EXCLUSIVE: Steve Wynn On His Engagement

I'm the first to confirm Steve Wynn's engagement to Andrea Hissom directly and officially, and it's kind of funny how it happened.

Late last week, I interviewed The Steve for a few upcoming stories. I did not know that he was engaged because I'd been too busy and had fallen behind on reading the R-J. Wynn had instructed his publicist, Jennifer Dunne, to warn me NOT to ask him about the engagement, but she didn't get to me in time. Of course, I didn't know anyhow. And then we were talking about how he has reacted emotionally and creatively to the Vegas economy and this happened:

Wynn: Vegas was good because I could do my thing. Las Vegas was good because I could do what I loved doing.

Friess: Right.

Wynn: It's just convenient that it was Las Vegas because that's where it was possible. Now it's Macau.

Friess: And now Las Vegas is not where it's possible?

Wynn: That's right, not at the moment.

Friess: How long do you think it will be?

Wynn: There's always tomorrow.

Friess: Do you think in your lifetime you will be building another...

Wynn: It depends on when the market comes back and how healthy I am. Right now, I'm feeling great. I skied 15,000 vertical feet today, and I'm engaged to my girlfriend and that's great.

Friess: You're engaged?

Wynn: For three days now.

Friess: Wow. I had not heard that yet, no kidding.

Wynn: It's been in all the papers, you've missed it.

Friess: I haven't looked at Norm today.

Wynn: Norm yesterday.

Friess: Well, I haven't looked at Norm. Congratulations. When is this big wedding going to be?

Wynn: We don't, we don't have any idea.

Friess: Wow.

Wynn: I got engaged Thursday, I mean Tuesday night in Sinatra. The two of us had dinner and I...

Friess: Were there a lot of people there?

Wynn: No, just her and I. Well, there were other people in the restaurant who saw it. That's how I guess it got in the paper. I didn't make an announcement or anything.

Friess: Did you get down on your knee?

Wynn: No, I would have had to get under the table. I was just like, try this on. She had tried a dress on and it had to be altered and I said, 'Good thing you tried that on. You should always try things on to make sure they fit properly. Incidentally, try this on.'

Friess: That's how you said it, at dinner? In the beginning or the end of the meal or what?

Wynn: The beginning.

Friess: And then, you just sat there and ate dinner anyway?

Wynn: Yeah, and ordered a bottle of expensive wine.

I'm ashamed to say I didn't ask the one question any self-respecting US Weekly scribe would know: What about the ring? Sorry. Others will have to fill you in.

What's interesting, though, is comparing this account to ones other journalists have written up based on scuttlebutt. According to one account, Wynn and Andrea were in a private room, he popped the question at the end of the meal, they're plotting a spring wedding and he asked very "traditionally." Hmm.

I'm going with my source.