Katie & Frank’s intimate Vegas rooftop wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Katie, Seamstress

Her offbeat partner: Frank, Radio Show Host

Date and location of wedding: MGM Grand, Las Vegas NV — September 26, 2014

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Frank and I got married at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, surrounded by our closest family and friends. The wedding took place on the balcony of our suite, under a beautiful blue sky. We loved being surrounded by all our loved ones. We had the easiest reception ever: an amazing all-you-can-eat buffet in the casino.

I am a seamstress and have been dreaming of my wedding dress for years, so to me the best part was being able to make and wear my dream dress. I searched for months for the perfect fabric, and kept designing and changing things right up until three days before the wedding, when I put the finishing touches on it. I made it out of heavy hemp silk, and the dress ended up weighing five pounds. I also figured that we would want to hit the strip after the wedding, so I created a shorter skirt to change into after.

We spent five days in Vegas, and one of the best parts was getting to see and hear from people when they got into town. You never knew who was going to pop up where, and it seemed like we ran into everyone that was there for the wedding elsewhere at some point. People who you would never assume would hang out are suddenly hitting the clubs until 4:00 am, and some very cool, unexpected friendships developed. The night before our wedding, my mother told us that my Uncle Joe and his girlfriend Kathy had decided to take the plunge and get married the same weekend, so our family went from wedding to wedding and we had two brides in Vegas at the same time!

So many different people were filming and taking pictures, and it was really neat to get to see it from so many different perspectives. Before we got home, our friend Sam (who also did my hair) sent us an amazing video she made of the wedding weekend.

Tell us about the ceremony:
I was walked down the aisle by my cousin Michael, who was also one of my bridesmen. He helped me out immensely during the planning and kept me sane during the stressful parts, so I wouldn't have had it any other way. My Uncle Joe, who is an amazing musician, played “Stairway to Heaven” as we walked down the aisle. We were married by the one of the pastors that's on call for the MGM Grand. The ceremony was short and sweet, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. Frank was very nervous to be in front of even our relatively small group (55 people all together), so we made it pretty quick.

Our biggest challenge:
There were quite a few challenges along the way. We had a budget, and it became apparent very early on that there was no way we would be able to afford a wedding with everyone we wanted to invite. Frank is also a rather introverted person, and the thought of being in front of a crowd was making his incredibly nervous. We eventually decided on an intimate destination wedding, and Las Vegas seemed the natural choice. We also booked the suite we had our ceremony and reception in before we got a final headcount, and as we had never seen it, had no idea how many people would fit inside. Planning for decorations, pictures, even where the snacks and drinks would be was a nightmare because I was so unsure about what it would actually be like once we got there.

My favorite moment:
When the wedding ceremony began, there were beautiful clear blue skies. As we kissed for the first time as husband and wife, I felt rain drops. Before long, there were black skies and a raging thunderstorm. Most of the party moved inside, but I got to dance in the rain with my best friend like we used to when we were young. It was so unbelievable seeing people let themselves be soaked as the skies lit up.

My “fairy” godmother, my Aunt Sue, made my wedding bouquet herself. She is very creative, and I had spoken with her for years about her making my bouquet when my time to get married came. I was in love with so many different things, I had no idea what I wanted. In the end, she made the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen, and it was absolutely perfect. When she brought it out for me to see, I started bawling. There were white roses, rosemary in remembrance of my grandparents, a spider plant that had been in her wedding bouquet, and of course, fairy lights! It glowed all night long, and it meant so much to me that she put so much effort and thought into it.

During our first dance, Frank's family threw coins at our feet to symbolize wealth and prosperity. Neither of us had any idea it was coming, and it was such a simple, touching surprise.

I also wore my grandmother's pearls, which meant a great deal to me, as she will always be a part of the day when we see the pictures.

My funniest moment:
The suite had a giant picture of a woman's butt in lingerine on the wall. We had seen one other wedding that took place there, and in all of the photos you barely noticed what was going on because of this giant, distracting ass! We had so much fun watching everyone's reaction to it, and we naturally got some amazing photos with it.

During the ceremony, Frank slipped my ring on the wrong hand. I pointed it out, and everyone burst into laughter. After that, everyone was so much more relaxed.

My cousin who walked me down the aisle also found a joke shop, and stocked up on all kinds of goodies (including the Elvis glasses that we all looked so good in.) He played so many pranks on my family throughout the week we were there that I don't know how he got anything else done.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?
Surround yourself with the people you love most, and DO NOT PANIC about the little stuff — you won't remember the little details anyway. Party however you like, and have as much fun as you can.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Getting Ready Dress: Badgley Mishka
• Photography: Mary Anastasia Photography
• Hair: Sam Derengowski
• Makeup: Francesca Lombardo, Bobbie Pin Beauty
• Venue: Skyline Terrace Suite, MGM Grand

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!