11 Tips for a Las Vegas Destination Wedding
Here are some Las Vegas wedding preparation tips to help you prepare for your wedding experience.
Planning a Las Vegas destination wedding from out of the country or even from a different state of the union is a thrilling proposition but there can be challenges at times. This article is helpful with some of the best Las Vegas wedding preparation tips to make your experience better.
Las Vegas is a dream city and getting married there is a memorable experience no matter where you come from around the world. Here are great Vegas wedding planning tips to help you prepare accordingly.
1. Jet lag preparation
Flying to Vegas from out of the country or from another state to have a Las Vegas destination wedding can be a long, tiring journey. Jet lag can dramatically affect how you feel and if you aren’t prepared it may make your Las Vegas marriage experience be less than desirable. Avoid jet lag symptoms by carrying melatonin supplements. Traveling often disrupts the circadian rhythm of melatonin in the body. This often causes severe jet lag for those that travel long distances. Use between 0.5 mg and 5 mg of melatonin an hour before sleeping and only after reaching Las Vegas. Vegas hotels can be noisy with a lot of disruptions from foot traffic and hotel pool parties. Whatever sleep aids you use, take it with you for a refreshing slumber. This will ultimately be a life saver if you want to get married in Vegas without feeling groggy.
2. Enough time to sleep and recuperate
Flying to Vegas means crossing different time zones. Crossing more than one time zone will disrupt your circadian rhythm and your body will require a few days to acclimatize. Our advice is allow enough time to lapse between arrival and your wedding day. Allow at least two to three days to recuperate. It’s also a great idea to prepare yourself physically ahead of time by exercising regularly, enjoying a healthy diet and getting as much adequate sleep as you can.
To help heal your Las Vegas jet lag check out the Las Vegas Visitors Authority spa page resource.
3. Keep in mind the time difference when communicating with family
Calling family and friends in Las Vegas can be confusing depending on the time zones and time differences there are. The United States has a total of seven main country time zones. Flying to Vegas to get married at a Las Vegas destination wedding location, depending on where you come from, could mean crossing varied time zones. Note the time difference to call your family at a proper time.
This resource will show the time zone map of the United States to give you a reference point for time zone comparison.
4. Keep hydrated
The desert environment, hot sun and swelling temperatures in Las Vegas can be hard on people who are used to a dramatically different climate. It’s very important to drink enough water to keep hydrated. Becoming dehydrated in Vegas is a common problem. The climate is hot and dry and hydration is highly critical for a person from out of the country. If you don’t stay hydrated jet lag effects may worsen, fatigue will result and your excellent experience to enjoy your Vegas marriage could be in jeopardy.
This a great company to try out if you need to restore your hydration levels in Las Vegas and feel better.
5. Exchange money to have dollars before you arrive
Before you arrive in Vegas, exchange your home currency to the U.S. dollar. You will normally get better rates exchanging your money at home than you will get trying to do so at the main cashier cages in Vegas casinos, for instance. It’s also important to call your credit card provider and bank before you travel to alert them about your travel. It is commonplace for banks to flag and put a hold on bank credit card purchases originating from using your debit card or credit card in a foreign land. Banks and credit card companies are quick to suspect fraud and freeze your money. You don’t want that to happen to you so it’s best to come prepared and know what to expect.
This article gives advice on the best places to exchange currency in Las Vegas once you are here.
6. Knowing about public transportation
Getting around Vegas is usually not a problem because there are plenty of travel options available. Knowing your options and preparing beforehand is much better than arriving and make spontaneous decisions that end up costing you more in the long run. Uber and Lyft are approved rides in the city. Both companies offer phone apps to pick your driver to get you where you want to go. Lyft can pick you from the airport but won’t show the price range. Uber lets you know beforehand what you’ll pay before you call a specific driver. Beware of surge pricing that could charge you an extra $30 up to a high of $100. You can also get around with monorail if you’re travelling within any of the seven spots it starts from. The monorail starts at a cost of $5 for a single ride pass or $12 for a day pass. Here is an article with valuable Las Vegas tram information and links to help you. Taxi options are abundant and virtually anywhere although the cost varies depending on the time of year and traffic. If you request a taxi from the airport it will cost you more. Deuce is Vegas public transportation that is a very inexpensive option and it covers most of the city areas you will need to get to. The cost of Deuce is $6 for a two-hour pass, $8 for a 24-hour pass or a $20 for a 72-hour pass with ticket purchase available on the bus. There’s also a loop trolley bus service in Vegas with costs ranging from $2.50 to $20 for one-way tickets to 4-day passes.
7. Save money by renting a vehicle
It may be easier and less expensive in the end to hire a rental car for your Las Vegas destination wedding. You may do this easily when you book your hotel as a airfare rental car package or get the rental car from the airport upon arrival. The local shops on the Las Vegas strip can gouge you. You will find the best prices for staples you need will be local shops away from the Vegas Strip therefore having a rental car is preferable and will save a lot of money in the end. Having a rental car will also open up your restaurant choices. There is a big price difference from restaurants on the Vegas Strip verses off the Vegas Strip. Therefore it would be cost effective in the long run to have your own vehicle and not be confined to buying only from Las Vegas Strip establishments. You could rent a car from as low as $7 a day depending on the dates you’ll be in the city. You may find applicable coupons to use which will lower the cost of renting a car thus paying much less in the long run. Stay diligent to keep pricing checking as you might get the cheapest car rental rates this way. Some rental companies allow prepayment options which can give discounts up to 25% off the cost of a full week rental.
8. Make show reservations ahead of time
Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. There’s always a show going on, from live music, concerts, city headliners, comedies, movies and other events. Making prior reservations to most shows attracts the best ticket prices. Find out upcoming events in the entertainment casino or hotel you intend to visit by visiting these sites below to book well ahead of time.
Search entertainment and show schedules with www.Vegas.com.
Choose an assortment of show and entertainment schedules with www.LasVegas.com.
9. Do your Las Vegas wedding pre-application before you arrive
Once you’ve made up your mind to get married in Vegas, make a marriage license pre-application online. You can actually do this about 60 days before the ceremony, giving you ample time to prepare. Bring your foreign country issued ID and ensure you’re at least 18 years of age. While making the online application ensure information entered matches the details on your ID. Avoid spelling errors on the form or leaving out any required information.
For other helpful FAQ’s about the Las Vegas marriage licensing process click here.
Here is a complimentary link to do the Las Vegas marriage pre-application.
10. Have comfortable walking shoes and bring a variety of clothes to layer
The hot and dry climate of Las Vegas can be a chore to keep up with. The temperatures in the desert climate sometimes can be as high as 120 degrees in summer months. Plan to stay hydrated and wear sunscreens even for pool visits and short walks. Don’t forget to bring along comfortable walking shoes. Las Vegas has large city blocks and the distance between resorts is deceiving to calculate. You want to have shoes that are soft on your feet. It’s also a great idea to layer your clothes and bring a sweater along, even in the summer. The air conditioning in Las Vegas hotels often feels freezing due to high-tech air conditioning. These establishments keep the temperature cool indoors to offset the summer heat. It is a good idea to bring a light weight wrap or easy to carry sweaters to have as you visit casinos, theaters or restaurants.
To prepare to travel to Las Vegas read this article about Las Vegas seasonal weather tips.
11. Be prepared to tip
Tipping customs or giving gratuities varies across the world. Some countries do not give gratuities as a standard. Most service industry workers in Las Vegas including the vendors in the wedding industry expect gratuities and some depend on gratuities to make a decent living. For drinks, tipping $1 each is more or less the norm. If you are buying from hotel kiosk vendors show tickets will cost you from $5 to $10 in tips, $2 to $5 for dinner reservations and $20 for getting sold-out top shows or tough-to get dinner reservations. Maid or housekeeping service attracts $2 to $5 nightly tips. Tipping a limo driver 20% of the total cost is considered good etiquette. Regardless of your opinion about tips realize service providers will expect a gratuity. Restaurant waiters and waitresses typically get a 20% or more gratuity. Wedding vendors will also typically expect a 20% gratuity as well.
For more resources here are more related articles:
Have you wondered what to do after your wedding in Las Vegas?
Read this article by clicking the photo below to get caught up regarding the most recent Las Vegas updates on Covid-19 restrictions.
