Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Not Going to the Chapel, Still Going to Get Married
This is Vegas, baby, you can think outside the chapel if you wish, for locations in
which to exchange your vows:
u
In a helicopter while swooping over the Strip, Hoover Dam, or the Grand
Canyon
u
Floating in a gondola at the Venetian or in a boat on Lake Meade
u
On the observation deck at the top of the “Eiffel Tower”
u
Hiking Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, or on a local golf course
u
While indoor sky-diving
For the gondola or Eiffel Tower wedding, contact the Venetian and Paris Las
Vegas, respectively, to inquire. Any of the others can be arranged through the
free-standing chapels recommended earlier in this chapter. Shop around and go
with the one that gets you the best value.
Try and ignore the fact that Guinevere cheated on King Arthur, ran off with
Lancelot, and basically destroyed the idyllic kingdom of Camelot by trampling on
her wedding vows. Otherwise, you'll shy away from dressing up like that medieval
pair on your own wedding day at the
Canterbury Wedding Chapel
5
(in the
Excalibur Hotel;
%
800/811
-
4320 or 702/597
-
7278; www.excalibur.com; basic
chapel-only wedding
$
175; with flowers, photos, and champagne
$
395; weddings
by appointment only),
which is the big fun in getting married here. Along with the
Hilton, it's the only casino chapel I know that has a costume shop onsite for the-
atrical couples (though I would worry if the groom only wants to try on outfits
involving tights). Of course, you don't have to put on a sword or laced-up peasant
blouse to marry here; many couples simply like the Gothic chic of these chapels,
with their tall stained glass windows, fluted columns, and carved wood altars. (The
largest can seat 72 and stand 10-15 more.) I've found the service here to be a bit
snippy, though I know a couple who felt they were treated like . . . well, a King and
Queen on their own wedding day . . . so reserve judgment until you talk with the
staff yourself.
The pretty Art Deco trappings, live piano music, and black-and-white photos
of Golden Era Hollywood stars do a lot to differentiate the
Forever Grand
Wedding Chapel
(in the MGM Grand Hotel and Resort;
%
877/750
-
5464 or 702/
587
-
7777; www.mgmgrand.com; most basic package
$
699; Sun-Thurs 11am-5pm,
Fri-Sat 11am-8pm)
from other casino chapels. It's also a good option for those
with large families; while its biggest chapel only accommodates 60, they can
arrange very private poolside or banquet hall weddings for up to 400 (and all your
guests would also be able to be housed onsite, as this is the largest casino-hotel on
the Strip).
