After years of careful planning, we, along with a small group of close family and friends, made the unforgettable journey to Las Vegas for our dream wedding. Long before the trip, many of our friends assumed we would go for the classic Las Vegas experience, getting hitched in one of the many little white chapels. But no, we had something far more extraordinary in mind. This was going to be a wedding like no other.
We arrived in Las Vegas for an entire week, with our wedding day scheduled in the middle of it all. Wanting to make the occasion even more special, we splurged and booked a stay at the iconic Bellagio. When we arrived at our room, we were welcomed with a wonderful surprise—our dear friends, Jackie and Dave, who couldn’t join us on the trip, had arranged for champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries to greet us. It was a beautiful, thoughtful touch that set the tone for what was to come.
We had worked with the Wedding Travel Company to handle the details, and they were phenomenal. Everything went off without a hitch. A couple of nights before the big day, we split into two groups for the stag and hen parties. The guys headed to Fremont Street for a night of gambling and drinks at the Golden Nugget, while the girls went off to see the Magic Mike show.
Then, the big day arrived. We were all picked up in a glamorous stretch limousine and made our way to the wedding venue. First stop: City Hall, where we queued up to get our official Nevada wedding certificate—making everything legal before heading 50 miles out of Las Vegas to the stunning Valley of Fire National Park.
Married by Big Bird
At the venue, we met our officiant, a former actor who had once played Big Bird on Sesame Street. So, yes, Big Bird himself married us! The open-air desert setting in the Valley of Fire was absolutely breathtaking, just the kind of dramatic backdrop we had envisioned for our vows.
After the ceremony, we headed back to the heart of Vegas for our wedding meal. We had reserved a table at the revolving restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere, the tallest building in Las Vegas. The panoramic night view of the city’s skyline was absolutely mesmerizing. We were the last ones standing, still in our wedding attire, when we returned to the Bellagio around 3:00 AM. As we walked past the slot machines, a couple of strangers—who were also playing—saw us and handed us a winning ticket they had just won. We didn’t know how much it was until we cashed it in at the casino, but it turned out to be over $100! Such an incredible, random act of kindness.
The next day, the celebrations continued. We all met for breakfast on the Strip outside the Paris Hotel. Out of nowhere, the sound of a powerful rear-engine car arrived—it was a brand-new Ferrari, hired by some of our friends for the day. While we’re not exactly wealthy, we decided to join in the fun and rented a Ford Mustang to explore the city. We drove out to the Hoover Dam, then headed to the Pioneer Saloon in the desert, once owned by Clark Gable. We finished the day cruising the Strip in our Mustang, soaking up the excitement of Vegas.
Inspired by our time at the Pioneer Saloon, I made a bold purchase—cowboy boots! After a bit of research, I found a huge cowboy boot store, where I spent hours trying on different styles. In the end, I walked away with a fantastic pair of boots and an authentic Stetson cowboy hat!
During our stay, we also checked out a couple of legendary Vegas shows. We caught Penn & Teller, which was fun, but the real highlight was seeing Celine Dion at Caesars Palace. From the moment she hit the first note, we knew we were in for an unforgettable night—and we weren’t disappointed.
As our time in Vegas drew to a close, there was still one more thing we wanted to do. We returned to Fremont Street to ride the SlotZilla, a thrilling zip-line ride that soars above the crowd, giving you a bird’s-eye view of all the action. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip.
Once back home, we didn’t want the celebrations to end. We threw a Vegas-themed wedding party at the rowing club in Evesham for all the friends and family who couldn’t make the trip. The venue was decked out in true Vegas style, complete with a show-stopping wedding cake. We hired a local band for entertainment and had an Elvis impersonator perform a set of all the King’s greatest hits. It was a night full of fun, laughter, and memories.
Our Las Vegas wedding was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, filled with surprises, love, and adventure—everything we had dreamed of and more.
Phil Seedhouse match angler 