This trip was so much fun. 🙂 It’s a rare treat to get away with Nate for a weekend in a REALLY FUN city, but I also got to spend this day watching my BFF get married. This day was one for the books!
Shout out to my in-laws and then my sister and her boyfriend who took turns watching Milo and Dayton for us. Geeeez I’m so thankful for family! I made a few arrangements, wrote out directions, and then left town knowing that my children will be in the best and most loving care possible. I certainly don’t take that for granted.
Ok, if you missed PART 1 of this Vegas trip, be sure to read that right here. And then dive into PART 2 below!
So, I mentioned in the last post that the late night part of Vegas was kind of rough for me… But an early morning? I got that. 😉 I went to the entrance of the Palazzo on Saturday morning, and waiting outside was…
Caitlin in this cherry-red BMW convertible that she rented for the day.
It was sunny, the sky was blue, and the Strip was wiiiide open (because HELLO? No one in Vegas is up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning except for the people who haven’t got to bed yet!)
It was an instant hit of happiness!!
First stop: breakfast.
We started our morning at MG Patisserie, which is led by a 2 Star Michelin pastry chef.
Coffee and pastries and friends.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this cheese danish changed my life. I thought I had tasted a cheese danish before, but it turns out I hadn’t.
And I probably won’t order one again unless it’s right here in Vegas at MG Patisserie. Because it was sooooo good. I went with raspberry filling, but now that I’m looking at this picture and remembering how perfect it was, I should have ordered both flavors and eating them both in one sitting.
And then it was off to the desert! Top down, music cranked up on full blast, sun shining…it was a whole vibe.
We drove for about 30 minutes until we go to…
7 Magic Mountains.
Umm, Caitlin was decked out in white for each outfit on this trip and she ROCKED every single one of them! Also…today was her WEDDING DAY!!!
This is a permanent art display in the middle of freaking no where. There were about 20-30 other people there, but it’s so big and spread out that it didn’t feel crowded at all.
It was so weird to be standing there…I really felt like I was in the middle of no where. It’s funny to think of Las Vegas basically looking like this (hot, dry desert with nothing in site except for the mountains in the distance) before the city was built.
We attempted some tripod selfie pics and did “medium” at it.
I mean, none of them are framers. I’ll say that. 😉
Seven Magic Mountains, you were soooo cool. (And by cool I mean hot, hot hot.)
^ I mean, look at this! Dry, hot, super sunny. I’m amazed that certain plants can grow here! We decided to put the top up for the drive home to avoid sunburns and awkward tan lines because it was time to go get ready for the wedding!
But first we had to make a stop at Freed’s for some wedding cupcakes. This is one of the oldest bakeries in Vegas, and they had a little bit of everything!
All those little crispy butter cookies were delicious. We snacked on them all day!
I also picked up a few little treats to bring home to my boys in Austin.
We dropped off the car and then headed up to Caitlin’s suite at The Venetian to get our hair and makeup done.
^ Goodness, y’all…want to know how many times I thought of my boys while I was away from them? Approximately 100,000.
The hair/makeup team was AMAZING.
Uh, yup…I could definitely get used to this: getting my hair and makeup done on the 35th floor of The Venetian with THIS view while ordering room service. Can I please repeat this day??
Not mad about any of this.
Look at Sydney’s Hollywood waves!! They were absolutely perfect.
Oh, by the way: Nate and the guys were at the top of the Strat during all of this! They went up there for drinks and views and rides and lunch! ^ Nate snapped this pic and texted it to the group.
We finished hair and makeup and the photographer arrived. Caitlin and Jason did a bunch of beautiful photos around the Venetian…
I can’t wait until she gets them back from her photographer and can share them with everyone!!
And then it was time to go to the chapel to watch them get married.
^ About to get hitched!
The wedding was the sweetest. I’ll let Caitlin share the detail in her own words if/when she chooses to, but the vows that Caitlin and Jason wrote to each other made me tear up, and the iconic Vegas setting with Elvis was so fun.
Awww! The best! Seriously, I am sooo excited to see their professional photos.
And then we went to some iconic spots in Vegas so they could take their wedding photos!
Haha…I have literally one little snapshot from this portion because we were so busy doing wedding photos. Here’s my rather understated makeup/hair. Haha.
The wedding was so beautiful, and I’m over-the-moon excited and happy for Caitlin and Jason. And so thankful that she invited us to Vegas to be there on their wedding day…it’s (obviously) a day I’ll never forget.
The reception dinner was at Bazaar Meat by José Andres. Caitlin really wanted to do a celebrity restaurant experience right after they got married. I remember going to Giada’s restaurant the last time I was in Vegas and I loved the experience, so I was excited to check another on off the list.
Here’s an interior shot of the restaurant. It’s inside Sahara, which is one of the older resorts on the Strip. It was dark and moody, with leather couches and black textiles.
I had the best Manhattan of my life. That steam is orange peel essence, which was poured into the glass (and basically all one the table!) and smelled amazing.
^ Foie Gras Cotton Candy. Definitely one of the most memorable things I’ve eaten! It was a lollipop of sweet and soft and savory. Delicious.
We had bite after bite after bite of delicious and creative meat-forward dishes.
And celebrated the newlyweds with the most delicious meal!
Dessert was a surprise that the chef brought out as a special celebration for Caitlin and Jason: 12 of these beautiful little handmade pastries. (The jelly roll-up and the chocolate chip dessert, both on the right, were my two favorites.)
And then we hit up the casino!
I found out that I love roulette.
Um, no I did not have any beginner’s luck. But I had a good time!
We all hung out late into the night before making our way back to our rooms and crashing hard!
And the next morning Nate and I woke up, made our coffee…
…and then walked to the next resort on the strip to meet everyone for the brunch buffet at The Wynn.
I loved this pretty fountain outside the resort!
I’d love to stay at this resort next time! Everything is so bright and colorful and cheery.
This was my first Vegas brunch experience, and I have to say: it lives up to the hype.
GOOD LORD the food was amazing. I mean, I’ve eaten brunch buffets plenty of times (at hotels, on our Disney cruise,) and I’m typically a bit underwhelmed by the quality of the food.
But not this one. Not only was there a little bit of everything offered here, but it was all prepared so nicely! Thick slices of bacon, fresh sushi, cinnamon rolls with a gooey center and caramelized edges, fresh-squeezed watermelon juice, crispy potatoes. There was food from all over the world (steam buns, chilaquiles, mango and papaya, French crepes, Italian breakfast options, Mediterranean entrees) as well as all the classics you’d expect: made-to-order pancakes, bacon and eggs, sausage, waffles, bagels and lox, and pretty much any other breakfast item you might want.
We all went a little bit crazy. 😉
My chocolate pancake got a bit melty, but this plate was one of my favorites. (I think I went back to the buffet 5 times in total?)
The crepes were really good, too!
Oh, I loved this savory plate, too! A poke bowl, some pork buns, and a few sushi rolls.
And then when I was so stuffed and couldn’t eat any more…I ate just a bit more. 😉 ^ I had to go back and try some of their beautiful desserts!
After brunch it was time to say goodbye and head back to the airport.
We made the best memories on this trip.
Bye, Vegas!
We got back to Austin late Sunday night, and on Monday morning I couldn’t wait to see these two sweet little faces. Gosh, I missed them.
And that was our trip! Congratulations again to Caitlin and Jason!! I am so, so happy for y’all.
This Vegas trip was such a blast. I wrote about my first experience of going to Vegas here, and I have to say: this trip was way better. I think it’s because the first time was such a culture shock (let’s be honest: Vegas is 100% its own culture, ha!) and I just had to get used to it.
I mean, there are still some parts of Vegas that are weird to me. For instance, the restaurants: they’re serving world-class food with excellent service…like, mind-blowingly good, but all of the restaurant decor is kind of the same. It feels like you’re in a hotel!
And the fact that you can smoke anywhere you want so all the carpets smell smoky and look dingy. It’s just kind of weird, considering a big portion of the guests don’t smoke and don’t want to be around smoke.
But once I got used to those things, I kind of loved Vegas. I mean, the cabana pool experience on this trip was amazing and something I’ll totally repeat in the future. And I loved the Katy Perry show! And we got to eat some really delicious food.
Vegas…I’ll be back.
