wedding
Knowing Your Choices – Consider Downsizing Options
- Consider choosing a venue that can also double as your reception. This tends to be easier for you in many ways. Think about it; your guests won’t have to travel from one event to the next. This will save you money and the stress of having to pay for their transport. Many couples who have a limited budget will get their guests to Uber there and maybe get them transport back to the hotel, especially if they have been imbibing.
- Keeping your guest list around 12 – 20 of your closest friends and family will also help. With this option it is easier to double down on a location and still keep the cost of the wedding in budget.
- Another great option is to have a mini-reception lunch or appetizer and complimentary champagne toast.
Vegas Wedding Reception Options to Consider
Wedding Ceremony and Reception gems off the beaten track: Most couples don’t realize they can get good deals at some official wedding reception locations in Las Vegas and make it cheaper to have the ceremony and reception there, even for micro weddings and minimony sized events. As Las Vegas Wedding planners we know some of the perfect venues to choose. Just ask us to help you and we will provide the wedding planning services to save you money.
Choosing a Suite to host both events: A great option to capitalize on is to use your own hotel suite as a place for both your ceremony and celebration. Choose a suite with a view of the Vegas strip so you still have the feel of a Vegas destination wedding. With a slightly more expensive suite, you are essentially ridding yourself of the need for two locations. This also doubles as your honeymoon suite and that is an extra bonus. You do have to keep the noise down in most suites you do have receptions in as they have room occupation limits and noise restrictions in most suites.
Keeping in budget: There are ways to keep your small celebration within your goal budget and as Vegas wedding planners, we help you do just that.
When planning a wedding reception, be sure to consider all of the preparation that goes into it by visiting our Las Vegas wedding reception planning guide, coming soon.
We spoke to Blue Nile, the world’s leading online retailer of diamond engagement rings, to share our tips on how to choose the best Las Vegas wedding venue and here are some tips they gave us we are passing on for your benefit.
1. Think outside the box
If you’re an adventurous couple seeking a non-traditional experience, Sin City offers plenty of fun, unique wedding options. Some venue alternatives include desert mountains, lakes, old ghost towns, or city reception venues.
2. Utilize reviews and social media
Do your research about the venue you plan to use and see what others are saying about it. You’ll find that most couples will be honest about their experiences. Social media is a very helpful tool to gauge the experiences other couples have had, giving a glimpse of photos and stories about the potential venue. Then you can decide if the venue is a good fit for you and your fiancé.
3. Consult a Las Vegas Elopement Wedding Planner
Wedding planners, such as Custom Las Vegas Weddings, are venue matchmakers. Planners can help you sort through the maze of venue choices, making it a less stressful and budget-friendly experience.
Most importantly, cherish this celebration- congratulations!