Escapes WEEKENDER
“Kiss Me in Paris” and “Happily, Ever After” ceremony packages, respectively, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas offers in-suite elopements where you pick the suite you like best. Looking for something different? Take it outside! The rust- colored mountains of Red Rock Canyon are only 17 miles west of the Vegas Strip and perfect for a dramatic outdoor ceremony. There are two designated sites for weddings in the canyon with scenic backdrops. Something else off the beaten path is The Neon Boneyard at The Neon Museum. This historical landmark houses iconic neon signs from the Rat Pack era, and each tells a story about Vegas’ bright past. It doesn’t get any more Vegas than exchanging vows while bathing in neon light (except for getting married by Elvis, of course). STEP 4: Get a Certified Copy of Your Marriage Certificate After the ceremony, your officiant has 10 days to file the wedding paperwork with the Clark County clerk, which costs $15. Our chapel arranged to have it sent to us back in San Diego, for an extra fee, of course (this is Vegas, after all—getting nickel and dimed is part of the deal). Certified marriage certificates may be necessary for several reasons, like filing taxes and changing one’s name. International couples may need an apostille and a marriage certificate to register the marriage in a foreign country. STEP 5: Have Fun! You’re in Vegas! I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Live it up! More Tips Though many venues will accommodate you without a booking, the general recommendation is to make reservations for your wedding before you arrive in town. It’s one thing if you decided to make it a spontaneous thing while you’re already there, but if you’re planning on it anyway, you might as well lock it in. Keep an eye on the calendar. Pricing varies depending on the time of year, and in general, it’s good to know if a huge event, like a major convention or music festival, is happening at the same time you plan to be there. You’ll need a special recreation permit to get married at a national park or recreation area. Red Rock Canyon, in particular, requires the permit application to be submitted a minimum of 30 days in advance.
Don’t forget, you’ll need one witness (not the officiant) at the ceremony, and most chapels can provide one if it’s just the two of you. (In our case, it was the woman working the front desk.) We chose The Little Vegas Chapel, which is a highly rated, professional, and popular option (I recommend it, as well), but there are any number of places that will also fit the bill. For those who are so inclined, check out its well-priced and perfectly executed Elvis packages. The Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod, where we stayed, dined, and saw many naked bodies, also hosts weddings at the top of its sky tower. That’s where The Top of the World, its amusement park, and other attractions can also be found. If you’re truly eloping, choose the “Just the Two of Us” package. You’ll say your vows on the indoor or outdoor observation deck overlooking Las Vegas on levels 108 and 109 of the SkyPod. The package includes wristbands for unlimited Thrill Rides, too. Downtown Las Vegas is full of chapels with affordable packages. Located right across from the Marriage License Bureau, which will be every couple’s first official wedding stop, are two chapels: The Wedding Chapel and The Casino Wedding Chapel. But the most novel and cheap way to seal the deal is in The Fast Lane, where couples can walk up or drive through to say “I do.” The historic A Little White Chapel is open 24 hours a day, and the ceremony itself can take as little as 15 minutes. Cocktail party factoid: This is where the actual Elvis, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra all got married, too. Hotels are well-primed to host: Mandalay Bay offers an “Elope” package that includes all the amenities a larger ceremony would, Paris Las Vegas and Flamingo Las Vegas have
BELOW The Top of the World in The Strat’s skytower overlooks the entire Las Vegas metro.
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