What's the best hotel in Las Vegas, planning a wedding and bring 2 kids, (7 and 11 yrs old)?

I am planning to get married in Vegas in October. We are trying to figure out the best options for the wedding either at a hotel or a wedding chapel. We have about 25 people and need about 10 rooms. Plus, I want to bring my 2 kids (7 and 11 years old) with us and need something fun for them to do. Of course we plan on going to the Hoover Damn. Any Suggestions? I guess there are 3 questions there!

All of the big hotels on the Strip are great. I go to Vegas regularly and the most important things to me to be considered are location, and price (and in the summer you want to consider the hotel鈥檚 pool area.) So, I suggest that you stay on the strip in the center of all of the hotel locations so that you can walk to see all of the hotels and casinos, and all of the free attractions. The best place to stay to do that is in one of the hotels on or nearest to Flamingo Rd & the Strip. At that corner is Caesars Palace, Bellagio, the Flamingo, Ballys, and the Paris hotels. I am not saying you need to stay in one of these but stay close to them.

Since you are getting married I suggest staying in one of the top of the line hotels like Caesars, Bellagio, Wynn, or the Venetian. Those are the top 4 hotels on the strip.

The next thing to consider in picking the BEST place is price. Rates go down in the summer (and again after Thanksgiving, until about mid-January (except new years eve when prices double)). So October is not a price discount time of year. But if you will be booking 10 rooms the hotel should give you a good deal, maybe even a group rate. Its also more expensive in all Vegas hotels on Friday and Saturday nights by $40 to $60 more. So to get a lower rate plan to go to Vegas on Sunday and stay through Thursday night.

I have stayed at Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, MGM, Monte Carlo, Paris, Bellagio, Caesars, the Rio, the Flamingo, Ballys, and Harrahs. But the BEST place for me when I go is who has the best price. You can probably get lower priced rooms at the Circus Circus, Sahara and Rivera on the north end of the Strip, the Tropicana on the south end, and also at the hotels on Fremont Street. The Tropicana is one of the older hotels that has not been renovated like many others. The other locations will place you a long way from the center of the strip action and you鈥檒l have to take a bus or taxi to Strip action. In addition, if you need to run to the room for a little R&R, it鈥檚 a long ways.

There are lots of things for kids to do in Vegas and you do not have to stay in a particular hotel for them to enjoy them. While the Circus Circus Hotel has the big arcade and circus for kids you can stay anywhere and still go there for those activities. Remember that parking at all of the hotels is free, even the valet parking. Most hotels have an arcade and there is also a place called Game Works which is on the strip near the MGM hotel/across from the Monte Carlo Hotel. It has just about every video game that kids could want to play.

When you go to Las Vegas these usual things you will want to see for FREE:

1. Number one on my list is to watch the fountains displays in front of the Bellagio hotel. It usually runs every 15 minutes in summers starting at 3:00 PM; runs continuously until about midnight. Each show is different (there are more than 20 different tunes choreographed) so stay and watch at least 2 or 3. ALSO, go inside the Bellagio hotel to its lobby and view the beautiful glass sculptured ceiling AND the seasonal floral arrangements in the Atrium.

2. The 鈥淪irens of TI鈥?show (spectacular) in from of the Treasure Island Hotel; it runs every 90 minutes starting at about 4:30 PM. Simply stand on the sidewalk in front of the TI Hotel.

3. The volcano erupt in from of the Mirage Hotel; starting at dark until midnight. Again, just stand on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.

4. Go down to Fremont Street and see the light shows. There are usually 3 or 4 different shows, starting after dark (about 8:30PM) and lasting about 5 or 10 minutes each.

5. Go to the RIO hotel to see the Masquerade in the Sky show. It is like Mardi Gras parade, only suspended from the ceiling over the gambling floor. It runs every 60 minutes starting about 3:00 PM; the last show starts at 9:30 PM..

6. Go in Caesars Palace and walk through the Forum shops to the first fountain (its spectacular) then take the first fork to the left to go see the aquarium. Then continue on through the shops to the second fountain and wait for the show to start.

If you are a Star Trek Fan, go to the Hilton (off the strip) for "Star Trek The Experience"; it cost about $30.

MOVIES: There are movie theaters in the Palms (multiplex) and also another on the Strip across the street from the Monte Carlo hotel, near the MGM hotel.

BOWLING: If you like to bowl, there are alley's in The Gold Coast Hotel/Casino (beside the RIO) and in the Orleans Hotel Casino. .

ACT LIKE A KID: If your kids like roller coasters, there are roller coaster rides at the NY, NY hotel/casino, at the Sahara Hotel/Casino, and, for those with a strong heart, three rides at the top of the Stratosphere Tower.

Many casinos in Las Vegas have chapels inside, so the question is really where do you want to get married? If at the casino, then just pick the one that interests you the most. As far as the best, it really comes down to personal preference. If you have kids then you will not want to stay at one of the casinos that is merely high-end but one that also has pools and other entertainment options for them. I think Caesar's might be a good choice for you and your family, or perhaps the Mirage. The Venitian is nice as well. I suggest looking into each and seeing what offers the most of what you want. In Vegas you can get pretty much anything you want, you just need to be willing to pay for it, and based on what you wrote I imagine you are. As far as a trip to the Hoover Dam, I suggest renting a car and driving there. It is really not that far of a drive and gives you a chance to get away from the Strip. Of course why not rent a limo if you have the money to spend. Again, if price is no option, you can do whatever you want. Maybe a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon; you can get a flight and brunch at the bottom of it for around $350 a person I believe. Enjoy your wedding!

Circus Circus is good for kids but my favorite Vegas hotel is the Imperial Palace. It's relatively cheap (compared to others on the strip) and it's centrally located on the strip which means easy access to all the other hotels. It's not as nice as some of them so if you want nicer, check out the Excalibur and I think Cesaer's Palace is okay with kids. Make sure you check in advance because some hotels do NOT want children in them. They may let them stay but they're not really welcome. For example the Bellagio frowns on strollers in the lobby. That isn't an issue for you but what do you want to bet they wouldn't be thrilled with 2 extremely excited kids either. As far as things to do...Ronn Lucas is a great ventriloquist. His humor is kid friendly but funny for adults too. It's stuff that has a double meaning but kids only get the "kid meaning." Type Ronn Lucas into Youtube and you'll get some videos. There are also some magic shows in the afternoons that are basically for kids. Blue Man Group is a lot of fun and of course, completely kid friendly.

Random Tip: Make sure you watch your children while on the strip. There are lots of advertisements that you may not want them to see. Many of these advertisements are handed out by people in the form of baseball card-sized cards. While I've never seen them hand the cards to children, most people that take them realize what they are and throw them on the ground so they aren't exactly out of view.

We married in the Victorian Chapel of LC of F
http://www.littlechapel.com/-the staff there are AWESOME!

We stayed at Stratosphere-it has 2 pools, and rides at the top.

We took a bus tour to Hoover Dam that we booked through Expedia.com-it was great because it got us out of the city for a day break.

I will look into getting married at the Excalibur. They have a beautiful chapel and great wedding package starting at $395. If you stay there and get married there, they will add a few freebies.
http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/excalibur...
As far as entertaining your kids are concerned, the Excalibur is a very kids friendly hotel. There are lots of activities for children like the Midway carnival, 3-D and 4-D rides, and the Sponge Bob 4-D Motion Ride, plus more.
Here is more information on getting married in Las Vegas
http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/married.h...

That is a good question. Actually, you may want to look into the condos that are off the strip. They have the kitchens and multiple bedrooms. I know about this because my friend actually got married in her timeshare. She had the priest go to the condo and perform the ceremony there. Everyone sat and ate as long as they wanted and enjoyed themselves.
That is what she did. You should consider taking the kiddos to Circus Circus, too. They can play lots of games. (Expect to bring home tons of stuffed animals as they are so easy to win there)