Maybe you’ve heard Las Vegas referred to as the Wedding Capital of the World, but how and why did it earn this name? According to PBS, around 5.5% of all U.S. weddings occur in Las Vegas, and there are several reasons that the city has become the world’s hottest wedding spot.
Nevada’s New Marriage Law
It wasn’t until 1931 that Las Vegas started its journey to becoming the Wedding Capital of the World. In 1931, Nevada’s new marriage law passed. The new law allowed couples to get a marriage license on the spot without any requirements or wait times. The ease of obtaining a license contributed to the popularity of weddings in Vegas. All that’s needed to get a marriage license is a photo ID and the $60 license fee. Unlike many other states, no blood test is required before the license is issued. Once the marriage license is obtained, couples have a year to have their wedding ceremony performed. The combination of the new marriage laws and the influx of celebrities deciding to tie the knot in Sin City made the Vegas wedding a popular option for couples.
Clark County Courthouse is Open 365 Days a Year
Not only does Las Vegas have lenient marriage laws, the city is located in Clark County, where the Clark County courthouse is constantly open. It’s not just open daily, the courthouse is open on holidays as well. The hours of operation never change. The Clark County courthouse is always open from 8am to midnight. All couples need to do is show up and get the wedding license. Since the courthouse keeps things very efficient, it usually only takes about 15 minutes to get the license.
Numerous Venues
As couples began to flock to Las Vegas to get married, more wedding venues started to show up around the city. Today, many of the major hotels and casinos have their own wedding chapels. Some local restaurants provide wedding ceremonies as well. Multiple free standing wedding chapels are scattered throughout the city, and weddings can also be performed on golf courses or in local churches. It’s even possible to have a drive-thru wedding for couples that don’t want to waste time on the ceremony so they can get on to the honeymoon. Many of the Las Vegas wedding venues offer themed weddings as well, which are attractive to couples that want a unique wedding. A few of the common themes include fairy tale weddings, rock star weddings, and Hawaiian weddings.
Nevada’s lenient marriage laws, a courthouse that is open 365 days a year, and the numerous venues in the city have combined to make Las Vegas the world’s most popular spot for weddings. With the average American wedding costing thousands of dollars, the potential to enjoy an affordable wedding also draws couples to Sin City.
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