Lucky in Love — Your Las Vegas Themed Wedding

More than a few brides and grooms who dash off to Vegas for the exciting ceremony of their dreams want nothing more, once the knot is tied, to bring some of the glitz and the glamour back home to share with friends and family. For many, this means a Vegas-themed reception.

If a “night on the strip” is what you’ve got in mind, here are some tips for bringing the high rolling glitter of Vegas back home, without losing your focus on what the party’s really about — celebrating your wedding.

Picture this: you and your new husband pull up to the venue in a glitzy white limousine. Following the newest trend in afterparty attire, you’re donning a stunning white satin gown that's clearly bridal, yet not confining. Your husband is similarly striking in his crisp white tux — or perhaps even a pinstriped zoot suit and jaunty fedora. (Get your groomsmen in on the act with some matching felt hats.)

Dazzling Decor

Together, you sweep into the banquet hall under the bright "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Arm in arm, you stroll down the red carpet lined with the shiny brass poles and the red velvet rope that can only signify a VIP affair.

Palm trees (or full-bodied ferns) and Corinthian columns rise dramatically from the sides of the room. Strung with twinkle and casino lights, they create an atmosphere that’s impossible to resist.

The guest tables feature bold red napkins on white skirted tables sprinkled with poker confetti. Gold chivari chairs set off the look perfectly. Or perhaps you chose classic black linens and chair covers, complemented with bold red tiebacks and sparkling gold chargers and cutlery.

Guests found their way to their seat thanks to elegant poker-theme placecard holders, and signs that name the tables after famous old Vegas casinos: The Golden Nugget, Binion's Horseshoe, Jackie Gaughan. To leave no doubt that this was a wedding, you bypassed the party-supply centerpieces of metallic foil sprays and stuck with glamorous of calla lilies, deep red roses or magnificent ostrich feathers in glowing tower vases.

Exquisite Entertainment

It's your wedding, and that's plenty. No one will blink if you don't lug in the baccarat or craps tables at an event meant to celebrate your union. But this is your party, and there are no ironclad do's or don'ts about it. In fact, if you're of the mind to, it's simple to add a touch (or a lot) of Sin City showbiz to the proceedings with:

Costumed Caterers: Your staff will seem fresh from the strip wearing the traditional Vegas attire of white shirts, visors, black bowties and armbands. For even more pop, have a lovely showgirl or two pass out your signature martinis on elegant silver trays. Carnivale-style headdresses are Vegas at its loudest, but bright pink or blue wigs paired with fringed sequined tops are just as true to form.

The King Lives On: why not have an Elvis impersonator circulate for photo ops with the guests, or hire some “showgirls” for a pulse-raising revue before the DJ starts off the dancing? Both options will look great on your wedding video, and you'll get a kick out watching them years later.

Table Tchotchkes: a scattering of coins and a gorgeous table-top slot machine centerpiece will give guests plenty to talk about while they wait for your big entrance.

Does your reception includes kids? Serve them up a Vegas-style event they'll never forget: live goldfish racing. Call up your local entertainment company and see if they offer the simple accessories you'll need (7 foot lanes, goldfish and straws pretty much covers it). Tap a kid brother or cousin to be Howard Cosell for the evening.

Spin for a Kiss

Forget the clinking glasses that tell the couple to kiss (and pass on the chipped barware and dirty looks from events staff). Instead, rent a roulette wheel from your local entertainment company and ask your guests to place their bets on where the ball will fall. If the betting proves too challenging to wangle a good number of kisses from the couple, ease up on the rules and count a correctly-called even or odd number, or a correctly-called red or black.

That Takes the Cake

That spectacular confection on the cake table has a bottom layer marked with crisp harlequin diamonds, topped by a second layer displaying bright hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. What puts the finishing touches on this creation? A carnivale-style feathered topper, and the chocolate poker chips and dice you've scattered around the base. Nearby is the groom's cake — in the shape of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, of course.

The Bellagio Wedding Cake Shop. Photo by Lars Ploughmann.

Lady Luck Favors the Bold

Favor your guests according to theme with personalized cigars (you could even supply the chocolate variety), clay poker chips or playing cards. Or try foil-wrapped chocolate champagne bottles, $1 lottery tickets tucked into glassine envelopes, or chocolate dice or poker chips. Need more ideas? These novel poker-chip cigar lighters are sure to spark some smiles, while a personalized cigar flask or humidor makes a swoon-worthy gift for a special groomsman.

Rock Out With the Rat Pack

Any DJ should know just what to do when it comes to spinning up tunes for your Vegas wedding, but if you're doing the music yourself, start with Ol’ Blue Eyes’ "Luck Be a Lady,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” and “Fly Me To The Moon,” Elvis’ "Viva Las Vegas," Nat King Cole’s “I'm Shooting High,” and Ella’s “Ace In The Hole.”