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Lessons from Vegas The perfect personalized venue doesn’t have to include gondolas and canals – or neon lights – to make a statement 
Las Vegas is an over-the-top kind of town, from the gondolas cruising the waterway of the Grand Canal shops to the modest heights of a replicated Eiffel Tower. It’s a town where jackpots and quickie nuptials rule the day. So expectations are great when Cheryl Fish is called upon to set the scene for a traditional wedding day. “My forte is making rooms gorgeous,” Fish says, the vice president of MGM Mirage Events in Las Vegas. With properties that include the Bellagio Hotel and its infamous, hypnotic fountains, she has numerous inspiring venues from which to choose. And when lavish is called for, Fish responds. She’s been known to make the impossible happen, even transforming a banquet room into a virtual forest. But Fish says you don’t need dancing waters or extravagant flowers to make a room your own. You can turn a stark space into a festive one, warming your guests in the glow of subtle lighting or dazzling them with bolts of color. There are many simple ways to personalize a rented property, Fish says, and the most expensive options aren’t always necessary. “The smallest detail can make the biggest impression. If the bride and groom’s personal passions can flow through the wedding, we’ve done our job,” she says. If you’re not sure how to proceed in decorating your banquet hall, browse through home furnishing, fashion and bridal magazines. Hone in on those little touches – such as garlands of ribbons accenting the chairs – that capture your imagination. For example, Fish’s daughter loves makeup, especially lipstick. When she got married, Fish arranged a bridesmaid’s party at a cosmetics store, creating a floral arrangement in the shape of a lipstick tube for the centerpiece. Facing those bare walls is always a concern when planning a decorating scheme for the wedding ceremony. Think of the hall as a palette for color, texture and light, says the decorator. “Turn the room for the ceremony into something magical,” she says. “Place quotes from the bride and groom on the backs of the chairs. Set up a canopy the bride and groom can stand under, then attach heirlooms from both families and have them dangle from the canopy.” Without draining your budget, you can even create a garden of satin and flowers. Buy a 54-to 60-inch bolt of satin and roll it down the center of the floor, covering the length of the room as a path for the bride. Strew the sides of the satin with fresh rose petals. Purchase pots of tulips, daffodils and pansies and then arrange the pots inside of urns. Place the floral urns in corners of the room that need brightening. And while it is impossible to repaint a drab banquet room just for your day, you can still recolor it, says Fish. Take fabric or drapery and create fabric panels on the walls. Add some elegant lighting and the room will look perfect. “Lighting is a really important factor – anything in soft pink, rose or lilac. Everyone looks beautiful in these colors,” she says. “If you’re working with a hotel or large facility, ask for pin-spot lighting. Place the lighting so it hits the flowers, the cake cutting area and where the D.J. is playing.” Even if you don’t have a big budget for lighting, take a cue from the trendiest designers and opt for candles. “Candles make everything look gorgeous,” Fish says. |
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