As any good Las Vegas wedding photographer will tell you, there's more to Vegas than meets the eye. There's a world to explore beyond the Las Vegas Strip - and it makes a perfect setting for your wedding or engagement party. ...Or, maybe you are interested in the Boulevard that's made Las Vegas the world's entertainment capital. The ARIA Resort & Casino is one of the most striking hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. ARIA boasts 586 suites, a world-class spa, live entertainment, a casino and the latest in international cuisine - in short, it's the ultimate Vegas experience. The acclaimed Bellagio brings a touch of European glamour to Vegas with top boutiques and restaurants, Mediterranean-style pools, lounging areas and spas, an art gallery and an upscale wedding chapel.
If you're looking to really have it all in Vegas - if you need a resort, hotel, casino AND theater - check into the Palazzo. This gorgeous hotel features Italian design, dozens of top-notch restaurants and luxury boutiques and an 1,800-seat custom-built theater. The Flamingo Las Vegas is one of the Strip's oldest and most famous resorts; it features not only hundreds of guest suites and entertainment centers, but also live flocks of flamingoes. If you're looking for somewhere to celebrate your wedding or engagement, your Las Vegas wedding photographer may direct you to RHUMBAR at the Mirage, also located on the Strip, is a club located inside the Mirage Hotel & Casino. The Caribbean-themed lounge offers 26,000 square feet of dance space, and is the perfect place for a Las Vegas wedding photographer to snap engagement party or post-wedding shots. Need off-Strip accommodation or hosting for your wedding or engagement party? Try the non-gaming Artisan Hotel on West Sahara Avenue. With just 64 guest rooms and suites, it's intimate enough for those who want a small, private wedding that still maintains the Vegas flavor - it's got a pool, innovative cuisine and a wedding chapel.
If you're looking for someplace a little more low-key, you may want your Las Vegas wedding photographer to photograph you and your engagement/wedding party in the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park. The Park features botanical gardens and an array of exotic and endangered animals, including Barbary Apes, chimps, eagles, ostriches, exotic reptiles, flamingoes and as the site boasts, "...every species of venomous reptile native to Southern Nevada" - in short, all of the grandeur you'd expect in Vegas. Nature enthusiasts would do well to visit the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, a complex made up of the Desert National Wildlife Range, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Amargosa Pupfish Station. Combined, the area encompasses 1.5 million acres, contains six major mountain ranges and houses rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The easily-daunted should check out the more user-friendly - but no less beautiful Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is about 15 minutes West of Las Vegas. The 197,000-acre area park offers a 13 mile scenic drive and miles of hiking trails - the perfect secluded, romantic spot. Those willing to go farther off the beaten track should check out Bonnie Springs Old Nevada, a re-created Old West town (complete with "shootouts"!) that's available for private parties.
For the culturally-minded, there's Chinatown Plaza on Spring Mountain Rd. The Plaza is part of the first master-planned Chinatown in the United States, and the dramatic architecture is designed in the style of the ancient Chinese Tong Dynasty. Your Las Vegas wedding photographer will agree that it's the perfect combination of form and style - just as Vegas should be.