Weddings
On a per capita basis, couples love to get married in Las Vegas. Nevada is only .83% of the population of the U.S. but accounts for 7.5% of all weddings. Las Vegas is almost 2/3 of all weddings in Nevada which puts Vegas at roughly 4.9% of all weddings in the U.S. This is almost 1 out of 20.
State |
Weddings |
% Total |
California |
215,618 |
9.4% |
Texas |
191,072 |
8.3% |
Nevada |
172,424 |
7.5% |
Florida |
162,780 |
7.1% |
New York |
128,518 |
5.6% |
Tennessee |
80,211 |
3.5% |
Illinois |
79,362 |
3.5% |
Ohio |
74,520 |
3.2% |
North Carolina |
73,656 |
3.2% |
Pennsylvania |
68,243 |
3.0% |
Here are the license issuance numbers for Clark County:
|
Licenses |
Prior Year Change |
% of Peak |
Avg. Per Day |
1985 |
59,423 |
|
46.3% |
162.8 |
1986 |
63,674 |
7.2% |
49.6% |
174.4 |
1987 |
67,588 |
6.1% |
52.7% |
185.2 |
1988 |
72,475 |
7.2% |
56.5% |
198.0 |
1989 |
75,002 |
3.5% |
58.5% |
205.5 |
1990 |
78,760 |
5.0% |
61.4% |
215.8 |
1991 |
74,583 |
-5.3% |
58.2% |
204.3 |
1992 |
79,235 |
6.2% |
61.8% |
216.5 |
1993 |
86,608 |
9.3% |
67.5% |
237.3 |
1994 |
99,321 |
14.7% |
77.4% |
272.1 |
1995 |
101,936 |
2.6% |
79.5% |
279.3 |
1996 |
104,934 |
2.9% |
81.8% |
286.7 |
1997 |
110,682 |
5.5% |
86.3% |
303.2 |
1998 |
110,066 |
-0.6% |
85.8% |
301.6 |
1999 |
115,945 |
5.3% |
90.4% |
317.7 |
2000 |
122,902 |
6.0% |
95.8% |
335.8 |
2001 |
123,143 |
0.2% |
96.0% |
337.4 |
2002 |
120,385 |
-2.2% |
93.9% |
329.8 |
2003 |
119,221 |
-1.0% |
93.0% |
326.6 |
2004 |
128,250 |
7.6% |
100.0% |
350.4 |
2005 |
122,259 |
-4.7% |
95.3% |
335.0 |
2006 |
112,670 |
-7.8% |
87.9% |
308.7 |
Why Get Married in Vegas?
Although reasons vary for each couple, Vegas has 3 main advantages:
- Paperwork is quick and easy
- Best Honeymoon location
- Variety of Wedding Packages
Paperwork
You can get a marriage license every day of the year including holidays from 8 am to Midnight—no longer 24 hours. There is no blood test and no waiting period after getting the license.
Marriage Bureau
201 Clark Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89155-1603
702-671-0600
702-385-8911 (Fax)
After Jan. 1, 2008 you will need proof of identity using any 1 of standard government issued IDs such as Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID, Temporary Resident Card, etc. The requirements will be:
- ID
- Male and Female, both present
- 18 years old
- No closer than second cousins
- Social Security Numbers must be known (for U.S. citizens)
- Marry within 1 year of license
- If Divorced, must know exact date and which state for final decree
- $55 in cash
If you are visiting Las Vegas from a foreign country, you do not need to know a SSN but you may need an Apostille—Apostille fee is $20. Your country will probably not recognize a U.S. public notary. Check your laws first and if you need an Apostille, write in advance to:
Secretary of State
Capital Complex
Carson City, Nevada 89701
800-450-8594
Honeymoon Location
Vegas Made Easy.com believes that Las Vegas is overwhelmingly the greatest city on earth. In addition to the best fine dining per capita, Vegas has the best entertainment, gaming action and can be extremely romantic.
See our restaurant recommendations such as Steak and Japanese food for dining ideas as well as the award winning restaurants in Las Vegas. For lodging see our recommendations for Vegas hotels.
The top Vegas romantic moments would be the Bellagio Fountains, the view from the Stratosphere, one of the air tours of the Grand Canyon and the Gondolas of Venetian.
Wedding Packages
In the U.S., about 57% of weddings are traditional, 19% casual, 21% unique and 4% very extravagant. Vegas does extremely well at all these types of weddings although the Vegas reputation is perhaps more towards the unique weddings.
All major casinos can handle traditional weddings with chapels, photography, etc. The range of packages is extreme. For example, the Venetian has a Ceremonia package for $800 including tax. Their Courtyard Romance is $14,950. In Las Vegas, it is very rare for prices to be quoted including tax except for weddings.
Here are some large casino price ranges:
|
Lowest |
Highest |
Bellagio |
$1,616 |
$16,163 |
Caesars |
$800 |
$20,000 |
Mandalay Bay |
$1,185 |
$10,452 |
Venetian |
$800 |
$14,950 |
Wynn |
$1,090 |
$19,350 |
 
Note that the range extends downward quite a bit as well. For a non-photographer package at Imperial Palace, they can get as low as $100 which Vegas Made Easy.com believes is one of the lowest prices for a Strip wedding. Some moderate price weddings are found at TI, Monte Carlo and Excalibur. Please click links above for more information.
Las Vegas is extremely good at the unique weddings. There are at least 3 Elvis weddings possible, a Star Trek (at the Hilton), and a Goth wedding that can include 2 flying vampires from the Bite show at the Sahara for an extra charge.
However, one of the wedding or honeymoon packages that will probably please most couples is the air tour of the Grand Canyon. It is a unique experience but would certainly not be regarded by relatives or in-laws as being particularly weird. If marrying to please others, this may be important. If you would like to take a look at some of these packages, here is a link below.
Here are some additional resources for purchasing wedding related items:
Wedding Favors | Bridal Shoes | Wedding Bands | Wedding Accessories
Bridal Jewelry | Groomsmen Gifts | Cake Toppers | Unity Candles | Tiaras
For any additions or suggestions, please email Jennifer@VegasMadeEasy.com
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