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Las Vegas is a famous spot for risk-takers, and perhaps the biggest gambles happen in the city’s many wedding chapels. The so-called “Sin City” is also known as a place to be joined in holy matrimony.

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A wedding invitation from a friend in Vegas made me curious about the lore of the Las Vegas wedding. So if you’ve ever wondered about drive-through weddings, making Elvis a part of your big day, or why this desert city is such a popular place to get married, read on!

1. Do that many people actually get married in Vegas?

Yep. More weddings happen there every year than in any other U.S. city. In 2014, there were 81,000 Vegas weddings! And that number is actually a bit lower than previous years.

2. How did Vegas become known as a place for weddings?

It started as early as 1912, according to Las Vegas Weddings by Susan Marg.

When neighboring California instituted a 3-day waiting period between getting a marriage license and getting married, then later began requiring blood tests, Nevada did not follow suit. Instead, the state welcomed couples wanting to be wed – or re-wed. It also established what was, at the time, the shortest residency period needed for a divorce.

Las Vegas, in particular, went all in, with deputies on deck 24/7 to keep up with the demand for marriage licenses. Over time, it became known for non-traditional nuptials and earned the nickname “Marriage Capital of the World.”

3. Can you have a spur-of-the-moment wedding in Vegas?

Many couples plan out weddings in Las Vegas like they would anywhere else.

But since the Vegas wedding industry was founded on no-wait marriage licenses, it’s not surprising it’s thought of as a place where people get married impulsively.

However, it’s not just a convenient sitcom plot twist or movie premise, you probably could actually get a marriage license today.

The Las Vegas Marriage License Bureau is open until midnight 365 days a year. Unmarried couples can just shuffle in with their government IDs, $77, and an application (you can even fill it out online ahead of time) and may be issued a license as soon as that day.

Once you have a license, you can get married in the nearby Office of Civil Marriages ($75 fee) or the Nevada venue of your choice (fees vary wildly). And there are a lot of choices.

Which brings us to #4…

4. Can you really have a drive-through wedding?

Yep. There are a handful of Vegas venues where you can say your vows in your vehicle.

It’s not entirely like rolling up to order late night burgers, however. Not only are the stakes (much) higher, you still need to get your marriage license ahead of time and check the venue’s availability. Couples may put down a deposit months in advance to hold a certain date.

I found these chapels with drive-through options:

A Little White Wedding Chapel (which, incidentally, is no longer little, boasting 5 different chapels of various sizes) claims to have created the first drive-through wedding window in 1991. Dubbed “The Tunnel of Love,” the driveway features an elaborately painted cover with cherubs watching over engaged couples, their guests, and their car. You can get married in your own vehicle or rent a convertible, limo, or stretch hummer.
A Special Memory Wedding Chapel has a simpler wedding window where the officiant leans out to conduct the ceremony. The couple either twists sideways in their seats to say their vows, or, if they make use of the complimentary limousine service, pops up through the sunroof to pledge their love.
Vegas Weddings offers drive-through packages named “Fast,” “Faster,” and “Fastest” either in their drive-thru wedding tunnel (what’s with the tunnels?!) or in front of their “Wedding in Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Reservations are recommended.

5. What about Elvis?

Elvis got “movie-married,” real married, and staged a comeback in Vegas, which all somehow lead to him now being ingrained into the city’s wedding scene.

Many chapels offer add-ons like having an Elvis impersonator officiate the ceremony, sing, walk you down the aisle, or chauffer you in a pink Cadillac. Some have multiple types of Elvis-themed ceremonies to choose from.

Here’s just a sampling of Elvis wedding options in Vegas:

A wedding that is both drive-through and Elvis themed.
Elvis singing while you get married at the historic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
Invite Elvis to your ceremony. (In case you just want the King to be there hanging out, I guess-?)
A Dueling Elvis Package, where two impersonators perform.
An entire Elvis wedding chapel.

6. Why are there so many places to get married on The Strip?

When resorts started popping up outside of town (on what’s now called The Strip) to avoid taxes and gambling restrictions, they tried to include everything Las Vegas visitors would want – casinos, shopping, dining and even a place to get married – to keep guests spending money on site.

The Little Church of the West, which opened at the Last Frontier Hotel in 1942, was the first structure in Vegas built specifically as a wedding chapel. It’s been moved three times and is now located on the south end of The Strip, not far from the Las Vegas sign.

With movies set in venues along The Strip and celebrities who have been married there (sometimes more than once), Vegas weddings became – and remain – a part of the culture.

7. Why stop at weddings?

If you’re not ready to commit or are already committed (and happen to be flush with cash), you can still have a vow renewal, group renewal, “just for fun,” friendship, or “I was just kidding” ceremony. (That last one also requires a $75 bogus minister fee.) (I could not make this stuff up.)

Viva Las Vegas.

– More Info on Vegas Weddings –

Photo credits:

1: My playing card scrapbook.

2, 5 7 : Thomas Hawk

3: Total 13

4: Greg Lilly

6: Alan Kotok

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What’s the deal with Vegas weddings?