Downtown offers unique wedding venues
While downtown Las Vegas has its share of "quickie" wedding chapels, it is also home to the city's most unique wedding venues. From the breathtaking art deco-styled Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Frank Gehry-designed special events atrium at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health to the kitsch of the Mob Museum and sprawling gardens at the Springs Preserve, downtown wedding spots offer both variety and prestige in distinctly Las Vegas settings.
Springs Preserve
One of the richest and most unique cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada, Springs Preserve offers a variety of indoor and outdoor locations for weddings and receptions. Committed to serving as a living exhibit for sustainability practices, the staff at Springs Preserve will help make that special day "green" with everything from flowers to details of the ceremony and limousine service. On-site catering is provided by Culinary Arts Catering, which can create customized menus for parties ranging from intimate weddings to elaborate, sit-down dinners.
The spectacular Courtyard Rotunda offers multilevel seating and a grand staircase for a spectacular entrance. The Gardens Arboretum is an intimate ceremony location amid lush botanical gardens. The Gardens Amphitheater features clusters of illuminated trees that sparkle when the sun goes down. The Courtyard Plaza is an open-air setting that features stunning architecture, arid plant life and trees adorned with white LED lights. The Springs Amphitheater is also ideal for splashy entrances, while the spacious banquet room with cathedral ceiling and beautiful views offers a year-round indoor space with an outdoor feel. For more information visit www.springspreserve.org or call 702-924-2182.
The Smith Center for the
Performing Arts
The Smith Center was built to host the greatest in performing arts from around the world, but truth be told, a Smith Center wedding is just as spectacular as its productions. The stunning art deco style creates an elegant and sophisticated backdrop for vows, while the ringing carillon bell adds a touch of Old World romance. Any of The Smith Center's event venues is available to accommodate a variety of wedding sizes and styles. Center stage in the magnificent Reynolds Hall is ideal for larger weddings, while the intimacy of the Cabaret Jazz theater is suitable for smaller ceremonies. The lush outdoor courtyard also is an option, as is the extremely versatile Troesh Studio Theater. For more information visit thesmithcenter.org or email a request to events@thesmithcenter.com.
Mob Museum
For an edgy, fun and highly themed venue, the Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is the only one of its kind in the world and offers an historic and memorable setting. Housed inside the restored former federal courthouse and U.S. post office, the Mob Museum is one of the few historically significant buildings in Las Vegas that is part of the city's rich history. Each exhibit and room of the museum offers a different experience and feel, allowing couples to choose the historic setting they believe best suits the theme of their wedding or reception. For more information, contact sales@themobmuseum.org.
Keep Memory Alive Event Center
The Keep Memory Alive Event Center at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is one of the city's most architecturally inspiring and impressive buildings. Designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry, the KMA Event Center reflects the desert climate and urban environments that influenced Gehry's design. The building's remarkable 199 windows, none of which is alike, serve as a reminder that no single event or wedding is like the other.
The Event Center, which can be configured in a variety of ways, is dedicated to creating and preserving memory. KMA raises awareness and resources to support research and treatment for neurocognitive disorders and also seeks to make a national impact through its collaborative research initiatives and public policy work. Revenue collected by Keep Memory Alive for use of the Event Center supports the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health's core mission: enhanced treatments and ultimately a cure for neurocognitive disorders. For more information on booking a room visit www.keepmemoryalive.org or contact Gina Sinclair 702-335-1116.
NEON Museum
The Neon Museum, home to a collection of more than 150 neon signs dating from the 1930s, is the largest collection of neon signage in the world and a unique record of Las Vegas' colorful history. Inside a two-acre outdoor museum space known as the Neon Boneyard, iconic signs from the city's most celebrated properties - including the Moulin Rouge, the Desert Inn, the Flamingo and the Stardust - are displayed alongside those from various other bygone restaurants, hotels and businesses
The Neon Museum opens to the public Oct. 27, and the venue plans to offer rental of event space for private parties, such as wedding receptions, corporate parties and more. Unique and visually stunning areas available for rental include the historic, midcentury La Concha Motel lobby (the new visitor center) and the outdoor venue surrounded by signs of the Neon Boneyard. These two spaces can be rented together or separately with varying capacities from 20 to 350 people. For more information contact Cynthia Behr Warso, events coordinator for the museum, at cynthia@neonmuseum.org .
