Over the weekend I did a dry run of my Wedding! Chris and I will be getting married at Treasure Island, In Las Vegas Nevada.

I had our daughter Christy June 10th 2016. Chris planned a trip to Vegas to celebrate our anniversary and the fact I had a whole human!

Chris and I love UFC! I love Connor McGregor!

Connor was having a fighting in Las Vegas August 18, 2016. I mentioned how cool it would be to Chris once in a conversation and thought nothing else.

Chris planned the whole trip including childcare and arranged for our baby to stay with my bff Kokoa and her sweet daughter Harlyn.

After I dropped off Christy I owned the door to this

Two tickets to see Connor Mcgregor and cash gift.

I had never had anything so thoughtful and sweet happen to me in my whole life.

We were off to Vegas!

We danced! We drank! We saw Connor whoop some ass!

I talked so much trash to the people around me, they were sick of me!

Chris and stayed at Treasure Island in a suite🍾🥂 I saw this beautiful bride in her wedding gown, laughing head back, clutching a drink and her friends we around her laughing. Her family was shuffling her kids and she looked soooo happy.. I was like

“You ever marry me. It has to be here! It has to be like that’! I want that kind of happiness!”

I love Las Vegas! I love the energy! The food! The ability to drink alcohol in the day try from several different souvenir mugs..

(That’s kinda my thing.. if you follow my Instagram @shaylamarie85 you’ll see I love to collect mugs and photograph vegan cocktails, I also blog about said cocktailsEasy, Impressive, Vegan cocktails👈🏾 check it out when you have the time…)

Back to Vegas.. I’ve been coming to Vegas since I was kid.

My grandfather liked to play the slot machines and show me all the great places to eat.

I loved Caesar’s Palace as a kid.

That’s where we always stayed and we always at the buffet in the morning.

As a kid I would always point out the nude statutes and laugh.

When he came here as family with the kids Brooke made the joke “wow, they got all those marvel genitals just out around the food.. Vegas is wild!” Brooke cemented my legacy one joke and I was so proud.

I have so many found memories of Vegas it only natural the happiest day of my life takes place in my favorite city!

Chris and I wanted to run through the big day to make sure it was suitable for our guest list and budget.

We have a 5 kids total. 1 together. I have a daughter and he has 2 daughters and a son from previous relationships… we have realistic budget goal and a life to live after we say “I do”

I am a penny pincher, but I don’t like to live cheap or look cheap.. I have mimosa taste on an orange juice budget.

I live comfortably within my means. I enjoy the money I have. I save the money I earn and I live on the same budget I created for us when we became a couple.

I save money by cooking our meals at home. I make our juices and hair care products at home. I know how to stretch a dollar.

My wedding won’t be any different.

I want my guest to have a great time enjoying my wedding without having to worry about breaking the bank.

Chris and I walked through the day as if it was our wedding day and we had so much fun!

We woke up early because I had to get to an 11 o’clock makeup appointment with my dear friend Vanessa

She’s a talented makeup artist that works at “Dillards” for the CHANEL brand.. yes.. THAT Chanel!

Vanessa and I have been friends for years! We went to the same middle school and high school.

We were two big mouth little black girls in white suburban town… we were instantly friends growing up.

We have stayed in touch online through the years.

She’s followed my entire blogging journey, relationship, all of it.

She reached out to see if I wanted to have my makeup done before I saw the Venue at Treasure Island

I jumped at the chance! I was so so grateful and beyond excited!

I got to have my face done by a dear friend.. with CHANEL products before I see my venue it was like a dream come true!

My appointment was 11 but we arrived in Vegas at 0930/10..

Vanessa works at Dillard’s in the Summhill mall, so we figured we would walk around.

We went to “Sur La Table” and decided to check out all the beautiful kitchen equipment.

Chris and I love food and cooking.

Chris was a chef in the Navy for 14 years. He loves everything about food, cooking, plating.

It was nice to see him in his element.

We love for cook together.

I love together. He loves Japanese knives.

I’m more into German steel

German Chef knives are heavier.

I cook and style my foods for the blog and Instagram with a German steel chef knife.

It was nice to hold a knife of this caliber in my hands.

The weight was impeccable.

Of course I checked out the plates and MUGS😍

We looked at all the items and I fantasized about food photo shoots..(I’m coming back for this! I feel like you can’t call yourself a food blogger without this🤣)

Finally it was time to see Vanessa.

It felt so good to see her!

Felt like no time had passed between the two of us.

She told me prior to coming that my appointment would be approximately 40 minutes.

My appointment with Treasure Island was at 1pm so I was safe time wise.

Or so I thought..

I started talking to her asking about her kids, her man, her life, we were like two old hens!

We talked until Chris cake and said

“I hate to break this up but we have to see the venue at 1!”

Chris loved it and Vanessa offered to do my makeup for the ceremony😭

I was so happy and overwhelmed with joy.

It’s beautiful to have people apart of your day that have been there and seen what you have been through and see you at your best.

I remember as kids Vanessa talking about being a makeup artist and she is one.

I started to talk her into starting a beauty blog..

I’m like a drug dealer.. I’m always talking people into starting blogs.. her blog would be so good though!

She taught me the proper way to wash my face and used these amazing creams on my face.. I felt like a new woman.

My skin felt so good because it hello CHANEL

But she also taught me about $3.99 Rose water spray from Trader Joe’s that made my face smell like flowers all day and I appreciated that sooo much🤣

How much is a wedding at Treasure Island in Las Vegas?

Treasure island Las Vegas weddings range in price from $299- $3000

That’s why I loved the venue. It’s beautiful and affordable.

(Also if you bring your own makeup artist they take $300 off the total price of your wedding package!)

How many guest does the venue at Treasure Island Las Vegas hold?

The venue seats up 70 guest.

The guest stay in the main area for approximately 15 minutes then are moved to another venue directly next door for about 30 minutes for photos.

How long is the wedding ceremony at Treasure Island?

The entire ceremony is about 45 minutes total.

The wedding will be 10/13/2019 1100

If you’re 15 minutes they will cancel your wedding!

Hearing that we decided we will stay at the hotel.

We were given a special discount for guest of the wedding to apply when registering.

(Of course it will be live streamed and Ig, twitter and Facebook for my friends 🤗.. that’s why I had to check the view from all angle

I wanted to make sure the view was just right for everyone at home!

I got so excited!

Can you bring fresh flowers to Treasure Island for your wedding?

No, you have to use the flowers provided or pay a fee of $100.

Which is totally fine! They had STUNNING bouquets!

What are the bridal amenities at Treasure Island Las Vegas?

It depends on the package, we are getting “The Legacy Package”

Which includes use of the bridal suite and champagne for 5 of the brides friends.

my dress is going to hang there!

I’m saying which one.. but one these will hang in that box!

We paid for the venue and then decided to see we where our guest would eat and how much it would cost.

Our guest will be joining us at “The corner market buffet” orrr I maybe getting this wrist band for 5 buffets for $84 for 24 hours.. that just sounds AWESOME.. so I’m going to pitch that idea to my guest because

I LOVE BUFFETS!

I’m vegan.. I can only eat the veggies and buffets had SALAD AND GRILLED VEGGIES! AND SIDE DISHES FOR MILESSS

Sorry.. I really like buffets.

After we got the venue and time nailed down

(10/13/2019 at 11am)

We walked outside to just roam, collect cups, and day drink… that’s what my guest would be doing.

We went to “Senor Frog’s” I decided I wanted to collect Vegas souvenir after the wedding..

Chris practiced his bachelor party🤣

We practiced the kiss.

Next we went to “Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill”

I had to see a man about some Truffle fries..

I’m vegan so I didn’t eat anything but the truffle fries and I sipped some LaMarca Prosecco while looking and Chris.

It was at that moment I realized I was at my peak level of happiness.

I was sipping my favorite Prosecco looking at a new man who loves me and my oldest child as his own, loves our daughter amazingly and is an outstanding father to his other children as well.. this man is unicorn.

He listens to my wild ideas and stories and loves it.

He applauds my blogging journey supports me every step of the way.

I couldn’t see this working with anyone but him.

This man has held me when I was having panic attacks so badly I couldn’t leave the house.

This man cheers for my wins and wipes my tears when I lose.

This man prays for me.

I heard this man thank God for me being born.

I’ve never had that.

I’ve been married. He’s been married.

I’ve never felt love like this and I’ve never felt the ease of this love.

The more we planned our day the more excited we became.

I felt like I fell in love with a new part of Chris.

The future husband part!

I get to marry this man!

I was against marriage before because my marriages had failed.

Yes plural. I married young because I thought that what you do. I married men that were damaged and so was I so the marriages were doomed before they started. They ended the past is the past and own my past.

Those marriages didn’t work because I wasn’t myself.

I was always to trying to be what mean wanted so they would love that version of me and stay with me.

That’s exhausting and when I would be myself. They didn’t “love” me and my flaws.

I hid the fact I had a mental illness in my last marriage and that caused my marriage to end before it even began.

I learned from that and I was very upfront with Chris and that fact I suffered from several diagnoses.

My ex left me because he didn’t sign up for that.

I respect that. I lied to him. It’s only right.

My future HUSBAND. Went to therapy with me to learn about what I had been through in my past and go over techniques to live with someone with a mental illness.

My future husband loved me passed my past.

We walked down the strip a little more because I love to day drink and take pictures. It’s VEGASSS!

We stumbled and saw that treasure island has a Drag brunch!

It’s ALLLL YEAR ROUND!

I will be there the day before my wedding!

The wedding schedule is as follows:

10/11/2019 arrive in Vegas.. guys go with guys and girls come with me to Chippendales!

• Saturday Drag Brunch and mimosas at Senior Frogs
• Massages
• 10/13/2019 WE GET MARRIEDDDDDDDDD
• we have lunch
• We party somewhere after

Happily ever after!

Once I saw that Drag Brunch I knew it was fate!

I had seen that Brunch while planing our date night on Groupon!

I found a dinner for 2 “Le Village buffet” for $60!

Score!

We found our room off the strip.

Chris booked that so don’t the details but it was about $115.it’s cute!

We stayed at the Red Roof inn, right next door to a strip club.

I wanted to go buttt I decided to stay behind and type my book.. poolside..

The room had a full length mirror.. it didn’t go to waste.

Chris and I got dressed for our dinner date.

We celebrated the fact we were kid free and didn’t have to watch “Paw Patrol”

We arrived at “The Paris” hotel

Gordon Ramsay beat us there.. I had a lot of conspiracy theories about that…

I didn’t know what to expect but I thought it’s a $60 buffet with 2 drinks per person.. you can’t beat that!

The food an ambiance were amazing! There was plenty for me to eat!

We had a beautiful conversation and gushed about wedding.

It was such a good night.

It ended at like 9 because… TIRED and no one can handle our toddler longer than 24 hours 🤷🏾‍♀️ so had to be awake at 5am to get back for the baby.. but before we left we popped into the strip club!

I wanted to know if they were tired!

I was tired and I went to bed at 9.. they were still up.. LIT!

So I needed answers! Chris was like

“No, leave those girls alone, they are tired”

No I’m not! I have rich white Man energy Rich White man energy: From now I am living as if I am a rich white man

I will not be silenced!

We went in and they were tired.. they were happy!

They were perky and so were their breast!

They asked us to stay but I told them

“I have to be at church at 11 and I have a toddler.. but his bachelor party is on October!”

They gave him a card to come back for free and have a limo night with his boys..

See it pays to be nosey!

We got home in time to get our kids from church.

The run through was a success!

If our wedding is half as fun as that day was..it’s going to be phenomenal!

Everyday with Chris and the girls is wonderful to me.. my wedding my friends get to share the weekend with us and that’s what I’m looking forward to.

My friends and family experiencing our love and our life firsthand.

It’s beautiful when it’s real.

I can’t wait to get married.

10/13/2019

How much does a las wedding cost

My budget is $5k for the big day.