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| IPEC offers a 5,000-square-foot entryway punctuated by dual curving staircases and a soaring, 29-foot-tall ceiling with white and gold decor. |
An average of nearly 100,000 marriage licenses are issued annually in Las Vegas and more than a million people come each year to attend a wedding. For many, having “Elvis” officiate at venues such as the Graceland Chapel may spring to mind, but if your newlyweds-to-be are looking for something more mainstream, many of the city’s best hotels have elegant chapels, reception halls, onsite planners and catering services for intimate ceremonies or somewhat larger ones, generally under 200 guests, with most one-third to one-half that capacity.
If your clients are planning a supersize wedding (think hundreds of guests) and still want to have access to all the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the new International Peace Education Center (IPEC) is available to accommodate them — and reward their agents. IPEC Las Vegas has announced it will offer 10 percent commission to travel agents who book destination weddings at this new freestanding conference center, just five minutes from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip.
The wedding venue offers a 5,000- square-foot entryway punctuated by dual curving staircases and a soaring, 29-foot-tall ceiling with white and gold decor, as well as a 10,000-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 720 guests for a reception or 450 for a seated dinner.
Though not a hotel, IPEC offers 49 guest rooms exclusively to clients who book the facility. Of these, 46 guest rooms include two queen-sized beds, a bathroom, desk and sitting area. Two one-bedroom accommodations have a master bath, living room and wet bar, while one four-bedroom accommodation offers three baths, a living room, dining room and kitchen, making it well suited to serve as a bridal suite.
Onsite services available include two 22-foot-high, customizable LED screens (one in the foyer and one in the south lobby); full audio/visual, wireless and production services; an expansive registration area; business center services; 24/7 security; onsite parking for 200 vehicles and a 2,500-square-foot kitchen. Preferred caterers — including
Masterpiece Cuisine, Cut and Taste, and B with a Twist — offer customized food and beverage services 24 hours a day, ranging from the rehearsal dinner, to a five-course seated meal to brunch the morning after.
IPEC’s Charming Ceremony includes all the basics: bridal dressing room (available two hours prior), pre-ceremony beverage (choice of cucumber water or iced tea), standard chairs, services of a minister, archway decorated with fabric, white aisle runner and custom photo display on 22-foot-high screen in grand foyer. The Grand Ceremony adds to the above bridal bouquet, groom’s boutonniere, archway floral pieces and walkway of petals.
The Cherish Reception comes with three trays of hors d’oeuvres, four-hour wine and beer open bar, champagne toast for guests, buffet (one salad, two sides, two entrees), wedding cake, DJ for 4.5 hours, tables and standard chairs, head table or sweetheart table, guest book table and gift table, and white linen. The Alluring Reception doubles the hors d’oeuvres, upgrades table linens to satin and includes the services of a photographer for four hours.
To book a wedding at IPEC, agents should reach out to Catherine Price at [email protected].
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| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino has its own beach that can host a wedding for up to 50 guests. |
Hotel Weddings and Receptions
If the aforementioned hotel wedding is what your couples want, there are myriad options from which to choose. Here is just a sampling.
A beach wedding and Shark Reef ceremony are among the options at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The hotel has its own beach, complete with 2,700 tons of real sand. Up to 50 guests can be seated with a full view of a private lagoon. Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Ceremony is staged in the hotel’s aquarium wherein the couple walks down the aisle surrounded by 1.3 million gallons of seawater and sea life, including 15 different species of sharks. The ceremony takes place prior to the aquarium’s opening to ensure privacy.
For a dramatic backdrop, The Gallery at Aria sports contemporary works of glass art, created by internationally renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Couples can get married anywhere in The Gallery, with space available for up to 70 guests. For a larger gathering, Aria’s Poolside Verandah can accommodate up to 150 guests with decor that includes elegant Chiavari chairs.
If couples can’t afford a trip to Paris, they opt for a wedding ceremony at Paris Las Vegas, which offers food and scenery that mimics the French destination. Guests can take the glass elevator of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas and say their vows at the top. The Eiffel Tower Observation Deck provides a great view of the city. All packages are personalized to include upgraded floral, photography, video and music.
Perhaps a touch of Italy is more what they have in mind. If so, The Venetian, as its name implies, draws its inspiration from Venice and its iconic canals. An elaborate menu of packages is available; highlights include the options to ride in a white wedding gondola with a serenading gondolier on the Grand Canal, have nuptials by a waterfall with seasonal decor or be wed amid the lush landscape of an outdoor Italian Garden.
Italy’s capital, Rome, has inspired such wedding settings at Caesars Place as Classico (one of the city’s largest, with a 196-guest capacity), Romano, Tuscana and Juno Garden. Top-end packages here are the three-night Caesars and two-night Cleopatra. Bookings for the latter currently include 20 percent off additional room nights.
For a marriage with a maritime air, ceremonies at Treasure Island include the Enchantment on the TI Song Ship package, highlighted by onboard nuptials in Siren’s Cove.
Couples who are not bound by tradition may be intrigued by the Wedding Suite at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, which is without an aisle to march down along and also sans seating. Guests stand as vows are exchanged either in-suite or on the private wraparound terrace overlooking Las Vegas Boulevard. In addition to the stylish common area and terrace, there are also separate lounge spaces for the wedding party, or for guests to mingle and relax. The suite can be customized with your clients’ selected decor and amenities and can accommodate up to 40 for a luxurious cocktail reception or up to 25 for a seated, intimate ceremony. The hotel can also arrange to add bespoke activities such as mixology lessons, Sahra Spa treatments and VIP table service at Bond, Book & Stage or The Chandelier.
Among Wynn’s many wedding offerings is The Zen Ceremony at Tranquility Hall in the Encore Spa and Lake of Dreams Terrace Ceremony overlooking a waterfall and lake.
Your clients can say “I Do” at 844 feet above the Strip at Stratosphere’s Chapel in the Clouds. There are two chapels, actually, each affording breathtaking views of the city below. Also available for weddings are the Indoor and Outdoor Observation Decks and the private balcony on Level 112.