One of the things that is very important to Mr. Darcy and I is making sure we have plenty of opportunities to spend time with our guests. One of the ways we want to do this is by setting-up (not hosting) a morning after brunch. My first idea was to just have it in my parent’s suite and just invite guests to drop by on their way out of town. My issue with this was two-fold, first it committed Mr. Darcy and I to a long period of time of hanging out in the suite and it puts extra pressure on my parents to make sure everything is ready for the guests and that they check out on time. The next idea was to hit the buffet at Mandalay Bay. The problem with this is we have to make a reservation through group dining to insure our space and this requires us to foot the bill. So our next option was to find a restaurant that would allow to make a reservation for a large number of guests without having to foot everyone’s bill. My solution Mon Ami Gabi. Their breakfast/brunch menu is super affordable with choices ranging in price from $3.95-$24.95 and it has a gorgeous view of the Bellagio fountains from the patio.

Mon Ami Gabi Patio

Source

Besides check out some of their most awesome menu items.

1. Made from Scratch Waffles

Made from Scratch Blueberry Waffles

Source

2. Bloody Mary Bar

Source

3. Giant Cappucinnos

Source

4. Huge Champagne Selection

Source

I can’t wait to enjoy brunch with our guests at this awesome restaurant. This is definitely on our list of must-visits for our next Vegas planning trip.

Did you have a morning after brunch? Did your guests enjoying spending more time with you in a less pressured environment and without having to worry about spilling their wine on your big, white dress?

(From my favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast). One of Mr. Darcy and I’s biggest priorities through out the wedding planning process has been making sure our guests’ are taken care of. We have come up with a multi-faceted plan to ensure all of them know how special they are to us and know how thankful we are that they took time out their busy schedules to be with us on our big day (weekend). So here is Mr. Darcy and Miss Austen’s How to Take Care of Your Guest for a destination wedding 101:

1. Take the time to schedule extra events with your guests, but don’t book up all their time.- Mr. Darcy and I will be hosting a meet and greet on Friday night, which includes a double decker bus tour of Las Vegas and drinks for all our guests. We will have exclusive access to the bus and be making spots at the following areas: 1. Las Vegas Sign, 2. Downtown for the Fremont Street Experience, 3. Treasure Island’s Pirate Show/ Mirage Volcano Eruption, and 4. Bellagio Fountains. Yeah this may seem a little cheesy to some, but for Mr. Darcy and I it was a way to be able to spend some extra quality time with our guests without breaking the bank and getting to experience Vegas. We also be having an impromptu morning after brunch. We are still working details on this. We will either just have an open house style continental breakfast in Mama and Papa Austen’s suite and let guest know they can stop by for juice, coffee, and croissants and spend a last few moments with the newlyweds before they leave or we will set up a time for all our guests to meet up with us at the buffet at the hotel.

Source

2. Set-up a hotel block.- Mr. Darcy set-up a hotel block at Mandalay Bay,where all events for the weekend are centered around. Our guests do not have to stay there, but the option is there and the rooms are discounted. We are also considering setting up a second one at the Luxor or Excalibur, which both connect to Mandalay Bay via monorail.

Source

3. Provide transportation for your guests.- We will be providing buses to our guests to transport them from the ceremony location, Mandalay Bay, to the reception location, Caesar’s Palace. We will only be providing transportation to the reception, because we want our guests to have the freedom to traipse around Vegas, when the reception is over. We will have one small bus to take small children and their parents and elderly guests back to Mandalay Bay immediately following the receptions’ conclusion.

Source

4. Make your guests feel welcome.- We will be providing our guests with welcome bags filled with yummy snacks, water, hangover kit, local magazine, Las Vegas strip map, and welcome note. Talk to the concierge of the hotel, where you are staying they will probably give you free local printed materials to put in your bags. The welcome boxes will be delivered to guest’s rooms after they check-in.

There you have it, all the ways Mr. Darcy and I are trying to make our guests feel welcome, taken care of, and special, as they share in our special day.

Are you doing anything special to take care of your guests? Do you have any other suggestions?

So we have reached the six month mark. This is seemingly unreal for me. I feel like I have been waiting so long for this moment and now it’s finally here I feel a bit overwhelmed. It just seems like so much. I have so much I want to share with you, like about the rehearsal dinner and registry and bridesmaid gifts and welcome bags and more decor decisions (I think Mr. Darcy may ban me from reading wedding magazines, because of fear I may get new ideas). I have lots of DIY projects I want to complete during the summer. My reasoning for this is two fold. 1. I decided to not take any courses this summer and 2. My work schedule will be changing and I will be finished earlier in the day. There is so much I have to share and do. I am feeling excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. Mr. Darcy and I will be taking a few days away just the two of us to celebrate his birthday and to take a break from it all, but before we left I decided to make a list of projects to complete this summer (by the end of August). So here it goes. Here is my list:

1. Order paper samples for invites (Mama Austen, Papa Austen, Mr. Darcy, and I have made a decision regarding these, that I will be sharing in the near future).

2. Deliver the bridesmaid bouquet tutorial and materials to my FMIL for the bridesmaid bouquets. In case you forgot here is what she will be making.

Source: Jewel Box Ballerina

3. Make fishing boutonnieres. On our last trip to Vegas Mr. Darcy and I found the perfect fly fishing lures (read pretty feathers) to make these with.

Source: Weddingbee

4. Baking test run for mini bundt cakes for welcome bags. My FMIL will be making Polish cookies for the welcome bags (Mr. Darcy’s great, great grandma’s recipe) and I will be making mini coconut macadamia nut bundt cakes, a la Martha Stewart to represent my Hawaiian heritage. The goal here is to see how far ahead of time I can make these babies. According to Martha I can freeze them for one week, but I am more concerned with how long they take to thaw.

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

5. Paper Crafts. I have decided to add a few more details to the reception. These included a thank you sign for the card table and a bride and groom sign for the sweetheart table. Plus, I am playing with the idea of a photo display.

Just Married Sign for Sweetheart Table/ Source:Mrs. Seashell on Weddingbee

Thank You Sign for the Card Table/ Source: Mrs. Cheeseburger on Weddingbee

(To customize our sign I am thinking it will say Aloha.)

Source: Southern Living

(This photo has inspired me to hang pictures from the railing on the staircase, leading up to our reception space.)

6. Begin working on the programs, schedules, and other printed materials.

7. DIY bar accessories. I am planning on making drink stirrers and stamping cocktail napkins for the reception.

Washing Tape Drink Stirrers/ Source: Weddingbee

Book Themed Stamped Cocktail Napkins/ Source: Miss Cinnamon Buns Weddingbee

8. Decorate welcome boxes and kid’s boxes for wedding weekend with washi tape.

OOT Welcome Boxes/ Source: Mrs. Elephant Wedding Bee

9. Make the flower girl wands.

Tulle Flower Girl Wands/ Source: Sweet and Sassy Girls

So the goal for my summer is to complete as many DIY projects as possible. And as you may be able to tell Miss Austen is a stealer, stealer of ideas from the lovely ladies over on Weddingbee. I freely admit it, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Right.

Did you complete most of your DIY projects before the wedding or did you do them as the time came closer? Did you have a treasure trove of ideas, that you turned to during the planning process?

On a side note, I am leaving on a short get away with Mr. Darcy and will not be updating the blog, while I am away. I promise, when I return though I will bring you a delightful menagerie of updates and project successes (cross my fingers).

As I watched all the guests arrive for the royal wedding, I was very much impressed with most guests attire. The typical outfits were morning suits for the men, knee length dresses/suits and hats/fascinators for the women.

The Beckhams Source: Styleite

This had me thinking about my own guest’s attire for the wedding. I don’t know if brides really think about the attire of their guests’ outside of their wedding party, but their attire will also be captured in photos. Here are some of the things I hope not to see our guests wearing at our wedding.

Source: Chictopia

I really wish that the men do not show up with jeans and t-shirt on. I would really like the men to be in a button-up, tie, and slacks, but not necessarily a jacket. I want them to be comfortable, but not that comfortable.

Source: The Gloss

I really hope I will not have any female guests, sporting the hoochie mama dress. We are having a cocktail party and I hope the ladies will lovely cocktail dress, just not this short.

Ramona and Alex from the Real Housewives of New York City Source: Brass Stacks and Silver Charms

(Yes I watch the Real Housewives.) Wearing white is something I don’t wish my guest would do, but Mama Austen absolutely detests the idea that guests would wear white to wedding. She insists that if anybody wears white to the wedding, they will not be allowed in the photos. I love Mama Austen. She is a fierce mama.

Have you put any thought in to what your guests might wear to your wedding? Are you giving them guidelines?