Thinking About Having a Las Vegas Wedding? Read This First!
We are all aware of the classic Hollywood narrative in which a pair inadvertently gets married whilst partying in the energetic city of Las Vegas (What Happens in Vegas starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, anyone? How about the episode of The Simpsons in which both Homer and neighbour Ned Flanders indulge in a spot of polygamy?) But a large percentage of the 120,000 wedding ceremonies that are performed in the city each year are not remotely ironic or influenced by the ingestion of alcohol. In fact, many people travel to Las Vegas specifically to get hitched.
Some people may interpret Vegas wedding ceremonies as tacky, whilst others do not condemn them so long as the couple in question is happy with their choice. The following three points “for” and three points “against” Las Vegas weddings should help you to make up your own mind…
Reasons TO Get Married in Las Vegas
Ditching Meddling Parents/Parents-in-Law
Many parents (and parents-in-law) often forget that wedding ceremonies should meet the desires of the bride and groom only. The folks and in-laws will however poke their noses into wedding matters because they want to ensure that their respective children get the very best when they make the transition to wedded status but there are many couples who would rather not have their clothing, table cloths, song list and food menu scrutinised every step of the way. Feeing to Las Vegas and getting married there then, is a popular alternative.
“Yeah…fight over whether we have vanilla or lemon icing now Mum and Dad!”
Getting married away from parents and respective families is also an ideal option for those who have families which do not get on. Having Uncle Marty and Cousin Jeff sharing fists in the corner would be enough to ruin anyone’s wedding!
Keeping the Costs Down
Although the costs of flights, accommodation and a wedding ceremony in Sin City might seem high to begin with, when compared to the expenses of getting married at home in the presence of family and friends this option appears to be a real bargain!
Why spend hundreds of dollars on a wedding cake that your guests will polish of on your behalf? Why fork out for a church venue when only a few of the older guests are of the Catholic persuasion? Why shell out for a professional photographer when the only pictures you actually care about are of you and your new woman or hubby?
Las Vegas Can Also Be the Honeymoon Destination
Las Vegas welcomes more than 40 million visitors each and every year and for many more reasons than the quick access to wedding certificates! The city’s abundant sunshine, widespread fine dining, endless nightlife options, shopping malls, theme parks and the nearby natural phenomenon that is the Grand Canyon make this an attractive destination for many. Those that do choose to finalise things with their betrothed in Las Vegas basically have a honeymoon resort on their doorstep meaning that there is little delay between the ceremony and the new life-partners celebrating with each other.
Getting married in one location and then flying to another for the honeymoon seems very wasteful and it is hardly a wonder that some prefer to make the ceremony itself short and inexpensive in favour of spending more on the proceeding honeymoon adventure. The money spent on ceremonies is usually more for the benefit of guests – it is the honeymoon that actually benefits the happy couple!
Reasons NOT to Get Married in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Marriages Are Selfish
Jetting off to Vegas for a five minute-long wedding ceremony with your partner might save you both a bit of money as well as the hassle of having to please over expectant relatives and/or acquaintances but coming back and announcing that you tied the knot whilst in another state/country could upset more than a few people, especially the parents of the bride and groom.
Getting hitched in secret is almost the same as declaring that neither of you like the others’ family (how else could you justify their non-inclusion?) and this has the potential to cause tensions between both of the now-related families. How will Aunt Mable survive without the picture of her niece playing flower girl for the day? How will the father-of-the-bride forgive you for not letting him walk his own daughter up the aisle on her big day?
Las Vegas Weddings Are Not Taken Seriously
Maybe it is due to the bright lights, the overly showy nature of the city, or the fact that more than 320 weddings occur every single day there but your friends and family members are almost guaranteed to take the sanctimony of your marriage far less seriously should you choose to marry your loved one there. Vegas marriages are often seen as tacky and/or as a quick-fix answer for those who have had a little too much to drink whilst taking Las Vegas Holidays.
People often say that money can’t buy you love but you do the maths; one couple pays out $25,000 for a country church wedding and an indulgent reception party for their guests and another couple flies to Vegas alone for a quick, $90 private ceremony in a venue that is surrounded with hundreds of slot machines. Who appears to be the more in-love couple (at least at first glance?)
You Can’t Do Las Vegas without Elvis Presley
Yes, Elvis Presley is a reason all in himself not to get married in the City of Sin. Whether you choose to have an Elvis impersonator at your wedding ceremony or not, there is no escaping the blue suede shoe-loving King when you’re in Las Vegas. Whilst the hitched individuals back at home are likely to speak of hearing birdsong or the church organ on the morning of their big day, you could end up reminiscing about endless recitals of Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ whilst waiting to make your way up the aisle of The Elvis Wedding Chapel or The little White Wedding Chapel.
Of course, if you are an aficionado of the apparently never-dying rock crooner then by all means choose Vegas for your wedding destination (that’s assuming your wife or husband-to-be is also an Elvis fan!)
The author of this guest post – Katie Green – always books her own trips to Las Vegas with americansky.co.uk.
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Hi Katie and Bellaisa,
Great post! I have to admit Las Vegas weddings sound fun! I think what puts me off is the perception which you also stated; namely they are not taken serious enough. Thanks again for this post.
Hiten Vyas recently posted..Justin Mazza reviews EmpowerHour coaching!
They do sound like fun, don’t they? The end result of a Vegas marriage is the same – you are married. You just possibly had more fun and less stress! As long the people getting married take it seriously who cares what others think.
Bellaisa recently posted..Las Vegas Weddings: Reasons FOR and AGAINST
Yes, you are correct. The most important thing is that the two people getting married take it seriously.
Hiten recently posted..Justin Mazza reviews EmpowerHour coaching!
I don’t think I’d ever have a Las Vegas wedding probably because I’d be worried that my family couldn’t be there! I live in England so theres no way I could afford for everyone to come and see it!
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Hi Harriet,
I know of many people who would love to have a wedding in Vegas BECAUSE their family won’t be there!
(I may be one of them – just saying)
Thanks for commenting!
Bellaisa
Bellaisa recently posted..A Virgin Ceremony – A Sacrifice of a Different Kind!
Weddings should be memorable. And more memorable if you do it in Las Vegas.
Hi Brigitte,
I agree! You will never forget being around Elvis on your wedding day!
Bellaisa recently posted..The Top 7 Ways to Hurt Your Ex
But whatever !! Vegas weddings are always gr8 to watch !! Everything there is awesome
It would be hard to get me out of the casino for the wedding – because THAT is awesome for me. Although, I may make an exception for my wedding.
)
Bellaisa recently posted..Snappy Comebacks to Obnoxious Comments About Your Wedding
i agree that Las Vegas can also be the Honeymoon Destination. and a great place for people to have fun in marriage. but i think people should do it seriously… but anyway great post! THANKS!
Rose Camoro recently posted..Wearing the Right Clothes for the Right Job
Thanks for the comment Rose.
If we all agreed on Vegas weddings then it would be one crowded place! Lol.
Bellaisa recently posted..Looking For Love in Social Dating Sites?