Picture a Vegas wedding. A quickie ceremony officiated by Elvis, or a chapel on the Strip. Essential as they are to the city’s standing as the world’s marriage capital, these kitschy classics are a sliver of the spectacular whole.
“Las Vegas has an option for everyone, no matter what you’re looking for, whether it’s just the two of you or you’re bringing 500 friends,” says Terri Wengjen, manager of the Wedding Salons at Wynn Las Vegas and board vice-president for the city’s Wedding Chamber of Commerce.
Promoting Vegas as a wedding destination is easy, she says. The legal process is streamlined; the industry is stacked with top-notch vendors and unique settings; and a bucket-list vacation is always built in. For example, you can have a Cirque performer at your reception, a gourmet meal for 100 people, take your family and friends to a top show, or have a world-class outdoor experience or spa – plus there are multiple price points.
More than 100,000 marriage certificates are filed a year in Las Vegas, and demand from international visitors has been rising for 15 years, led by Canada and the UK. Overall, more couples are tying the knot away from home.
Wengjen did. Before moving to Las Vegas, the Chicago native and her now-husband brought a group of 20 to the Strip for a week of wedding fun.
“As I went from place to place in my wedding dress, people were clapping!” she recalls.
Whatever your vision of the perfect Vegas nuptials, count on that joyous energy.
Neon Boneyard
Las Vegas is known for jettisoning its history, but stylised marquee signs going back nine decades live on in the Neon Boneyard. This one-of-a-kind museum makes for a stunning wedding site, framed by massive, fantastical signs from razed casinos and other ghosts of Vegas past. The glow at night takes you back in time, even as you dance towards your future.
Hot-air balloon
Flying to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is a popular way for Vegas visitors to wed. But a hot-air balloon ceremony happens high in the sky, just as the sun rises. The basket holds only your photographer, officiant and closest friends and family, who get to share in the anticipation of the balloon inflating, plus the champagne toast once it’s back on the ground.
Primrose Courtyard
The Wedding Salons at Wynn are all elegant, but the Primrose Courtyard’s luxurious garden packs the most visual punch. From the buttery marble floor to the whispering fountains and sculpted greenery winking with light, it’s pure romance. Couples looking to blend that finery with urban cool are a short, neon-filled drive from downtown’s dynamic Fremont Street.
Historic Fifth Street School
Built in 1936 on what was then the city’s Fifth Street, this mission-style building is now a beautiful setting for a downtown wedding. Exchange your vows in the large Centennial Plaza, with its tree-lined patio and Spanish tiles, before heading to the wooden-floored school auditorium for a romantic reception.
Shark Reef
Undersea weddings usually involve scuba gear, but the tunnel at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef puts your aisle inside 1.3m gallons of replicated ocean. Commune with giant turtles, rays and sharks, before carrying the theme to your reception dinner, whether you’re into citrus-cured yellowtail at Aureole or pacific halibut at Libertine Social.
The Doyle
Boho-chic is enshrined inside and outside the Doyle, a lovingly transformed 1949 warehouse half a mile from downtown Vegas’s casino core. Mashing up rustic and industrial vibes, it takes you from a mod couch on polished cement to an Adirondack chair in the grass next to a scrapyard for Volkswagen Beetles. There’s even a spot for his-and-hers food trucks.
Lake Las Vegas
About 40 kilometers from the Strip lies Mediterranean splendor. Lake Las Vegas has a wedding powerhouse at either end – Hilton and Westin – each packing premium spas, dining, water play and sunsets that will steal your breath. Plan a relaxing wedding week, or load it with field trips to Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the charming Boulder City.
High Roller
On the High Roller observation wheel, you can marry your love 168 metres (550 feet) above the Strip. Two rotations equal an hour for an intimate ceremony and party, with 360-degree views highlighting desert beauty in the day and city lights at night. Accent the scenic firepower with gourmet food and a customised playlist, plus a bartender mixing just for you.
In the wilds
From the painted sandstone of Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire to the ancient forests of the 3,600-metre (12,000-foot) Mount Charleston, the beauty of Vegas isn’t just in the manmade. For full immersion in nature, Mount Charleston is best. Cabins nearest its giant shadow can be stocked with roses and spa boxes, depending on how much you wish to spoil your wedding guests (or yourselves).
