Location Location part 2!

Sonja says: "Another lady who decided to head abroad to get married loved the glitz, glamour and excitement of Vegas, so she and her hubby-to-be took the plunge, booking their tickets, finding a venue online and heading to the other side of the world to exchange their vows."

A real winner!

What started as a bar flirtation quickly turned into much more for me and Chris. Back in May 2005 we got to chatting over a drink, and both quickly realised how much we had in common, and how much we liked one another.

Then 39, and previously married, romance was the last thing on my mind. But the feelings between Chris and I were too strong to ignore and after months of dating we revealed our love for one another. In May 2006 Chris proposed out of the blue- but I didn't have to think twice about accepting!

As we discussed wedding plans, Chris and I agreed we both didn't want a huge wedding with hundreds of guests. We wanted something small, yet fun, exciting and spontaneous.

That's when Chris came up with a fabulous idea- to marry in Las Vegas!

We'd both previously been to Vegas and both loved it so the idea seemed perfect.

And rather than doing the traditional Vegas thing and donning Elvis costumes, marrying in a chapel, we decided to look into other ideas. We scoured through websites, before finding one that married couples in gondolas on the water. On November 1 2007, Chris and I exchanged our vows in Vegas in front of our priest and wedding planner onboard a gondola. The day was perfect, and every day since has been just as good.

I highly recommend exciting, location weddings- ours is something we'll never forget and will always have the fondest memories of.

Lynn-Maree Rippon, 41.

"As Lynn-Maree and Chris had an intimate wedding abroad, they didn't include many features of traditional weddings, such as bonbonerie, a cake and decorations.

But they still had some organising to do from Aus before they headed to Vegas, and below are some of the details they used for their perfect big day." 

Ceremony

We were married at The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas- www.venetian.com. I did a lot of searching for Vegas venues online, comparing all the different hotels and resorts, and what wedding packages they offered. Most of them were in chapels, but we really wanted something different and unique. During my search I came across a Gondola Package, which included a Wedding Planner to arrange the celebrant, our photos and a bonus DVD of our wedding. The planner also helped with my flowers, I just had to email a picture of what I wanted.  

Celebrant

We were married by Reverend Peter Billitteri.

Reception

We didn't have a reception but our planner organised a table in a restaurant, Valentino, at our hotel. It was beautiful- we were quite spoilt!  

Bride & Groom's wear

I bought my dress from a bridal store called After 5 on Brunswick Street, Coburg. Chris bought his suit from Peter Jackson in Highpoint, Melbourne.

Hair & Makeup

My wedding planner also organised my hair and makeup, which was done at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Vegas.  

Photography

Cashman Photos- www.cashmanphoto.com-  took our wedding photos and DVD.

Transport

Our wedding planner also helped with our transportation, organising a black stretch-limousine for an hour. The driver took us to plenty of wonderful places where we had heaps of lovely photos taken.     

Honeymoon

That's the great thing about location weddings- they double as a honeymoon!

"So although Vegas wasn't Luisa's cup of tea, it certainly was the ideal wedding location for Lynn-Maree and Chris. Location weddings can be a hassle-free, cheaper and a more exciting alternative to a wedding, with wonderful everlasting memories. However if you'd prefer a large wedding with hundreds of guests picking a venue closer to home is certainly the way to go!"