It’s true that Las Vegas is sometimes called the wedding capital of the world. As many as 300 weddings are performed each day in Sin City, which adds up to about 10,000 weddings a month and around 120,000 weddings each year. Outnumbering locals nine to one, most of the couples getting married in Vegas are from other states, or even from around the world. But it’s not all drive-through weddings and Elvis impersonators in the world of Las Vegas wedding locations, and there are many elegant and affordable ways to tie the knot on and outside The Strip.

Before you can gather your closest friends and relatives at any Vegas venue and say, “I do,” you’ll need to obtain a marriage license. In Las Vegas, marriage licenses are issued daily at the Clark County Marriage Bureau located at 201 E. Clark Ave. Other offices are also open in Clark County that will process a marriage license, but it’s best to call ahead and ensure that the office will be open when you plan to arrive.

As long as you and your partner are 18 years of age and not related or currently married, you can get a marriage license in the state of Nevada. A birth certificate or passport and a Social Security number are all that’s needed to complete the application process, in addition to a small fee. Typically a license can be obtained the same day of the wedding ceremony, though you can apply up to a year prior to your ceremony. For minors or non-U.S. citizens, special paperwork or parental consent may be needed, so make sure to work out the details with the proper parties before heading to the Marriage Bureau. In general, it should take only about 10 minutes to fill out the required paperwork, but couples can save time by completing the forms at home before arriving.

With your marriage license in hand, a Las Vegas wedding is in your future. You’ll have up to one year to get married, and the marriage is only legal if it takes place in the state of Nevada. Once your wedding occurs, your marriage official must file a marriage certificate within 10 days of the ceremony, which allows you to order your certified marriage certificate from the state, thereby legalizing your marriage.

But with everything in order, where should you get married in Las Vegas?

In addition to the aforementioned drive-through weddings and Elvis look-alike witnesses and officiants, the possibilities of a Las Vegas wedding are almost limitless. If you’re on The Strip, no matter where you’re staying, chapels are everywhere, and any place without a chapel attached has relationships with an assortment of chapels in town. Downtown, small, little wedding chapels are a dime a dozen, and the many churches and synagogues in the region also perform wedding ceremonies. For the adventurous, helicopters, rooftop bars and other attractions can also help you tie the knot, or maybe a beautiful golf course or resort off The Strip is more your speed.

That said, the easiest place to get married in Vegas is at the Office of Civil Marriages, right next door to the Marriage Bureau. Seven days a week, couples can walk in or reserve a slot to be married as long as they bring a witness.  

In the immediate vicinity of the Marriage Bureau are dozens of wedding chapels that dot the area, as well as more on The Strip. Since the 1950s, many of these chapels have seen countless celebrities, as well as tourists and locals, get hitched within their doors, or via a drive-through service. In 1977, the Graceland Wedding Chapel introduced the Elvis theme to a Vegas wedding ceremony, and Vegas weddings haven’t been the same since. 

The oldest chapel in Las Vegas is the Little Church of the West, which opened in 1941, moving three times before landing in its final spot in 1996 due to the construction of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. In the movie “Viva Las Vegas,” Elvis Presley himself recited his vows with Ann-Margret at the Little Church of the West, where it received international attention by movie-goers.

What about where to get married in Vegas for locals?

If you live in Las Vegas, all of that surely sounds like a tourist trap, and you’d never think to invite your friends and family for a wedding night of binge drinking and hamming it up on The Strip. Instead, consider the refined relaxation of getting married right here in Vegas but worlds away from the cliché of The Strip.

They’re known as resort weddings, and from ceremony to reception, including all vendors and services you’ll need, you can have the wedding of your dreams while an alert and attentive staff makes it all happen behind the scenes. With affordable packages and countless personalization options, a unique wedding can be both fun to plan and kind to your budget. 

With five fabulous venues in the Las Vegas Valley, including Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Primm, you’ll find the right venue for that dream wedding without the headache of wondering how you’ll pull it all off. Put your trust in Occasions4.us, and we’ll take care of the rest. From catering and drinks to decorations, photographers and the right baker to create your one-of-a-kind cake, our professional team of associates and vendors have the experience and know-how to ensure that your ceremony, reception and all the little moments in between go off without a hitch — well, outside of you two getting hitched!

From the Aliante and The Legacy to Primm Valley, Spanish Trail and Wildhorse, our beautiful clubs and resorts offer an innumerable number of experiences to happy couples looking for something less touristy or traditional in the Las Vegas area. Affordable and customizable, our wedding packages contain no surprises or hidden fees, and you can rest easy knowing that we’ll take care of it all so all you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself. It’s your big day — don’t spend it worrying about all the things that can go wrong. Book a Las Vegas wedding venue with us today and take that next step in your life. You deserve it, and we’ll help make it a reality.