If you’re the kind of couple who marches to the beat of your own drum, or the kind who prefer popcorn and tacos to upscale hors d’oeuvres…this wedding is SO for you. This bride and groom swooped up their friends and family for a Las Vegas destination wedding that’s as cool as they come. Peek at the photos from Gaby J and see why we think rock candy in champagne should be the next big thing.
From The Bride…Inspiration behind your wedding:
Jason and I knew how we wanted our day to feel. We wanted it to be relaxed, elegant, intimate, and a little whimsical. We wanted a small wedding with about 50 guests so didn’t want anything too traditional and really wanted fun and delicious food. Our aim was more of a pub atmosphere with comfortable lounge furniture so people could move around easily between courses and interact. We had tacos, rock candy in champagne, and a popcorn bar, we planned only a few speeches interspersed in between courses of food, and chose which specific wedding traditions we wanted to do (cake cutting!) and which ones we didn’t want any part of (first dance & bouquet/garter toss).
Why did you choose Las Vegas?
Jason and I took a vacation to Las Vegas and while we were there, we visited Red Rock Canyon and really fell in love with the desert landscape. We have family and friends across Canada, U.S.A., and the U.K. so some guests were going to travel no matter what location we chose. We always liked the idea of a destination wedding as it would allow us to really spend a lot of time with our guests. Las Vegas is a central, easily accessible location for a destination wedding. We knew more people could commit to a fun weekend away rather than having to take a week of vacation for a tropical resort. And Las Vegas is a lot of fun with something for everyone!
Why the theme?
The three design elements we really wanted to incorporate was geodes, succulents, and geometrical shapes. I met Jason while he was completing his Masters in Geology so the geodes were a nod to his interests as well as being simply beautiful. I love succulents and really wanted that desert element in our wedding to showcase our location. We both really like hexagons and wanted to incorporate geometrical shapes in some way. We loved Tara’s idea for our ceremony backdrop! It was a perfect way to incorporate all three of these elements as well our colors.
Favorite detail or moment of the wedding day?
Our day was spectacular from start to finish so it’s hard to choose! I loved walking into the ballroom with Jason and Tara and seeing everything for the first time. I was so blown away to see what we had planned come together so beautifully. It was everything I had dreamed of and I loved all the little details.
My main highlight is the ceremony. The ceremony was perfectly customized to us and Angie did such an amazing job capturing our love. I loved how nervous Jason suddenly was. We had spent the afternoon together laughing and taking photos but as I walked towards him down the aisle he barely cracked a smile. My dad forgot to hug me and just went and sat down and my mom quickly followed him so it was a brief awkward moment but even that didn’t elicit a smile. I kept squeezing his hands to try to calm him down and he did eventually relax. I knew I would cry during our personal vows so I asked him to carry a handkerchief for me. He forgot it in the hotel room, of course, so I just wildly scrambled behind me at my girls for a tissue. I don’t even think I spoke to them, I just wanted to get right back into that moment with him.
Jason shows me in a million different ways that he loves me every day but this was the first time I think he fully articulated out loud everything I meant to him and his hopes for our future. I still get teary-eyed when I think about his beautiful vows. On top of an amazing service, we had a beautiful desert landscape behind us, the most beautiful ceremony backdrop, great weather, a very serious flower girl, wonderful friends and family to witness, and a fun noisemaker filled recession.
Photography: Gaby J Photography | Event Planning: Scheme Events | Floral Design: Layers of Lovely ~ An Inspired Floral Art Studio | Cake: red rock resort | Invitations: Minted | Hair + Makeup: Amelia C & Co | Lighting: Led Unplugged | DJ: Mike Fox | Officiant: Peachy Keen Unions | Venue: red rock resort | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Photo Booth: Taylored Photo Memories | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals