Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Say “I Do”
to Vegas
It's the quickest, cheapest, but often weirdest
way to get wed in all the land
$27,852.
Contemplate that number, all ye brides-to-be—and weep. Because that's
the average cost—the average!—of a wedding in the United States today, accord-
ing to a study conducted by the Conde Nast Bridal Group (the people behind
Brides.com). Instead of investing in the down payment on a home, or putting away
money for the college education of future offspring, couples are frittering away that
huge sum on flowers, embossed napkins, and chicken cordon bleu for 70.
It doesn't have to be that way, as couples who go the Vegas route know. Every
day, budget-conscious twosomes are getting hitched in no fuss, no muss cer-
emonies for as little as $100 (including the cost of the marriage license). That's for
a quickie “drive-through” wedding (“do you take this woman to be your lawfully
wedded wife, and would you like a side of fries?”), but even those who arrive with
bridesmaids, guests and mothers-in-law in tow, can pull off fun nuptials, with a
ceremony, reception, and photos for between $500 and $15,000 (depending on
the size of the wedding party and the venue). In Sin City, holy matrimony is one
of the biggest industries going, and local chapels know how to do the deed effi-
ciently, cost-effectively, and, usually, breezily.
Which may be why those mojito-fueled, Britney “oops” weddings seem to be
on the way out (though they still happen, of course), and 70% of Vegas weddings
are now planned well in advance. In the chapter that follows I'll examine all the
steps involved in planning a wedding from afar, in addition to giving you price
ranges for the wide variety of locations you'll have at your disposal.
And if you're reading this topic drunk in a casino somewhere—drunk on love,
or booze, I'm not judging—and decide that you want to marry the exquisite per-
son who may be reading this over your shoulder, this chapter will work for you,
too. Flowers, tuxes, wedding dresses, licenses, Elvis impersonators: These can all
be rustled up within 2 hours or so, making last-minute weddings easier to arrange
here than any other place in the world. Unless it's Halloween, New Year's Eve, or
Valentine's Day (the most popular days of the year for weddings), you'll always
find room at the chapel.
One caution:
Saturday nights do get booked far in
advance, meaning you may have a bit of a wait if you try for a last-minute cer-
emony then (consider holding the reception before the ceremony!).
Whatever kind of wedding you're contemplating—plan ahead or “let's just do
this”—know that when you do it in Vegas, it's likely to be a good cocktail party
story ever after. And for the rest of your life together, you'll certainly get some
kind of reaction—from a “wow” to an “ugh”—when you tell folks you got hitched
in “Pair-O-Dice.”
