Las Vegas weddings

Las Vegas came to be known as the Marriage Capital of the World due to the ease in acquiring a marriage license and the minimal costs involved. The city continues to be known as a popular wedding destination for the same reasons, but also as a result of the various types of weddings available.

Acquiring a marriage license in Las Vegas is a simple process. There is no blood test or required waiting period. Once a short form is completed and submitted to the Bureau along with $60 cash and a government issued photo ID, a marriage license may be obtained within minutes until midnight every night.

Wedding venues

There are numerous options for wedding ceremonies in Las Vegas. The least expensive option, costing $50, is to marry at the Marriage Commission of Las Vegas. Sometimes referred to as a desk wedding, this type of ceremony may be a civil (non-religious) or a religious service.

Most weddings performed in Las Vegas may be a civil or religious service dependent upon the wedding venue selected.

With an average of 150,000 weddings a year, the Las Vegas wedding industry is competitive and ceremony locations are plentiful. Most of the city's major hotels have wedding chapels and many of the local restaurants offer wedding ceremonies. Weddings may also be performed in the local churches, at one of the many golf courses, or at a free standing wedding chapel. Drive-thru weddings are also available.

Wedding licenses issuedYear Clark County United States Clark County 1996104,7892,344,0004.51997109,3782,384,0004.61998108,7172,244,0004.81999114,4652,251,0005.12000120,6292,376,0005.12001121,5472,345,0005.22002119,7592,254,0005.32003114,5442,187,0005.22004125,9672,224,0005.72005121,2822,230,0005.42006112,5312,160,000

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Themed weddings

Many of the chapels, such as Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel also offer themed weddings. Common themes include Hawaiian, fairy tale, Star Trek, gothic and weddings with an Elvis impersonator. Inside the Las Vegas Hilton you can find several Star Trek packages. Another popular theme is a pirate ship wedding at Treasure Island.

Outside Las Vegas

Second in popularity to the wedding chapel option, is to have a ceremony performed outdoors somewhere in the area surrounding Las Vegas. Some of the outdoor locations include lake weddings, Valley of Fire weddings, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area weddings, Mount Charleston weddings, and Grand Canyon weddings.