Planning a wedding can be a gruelling process with endless crucial questions to answer. Such as... should Elvis officiate the ceremony or just drive me to the chapel in a pink Cadillac?
Yes, we are talking about getting married in Las Vegas!
As well as being straightforward to arrange and relatively wallet-friendly, it is completely legal for Brits, which is why around 3,500 couples tie the knot in Sin City every year.
Read on to discover exactly how to get married in Vegas, including what documents you will need, the best time of year to arrange the ceremony, and where to celebrate afterwards.
What to do beforehand
STEP 1: Dates and Venue
Firstly, assuming you’ve found a willing partner (this is fairly crucial) you will need to choose a date and pick a venue.
With scorching peak-summer days and surprisingly cool temperatures in winter, the best time of year to get married in Las Vegas is usually from April to May and from September to October.
Now let’s get to the fun part.
There are over 50 wedding chapels in Vegas to choose from ranging from the traditionally-themed affairs such as ‘A Special Memory Wedding Chapel’ which boasts a charming New England ambience. Through to quirkier options like the Elvis-themed ‘Graceland Wedding Chapel’ where The King actually oversees the ceremony. Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Uh-huh-huh.
If you fancy saving time and, err, the hassle of actually walking down the aisle then you can get hitched in a drive-thru chapel.
STEP 2: The details
Next, it’s time to decide what happens on the wedding day itself. You can either make the arrangements for things like transport and the photographer independently or select one of the chapel’s packages that usually cover most bases.
For example, Bliss Wedding Chapel Package which includes:
- Personal wedding concierge
- Use of chapel for 30 minutes, with up to 50 guests
- Get married to the love of your life at Bliss Wedding Chapel
- Complimentary round-trip limousine transportation from your Las Vegas Strip or Downtown Las Vegas hotel
- A beautiful hand-tied bouquet with six fresh flowers of choice
- Coordinating boutonniere
- Traditional music with a state-of-the-art sound system
- Six digital images of your choice (50-60 posed and candid shots taken)
- Keepsake Marriage Certificate
- Digital download of ceremony
- Camera phone photos, video, and live streaming are permitted during the ceremony
- Ministers' fees
- Limousine chauffeurs' gratuity
- Photographers' gratuity
STEP 3: The logistics
You might imagine getting married in Vegas involves wading through a sea of red tape (there’s even a myth that a blood test is required!) but think again.
All you need is a marriage license AKA marriage certificate to present at the chapel - and it’s easy to get.
We recommend registering online before you travel which will allow you to join the express queue when collecting the paperwork from the Marriage License Bureau (see Step 5) in Vegas. However, if you prefer (or forget!), the entire registration process can be done in person at the Bureau although you will have to join the general queue which can be busy.
Either way, the process costs $102 (around £80) and you must use your legal names as they appear on your government ID when filling out the forms.
STEP 4: Dress to impress
Time to pack your bags. (Err… you have booked your flights and accommodation, right?)
Don’t worry if you can’t fit your wedding day glad rags into your luggage. Numerous outlets around the Strip offer short-term rentals for bridal dresses and suits etc.
In Vegas
STEP 5: The big day
The itinerary for the BIG DAY itself will have been arranged with help from the chapel’s wedding coordinator and you should have a good idea what to expect.
Usually, a limo/car will collect you from your hotel and, if required, head to the License Bureau to collect your marriage certificate (you can collect it yourself before your wedding day if preferred) before heading to the chapel.
During the ceremony the choice is yours. You can walk down the aisle, stare longingly into each other’s eyes and exchange extensive heart-felt unsustainable vows. Or simply rock up, say I do and get it over and done with! As long as you remain within your time slot, most things go - this is Las Vegas after all.
Can I get a witness? Yes - the chapel will provide one (often the photographer) if you don’t have one of your own.
STEP 6: The honeymoon
Rings and vows exchanged, it’s time to discover why Sin City is known as the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Once you’ve strolled along the Strip, sipped a cocktail or two, grabbed a bite to eat at a swanky restaurant (book ahead) or won/lost big on the tables (there’s a reason the city is also known as Los Wages...), here are some more ideas to help you celebrate:
· WATCH A WORLD CLASS SHOW: Music, comedy, dance, you name it. For music lovers - hailed by Rolling Stone as “A virtual parade of ‘wow’ moments,” Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil is an electrifying fusion of acrobatics, dance and visuals immersing the audience into the world of Michael's music.
· FLY OVER THE STRIP: Experience the spectacularly illuminated Las Vegas Boulevard from above on an unforgettable night helicopter flight.
· BE MIND BLOWN AT THE GRAND CANYON: Explore one of the natural wonders of the world – you can get there via bus or helicopter from Vegas.
· FIRE A MACHINE GUN: What better way of celebrating the coming together of true love than by shooting some bullets?
After the wedding
STEP 7: Make it official
Once the dust has settled and you’ve recovered from trying to recreate The Hangover – hopefully there isn’t a tiger in your hotel room – you might wonder if the marriage is valid in the UK? The answer is yes (hopefully that’s good news!).
After the ceremony, the chapel will give you a signed souvenir certificate of marriage and file another certified copy at the Clark County Clerk’s office (try saying that 10 times in a row).
You can then order a proof of marriage document for around £12 online from the Clerk’s website.
Finally, just remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… unless it’s a legally binding wedding of course.
