the second largest industry in Nevada; the gaming industry is
first, of course. Even with its stripped down offerings and
unique options (Elvis as minister, any one?), Las Vegas purveyors pocket a goodly portion of the $72 billion annually
spent on weddings in the United States.
A Past Reflected in the Present
The advent of the Las Vegas wedding chapel also reflects
Nevada’s historical efforts to distinguish and make a name for
itself. Faced with a declining population in the early 1900s, local
political and business leaders began to define the state in opposition to its more prosperous neighbors, especially California.
Out went personal income taxes and corporate income taxes.
Limits on gambling were removed, as were those affecting
brothels. The state also removed the residency requirement
for marriage licenses, which at that point in time was novel
and quite daring. Over the years, lawmakers rolled back or
refined some of these initiatives. For instance, gambling was
prohibited in 1909 and went underground until 1931 when it
was legalized again.
Nevada’s lack of a residency requirement for marriage licenses
has remained in tact. Today, obtaining a marriage in the Silver
State is a simple process. Applicants must be 18, and proof of
age is required. A valid identification and Social Security
number are also necessary, but there are no waiting periods or
blood tests. Payment of the $60 fee is the final step.
The Las Vegas office for the Clark County Marriage Services
Division is conveniently open seven days a week year-round
from 8:00am to Midnight, including holidays. Representatives
from area wedding chapels, known as “handbillers,” tend to
congregate around the Marriage Services Division in order to
draw couples to specific chapels. In October 2007, the wedding chapel community was negatively affected by the forcible
closure of the Garden of Love Chapel; its handbilling tactics
were among the reasons the Las Vegas City Council stripped
the chapel of its business license.
Wedding Capital of the World
For many couples, the strange intoxicating brew that is Las
Vegas provides the perfect backdrop for their wedding ceremony. In a setting where any desire can be perfectly commercialized for easy consumption, getting married is just one
more facet of the Las Vegas experience. Couples can choose to
wed at a historical chapel like the Little Church of the West,
which opened in 1942 and has been the site of more celebrity
marriages than any other chapel in the world. (See sidebar for
a listing of celebrity weddings.) A self-proclaimed “free standing miniaturized replica of an old west mining town church,”
t