a vegas elopement in polaroids

I dig all the photos from Stephanie & Micah's lovely little Vegas wedding (see more over on their travel blog), but the polaroids? OH MAN THE POLAROIDS. 

Expired polaroids slay me every time.

A few words from Stephanie:

So our little story goes like this...

We're both from Australia, have been together for 8 years and just recently returned to Melbourne after 15 months of overseas travel. We were never really interested in getting married, but now that I think about it, it was just that we never wanted a wedding. When we began planning our way back home to Melbourne, it felt very right to get married as a beautiful way to end the year long travel adventure we shared.

The idea to wed in Vegas honestly started out as something we'd kind of joke about. However after we discovered Gaby Jeter (our wonderful photographer) and realised that Vegas has some pretty charming aspects to it, we couldn't imagine being married anywhere else.

Organising a wedding/ elopement/ private ceremony, whatever you want to call it, in Vegas wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, and actually a bit of a nightmare at times. After reading countless online reviews about the infamous Vegas chapels, that we only imagined would be really cute and kitsch (so wrong), we saw a recurring theme of people being scammed, and we kinda didn't want to be scammed on our wedding day, you know?

Being able to choose our own celebrant and ceremony location helped to keep the level of Vegas tacky-ness pretty low. Because neither of us had ever been to Vegas before, we relied on Google maps to help us find photo locations (like the gorgeous Tod Motor Hotel featured in our pictures) and then Gaby would confirm if the colourful mid-century buildings we liked were still standing.

All in all, I can't recommend eloping enough (Vegas or not). It's incredibly romantic, it's fun, and you get to spend the whole day with your beloved prancing around in beautiful clothes with (maybe) the biggest secret you've ever kept. Then you get to call your family and friends back home and share the beautiful, happy news. Our parents and a couple of others did already know - couldn't quite do that to them!

Now that we're back home, we're having a little party to celebrate our marriage - minus any wedding stress. Just an opportunity to wear my dress again(!) and celebrate with our nearest and dearest.

- Stephanie & Micah


Dets on Stephanie's attire + her unanswered Dear ESB are over here if you missed em.

(POLAROIDDDDDDDDDS by Gaby Jeter)

Seeking: a red dress that will blow his mind

Okay, so! I have been a faithful daily reader of your blog ever since my sister got married a couple of years ago. I had perfected my role of older, unattached cool sister. I was interested in researching as much as I could about how to be a Maid of Honor, even though the subject frankly was not at all interesting to me.

But something kept me coming back to this blog. And six weeks ago, out of complete nowhere, I met my match.

Everything is beautiful, everything is perfect, except for the fact that he lives in DC and I live in Des Moines. We have planned a trip to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. The theory being that it would be wise to continue to get to know each other on neutral turf.

My issue is simple: I need to buy a dress that will blow his mind when I step off of the airplane. It needs to be red, and it needs to be relatively form-fitting in the ass area, and it also needs to not be so tight in the armpit area that it shows pit stains, which will certainly emerge due to my excitement and the climate.

I promise that when all is said and done I will show the wedding money shots that I am of supreme confidence will follow. I just need some direction, some shopping help. I am prepared to work it like I have never worked it before. I just could use a little input.

*****

SLOW DOWN, LADYPANTS

There is no need to work it so hard.

Have lots and lots and lots of sex (Vegas is good for that) but don't even think about marrying the guy until you've tried living in the same city first.





Okay, rant over. Who feels like shopping??

Marion Cotillard by Ellen von Unwerth for Tatler (June 2010) via Fashion Gone Rogue

Mountain wedding? Or Elopement? UPDATE (Plus a few tips on getting married in Vegas)

I feel like a creep just assuming you'd want an update, but I wanted to thank everyone for the advice and say that we're now married! 

The comments definitely made me realize that our ranch option was just as much work as a traditional wedding so we discussed a bit further and decided to get hitched in Vegas after our work conference.  We found a pretty little old ring for me on eBay. I found a dress online that I liked well enough, was in my size, and could be quickly delivered. My guy treated himself to an old-school barber shave at the hotel spa. It was all very simple, cost-effective, and private.

To anyone considering the same, I'll say that getting married in Vegas still isn't the easiest thing in the world. Some short lessons learned: 

Vegas chapels, especially the well known ones, seem to share the common elements of theme weddings, maroon carpet, faux columns, and plastic flowers. We wanted this to be quick and private, we did not want it to feel like The Hangover. 

Yelp reviews were massively helpful. We found a great looking chapel, but the comments repeatedly described it as a "casting call" where you waited outside in the heat for the bell to ring for your turn.

A Vegas courthouse wedding requires an appointment and that you bring your own witness. Since we were traveling alone and didn't want to grab someone off the street, we sadly ruled this option out. 

We ended up going for a bare-bones "Just Us" ceremony at our hotel. The hotel was helpful enough, we were able to write a custom ceremony for the officiant to perform, and we ended up laughing like our normal happy selves through the ceremony. All around, it was a perfect choice for us.

If you have other readers considering the Vegas option, I'd be happy to share more concrete information. It took hours of online research for us to make sense of the countless options available in Vegas.

Happily married without all the stress,

-Mr. & Mrs.

*****

We always want an update. Trust.

♥ ♥ ♥

Photo by Boo George

IT'S YOUR TUESDAY MORNING SHOPPING CHALLENGE!

Dear ESB,

My fiance and I are getting married in less than 4 months in Las Vegas and I don't have a dress. I am not even close to knowing what I want or what would be appropriate. My guys and his best men are wearing black suits, white shirts and black ties. My best ladies are wearing a short black dress of their choice (I want them to really be able to wear their dress again).

We are getting married at a hotel (see: attached photo of ceremony space). We're ditching the purple uplighting, dimming the lights and adding lots of candles. Followed by drinks on a double decker bus and dinner in a swanky restaurant's private dining room with 30 of our closest friends and family.

Everything is set - except for the dress and I have no idea where to start. Can you or your readers help me out? What would you wear?

*****

Dear my readers,

What would YOU wear to get married in Vegas?

(Under $1000, s'il vous plait)


I think I'd go for this baby from Alexander Wang Resort 2013 (thx Anna!), which is sadly not for sale yet.

Seeking: A "Proper" Venue in Las Vegas

Dear ESB

Since my FH and I are teachers, we decided to take this summer to road trip and explore the United States. In lieu of planning a big expensive wedding, we are opting to spend our saved money seeing the sites we've never gotten to see and visiting friends and family we've missed over the years. Approximately mid-way through the trip, we'll reach Vegas, and finally get married. A few very close friends and immediately family (10-15 people) are excited to fly out and join us for the ceremony and a few days of Vegas fun during this small event. 

Here is the issue: I am having trouble finding a proper Vegas wedding location. From all of the Internet searches I've done, I'm coming up with venues that are among many other descriptors cheesy, straight out of 1970 wall paneled, Burgundy carpeted or tacky muraled out. We do not want an Elvis wedding, we do not want any schmaltz. We just want to have a low-key, intimate ceremony.

My wedding dress is a cocktail-length white crocheted A-line I got for like $80. He is wearing a grey jcrew suit, no tie. Very simple, to the point.

We do not want to have a reception, but instead are going to find some great restaurant to meet everyone out at, and then go clubbing on the strip for the rest of the night. Most likely, my FH and I are going to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, but because of expenses and informality of the ceremony don't want to book a wedding at one of these big-type hotel venues.

Do you, or anyone you know, have any suggestions of where we could do the damn thing at? I am open to venues not directly on the strip, but I don't want to stray too far because I know that sometimes the outskirts of Las Vegas can be kind of sketch.  

Thanks so much for your help!!!

*****

No Elvis. No schmaltz. But you're staying at the Hard Rock and going clubbing after the wedding??

The only thing to do is EMBRACE IT, LADY.

IT'S VEGAS, FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

Me, I'd get married at The Little White Wedding Chapel. It worked for  Joanne Woodward + Paul Newman.

Photo: Michael Forester via 100 Layer Cake