Full-Service Big Wedding on a Broke-Ass Budget
Over the weekend I had the yo-ho, yo-ho pleasure of attending a wedding in Vegas on a pirate ship. Yes, you read correctly. The couple said their I Do’s on the Pirate Ship at Treasure Island, in front of the entire Vegas Strip, and it was truly arrrresome.
I asked the bride a couple weeks ago if she would be needing any help setting up, breaking down etc., but she said, “Actually, everything is pretty much taken care of by the hotel. I basically just have to show up.” As a bride who just went through stress after stress with the planning, set-up and design of our wedding, I was supremely jealous of this fact. I mean, my husband was still at our venue hanging beer bottle chandeliers just hours before our ceremony started, so the freedom to just show up to one’s own wedding without worry sounds almost mythical to me… also because I have been constantly surrounded by couples whose wedding budgets don’t allow for such luxury. So I thought to myself, how much did they end up paying “extra” for this awesome freedom?
You can have a full-service wedding at this hotel, with a 100 person guest list, on this pirate ship (or 3 other location choices) for under $10K.
I cheated and looked it up online… and surprisingly a full-service Vegas wedding for 100 people at a 4 star hotel on a Saturday would cost you around $10k. Not bad, eh? My eyes lit up too, when I saw that number. We talk so much about the difficulty involved in successfully pulling off a big wedding with all the trimmings for under 10K, so needless to say I was happily surprised to see it is entirely possible, and in a big city like Las Vegas to boot! So let’s break this full-service Treasure Island, 10K Budget wedding down, shall we?
The “Enchantment on the Song Ship” Ceremony Package
For $3,360, you get the following:
- Wedding Ceremony
- Minister to officiate your event
- Wedding coordinating services
- Private bridal dressing room 30 minutes prior to ceremony
- Invited guest check-in when staying in the resort
- Exquisite bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere
- Elegant floral décor for The Song Ship
- Prestige Photography Package
- Personalized wedding music (CD audio selection)
- Commemorative TI wedding certificate holder
- Premium champagne and flutes
- Newlywed gourmet treats
- Limousine service to the courthouse for TI hotel guests
- Two (2) luxurious spa robes
- Bridal Hair/Up do
- Bridal Makeup
- O Spa Signature Couples Massage
This sign rested on the deck leading us to the pirate ship wedding…
The actual pirate ship where they said their vows!
They were married by a sea captain, and the best man was dressed in full pirate gear!
Marrrrried!
Reception packages are sold separately from the ceremony package. But no matter what type of reception package you end up choosing, every package includes the following:
- Private Reception Room
- Hotel Table Linens and Napkins (White, Ivory, Black, Sand, Terra Cotta)
- Head Table
- Cake , Registry and Gift Tables
- Votive Candle Centerpiece
- Dance Floor
- Background Music (House Sounds)
- Custom Lighting Decor (Gobos)
- Staff to Cut and Serve Cake to guests
The couple did their first dance to “Sweet Caroline” (bah, bah BUUUH!) And everyone sang along, it was so fun.
Delicious cake/cupcake tower combo that came with the package.
As for food and beverage choices for your Vegas Wedding Reception at Treasure Island… you have many options to choose from, but I highlighted the choices that would keep the total (including ceremony) under $10K.
- 2-hour full open bar: $28/per person
- Appetizer buffet: $35/per person
Aside from not having to set-up, break-down, or clean-up your own wedding, the best part about tying the knot in Vegas is the built-in after party. We didn’t have to travel very far for a good time after the reception was over. So if your guests are still down to dance after the wedding reception has ended, the night club is just steps away…
I had always thought that a full-service wedding like this, for 100 people, would cost at least $20K… so the fact that we could have had a full-service, no-worries wedding for a total of $10K ($2K less than what we paid for our wedding), makes me wonder why we put ourselves through all that stress. But in the end, I know we had exactly the wedding we wanted, but the freedom of “just showing up” to your own wedding still remains to be a very tempting prospect… one I encourage others to consider… especially if it’s going to cost you about the same amount.
Have you guys found any other “full-service, small budget, big wedding” options out there… with everything included for under $10k? If so, please share your wisdom with the Broke-Ass Brigade in the comments below!
Wow! That is a good deal. Here in Cincinnati you can't get all of that for less than 10k, so to have your wedding in Vegas for that amount is awesome.
My Finance and I are getting married in Vegas on 09/10/2011. We visited almost all the chapels and have decided on The Hotel @ Mandalay Bay. The chapel is beautiful and our reception will be on the 64th floor of the hotel at their ultra cool night club. My aunt and uncle got married at Treasure Island 13 years ago and after seeing that wedding, Vegas was always where I wanted to tie the knot! I can't wait to go back next moth and finalize all the plans!
My husband and I were married at the Fiesta Resort in Tempe, AZ. The wedding package was similar to what was described above. Our budget was 10K for 100 guests and we came out with $800 left over. Granted, this was in 2006.
FREAKING great idea! Love the pirate ship idea! Jeez!
Hi Britt,
Thanks for this fun review! Yes, it really is a great deal and so many of our guests treasure the experience (sorry for the bad pun, I couldn't resist). Love your blog. Keep up the good work and come back and visit us soon!
P.S. I love that you use Hipstamatic for all your pics!
Wow! That is a really great deal!! We are having our wedding at a local botanical garden for 30 guests. Reception and ceremony (with coordinator, rentals, etc) will be about $3000 and catering and open bar about $2000. It is owned and operated by the city, so everything is coordinated and has to be in conjunction with each other (all vendors), so most is bundled together.
holy moly that is a great deal. I couldn't find anything like that around us. I did find one package that was $59/person that did come with a meal, but unfortunately that was out of the question for us. PLUS, I think the freedom to use different vendors and not be locked into one is worth something. And with some major preparation and planning, you could probably still show up and not really have to worry about anything (whether I have that type of preparation or will succumb to procastination will remain to be seen!!).
Awesome! I'm struggling with this exact issue today: just show up to a wedding in Costa Rica at a private all-inclusive villa, or DIY a wedding on Long Island, NY? Both are abt 10k… maybe we should just jump ship (derp!) and head to Vegas…
As a former catering director, I priced out doing my own backyard, DIY wedding. I can get my wine and flowers wholesale, was going to go to Costco and make my own appetizer buffet, iPod music, make my own cupcakes, etc. Still by the time I rent a tent, tables, linens and serving pieces and plate/silver/glass, I can't get it under $90 a head. The only thing keeping me from doing the destination thing is guilt over people's travel costs!
Wow. I would have never thought you could do it that cheap…I might have more seriously considered eloping to vegas…and bringing my family with me!
This is awesome! I didn't know you could actually get married ON the ship – how fun! We are thinking about Vegas too, being in LA and only a few hrs away. The other great thing about Vegas is how cheap the flights (generally) are. Even for family coming from the East Coast, the flights are usually cheap. Vegas would like you to spend all your money while you're there – not on getting there!
My son went to Vegas for his bachelor party this weekend and he was surprised to find the prices reasonable. He assume, being a popular destination, the pricing would be bumped. he and his buddies had a great weekend for like $500 (and the groom won $150 playing craps – caching – honeymoon spending mulah).
Vegas is my choice for my second time around!
There are hawaii packages like this.
What an awesome deal for a memorable event!! I am in the beginning stages of wedding planning and to have the encouragement to seek those unique package deals….is priceless!
NO WAY. My husband and I actually considered this package. Yes, for real. We did wind up in Vegas, but not on a ship.
How awesome to see this…yay…I mean, yarrrrrrrrrr.
yourweddingwhisperer.com
Although a destination wedding can be fun (my wife and I just attended one of our best friend's daughter's wedding) they can be a bit pricy. We needed two plane tickets, two nights in a hotel. car rental, meals etc.
As a principal of a wedding event facility I can tell you that in today's economy, most venues can serve up a pretty nice wedding for 100 people for much less than the $10,000 discussed here. And the wedding party and guests don't have to buy plane tickets and hotel rooms to travel to Las Vegas! Talk to your local vendors. They live in your community and know the needs that you have.
Tom