Nevada used to be the divorce capitol of America, mainly due to the short residency requirements before being able to apply for a divorce. Movie stars used to come from Hollywood, stay at a dude ranch for a few weeks to qualify for residency, and then file for divorce from their mates. As laws in other states changed the emphasis on divorce shifted over to quick marriages. You can hit the courthouse to get a marriage license without any residency requirements, then go to a wedding chapel and get married right after arriving here. Hopefully you will not be drunk at the time and regret it a few hours later after sobering up, but we’re not all Brittany Spears now, are we?
Las Vegas has a lot of wedding chapels, both stand alone and in almost every large casino and resort. Last weekend was our annual Rock and Roll marathon, where they even had a run through chapel which handled over twenty couples on their way through. A few weeks ago a new large Denny’s restaurant opened up on Fremont Street in Neonopolis, and besides pancakes they also have their own wedding chapel. I don’t know how many people would brag that they were married in Denny’s, but it is possible.
Fremont Street also has a zip cord ride down under the canopy, which will soon change. They are constructing a 100 foot high slot machine (30 meters) which will flash lights, spin dials, and then shoot people out onto a new longer zip line that runs the length of Fremont Street past all of the big old casinos and down under the lighted canopy. This is right next door to the Heart Attack Grill which offers some of the biggest, greasiest burgers in the world. And yes, somebody actually had a heart attack while eating there this year.
In addition to a chapel wedding (with or without Elvis, or driving through, or inside) there are several other places that you can get married at. We now have a chapel in a van, which will drive out to whatever location you desire and marry you out of the back door – the Welcome to Las Vegas sign is a popular location for this service. You can get married under water, (yes, out here in the desert) in the salt water aquarium at the Silverton Casino, on a pirate ship in front of TI (I had photos of one of those weddings I witnessed a few years ago), while skydiving (well, actually in the plane just before you jump), on a roller coaster while zipping past the Statue of Liberty in front of New York New York (so nice they named it twice), by helicopter down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, or up on top of the 1,148 foot tall Stratosphere tower either inside a chapel on the 103rd floor or up on a private balcony overlooking the Strip on the 112th floor. If you don’t like standing still up there you can opt for a ceremony on one of the roof top rides up there, for a really big thrill.
So come on out to Vegas and get married, or renew your vows. Sorry, Nevada hasn’t approved same sex marriages yet, but hopefully that will soon come.
4 comments:
I'm in the wrong business.
I think we will be moving in with you and your wife and we can be wedding planners. ha ha ha ha
Thanks for doing your part to promote tourism in Nevada!
As for that same sex marriage, it will have to be Clark County towing us into the new century; Nye County has way too many bible beaters to approve it. How the devil we get to have brothels is beyond me.
So many options! It must be a really great money spinner if there is enough business to support so many outlets. :)
It does amuse me that the hue and cry that same sex marriages dilute and dishonor the sanctity of "regular" marriages doesn't comment at all on the effect of these people who go to Vegas, get drunk, and get married, then get divorced days or weeks later. Sanctity?
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