Weddings: Las Vegas Wedding Planning
10 things to remember when getting married in Las Vegas
Holidays:Keep holidays in mind when choosing your Las Vegas wedding date. Valentine's Day is a hugely popular date for weddings in
Las Vegas, and while it might seem romantic, you may change your mind after waiting in line for a wedding chapel for up to
five hours. New Year's Eve is another busy wedding day in Las Vegas. It's also party central for tourists, which means your
out-of-town wedding guests may have trouble finding a flight or a hotel room unless you book a year in advance. Keep in mind
that reception sites also will be booked solid during these holidays.- Weather:Las Vegas has beautiful, sunny weather most of the year. However, even though the summer months are popular for weddings,
the weather here can be extremely hot and downright uncomfortable if you're dressed in a tuxedo or a long, heavy gown. The
hot sun can melt everything from the bride's makeup to the icing on the wedding cake. Las Vegas temperatures can top the 100-degree
mark from May until September. However, temperatures can be pleasant at night, so you might want to think about an evening
ceremony if you absolutely must get married during the summer. Check out our weather section for a list of average temperatures.
- The dress:Since Las Vegas has no waiting period for getting married, spur-of-the-moment weddings are a common occurrence. So where can
you find a wedding dress with only a couple of hours notice? There are several places in Vegas that actually rent wedding
dresses. Who wants to spend $2,000 on a dress you're only going to wear once anyway? Oh, and remember the 100-degree temperatures?
You might want to pick a dress that's sleeveless.
- Legal:Even though Vegas is known for quickie marriages, that doesn't mean you can just waltz off the street into a chapel and get
married. There are legal requirements you must meet before being issued a marriage license. Check out our section on the legalities of weddings in Las Vegas.
- Witnesses:If you're one of those couples who decide on an unplanned wedding, you might not have any guests in town, which brings up
the question of having a witness at your ceremony. Not to worry -- Las Vegas wedding chapels always have someone on hand to
serve as a witness for your happy occasion.
- Time:If you have your wedding in one of the hundreds of wedding chapels in Las Vegas, don't expect a long ceremony or a lot of
quality time in the chapel afterward. Because there are always several weddings scheduled in each chapel every day, you often
are allowed only a half-hour of chapel time. Some chapels can be booked for longer times, but you usually end up paying more
for those packages.
- The official:Most wedding chapels in Las Vegas offer either a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony and provide you with a minister or
rabbi. Keep in mind that most chapels don't allow you to bring in an outside minister or other official to perform the ceremony.
- Language:What if you come to Las Vegas to get married but you don't speak English? Have no fear. Many wedding chapels in Las Vegas
will perform ceremonies in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese and other languages. Check out our hotel chapel guide to find chapels that offer foreign language ceremonies.
Wacky weddings:Las Vegas is the crazy wedding capital of the world. If you come here to get married, you don't have to have a traditional
ceremony. If you're getting married in Sin City, why not make it a wild and crazy experience? Las Vegas wedding chapels offer
unique weddings galore. You can get married in a drive-through chapel, get married by Elvis, have a Harley Davidson-themed wedding or even
have a nude ceremony. Only in Vegas.- Hair and makeup:If you're from out of town and you're in Vegas for your wedding, you will probably want to find a hairstylist to help you
prepare for the big day. Many hotels have salons or spas right on property. You also might want to try a local salon off the
Strip. In either case, be sure to book your appointment well in advance and keep those holidays and weekends in mind. The
salons can get booked up fast. There also are some services in town that will come directly to your hotel room to fix your
hair for your wedding.
-- Kristine McKenzie
