Vegas Wedding-Debate/Opinions/Advice Welcome

Barb - posted on 01/16/2011

I'd like to add, my only regret is that i didn't have a wedding dress. We got married in the outfits we went on our first date in. My bright pink and purple flower skort dress.. and his "seaworld puked on me" fish shirt. yeah, we didn't look touristy at all!!

Barb - posted on 01/16/2011

Doug and i got married in Vegas. It was his 3rd wedding and my second so no families were paying for anything.

We were also tight on money. We were just going to go down to the courthouse and have it done, but my mother wanted to be there. We didn't want her to be at our house for a week (she lives in so cal) So we decided on Vegas.

Right now Vegas is DYING for business and i bet you could find some amazing deals. February is the cheapest time of the year to fly.

The courthouse in vegas to get your marriage license (well, when Doug and i went anyway, in 98 or 99, don't really remember) was open 24 hrs and it was an assembly line. The line was out the door but we were through the process in about 10 to 15 minutes.

There are a bazillion chapels to choose from. We were married in The Little Chapel of the West. You can pay for just the rental of the chapel, the guy who marries you. That is what we did, it was $65. You can add flowers and music, a limo, pictures, a video, what ever you like and trust me, they will want to sell it to you LOL.

Vegas was fun, even if you didn't spend alot of money. There are lots of free attractions, the water show at the bellagio, the pirate battle at treasure island, the volcano at i think the mirage. the down town electric light parade is AWESOME!! i'd go back just to see that again!! breath taking really! I liked downtown more than the new strip. But i'm old school LOL

Best of luck and congratulations, do what you guys want to do. It's your wedding and your marriage.

Chatty - posted on 01/15/2011

My dream is to get married in Disneyland dressed up as Mickey and Minnie. :)

Chatty - posted on 01/15/2011

I would get married in Vegas! My inlaws just renewed their vows in Vegas for their 40th Anniversary. I don't think it was cheesy at all. Doesn't matter where you go -- make it what you want!

Have fun!

Jackie - posted on 01/15/2011

a lot of vegas chapels are on the internet

Stifler's - posted on 01/15/2011

I expected my parents to pay! Their parents paid for theirs. They were the ones who were like blah blah blah being married is important. So they can pay!

Rebecca - posted on 01/15/2011

Well Sharon, we don't have the money for a wedding period. I'd like to have another child and I'd want any money saved to go towards a second child, that is the most important thing. I told my mother as much and I told her my fiance and I would just go get married at the courthouse, maybe have dinner after. My mother insisted that we have a wedding that includes my family and friends. They offered because they are generous and would rather we have a wedding than just a courthouse deal. They did the same for my brother, it's just how our family is.

I don't expect my fiance's family to pay anything, they are not all that well off and frankly, way more broken than mine. However, what I do care about, what hurts me is that members of his family despite not contributing feel they have the say and influence as to where and what we are doing. Some have even insisted they are going to be invited without thinking about the small budget we have told everyone we have. It's difficult.

So no, I don't have any expectations of my parents except what they offered. As well, since we already have a child, I think we have proved just how adult we are without paying for our own wedding...JMO.

Thanks for all the suggestions...we had a long talk about it today and are starting to really warm to a wedding stateside in Vegas or even in my aunt's/uncle's backyard in Houston. It'll be cheaper for my parents either way, flying into Canada from the states is that much more expensive.

Julianne - posted on 01/15/2011

its your wedding, your day, do what you feel like doing. My family wants me to have a huge wedding and are going to be offended when i tell them our plan is to have just us, and whos signing for us, thats it, its OUR choice. I would not be opposed to a vegas wedding, i bet it would be a good story too :)

Sapphire - posted on 01/15/2011

I also have to question the part about finances. I know "tradition" might be that parents help finance a wedding, but it should never be an expectation. I was fortunate that my grandmother helped with a portion of our wedding as a wedding gift. Hubby & I worked our asses off for 2 years in order to financially pay for the kind of wedding we wanted. We never asked for any money from any of our parents. If we were adult enough to get married, we were adult enough to pay for our wedding. I was grateful that my parents helped to pay for my wedding gown and airfare for our honeymoon. But I always thought of this as a gift and never an expectation. JMO.

Sapphire - posted on 01/15/2011

I've been to 3 Vegas weddings. 2 were low-key and very tactful at chapels. One was more upscale at The Venetian. I loved all 3 weddings and it's all about YOU and YOUR fiance. Have the kind of wedding that you want, not the kind of wedding that will make others happy. In the long run, those who are able to witness your wedding will be there, and if they cannot be there due ot the venue, then it's a shame. With that being said, we are looking to renew our vows in Vegas! We thought about Hawaii, but Vegas is a 6-7 hour drive and it's a lot cheaper than Hawaii! Plus, we'll be able to get a majority of our original wedding party to help celebrate. All the very best to you!

Amy - posted on 01/15/2011

Do whatever you want. The point is being married. The how it happens doesn't really matter to me. If you want lots of family there, and they can't make it, maybe not. If you just want your man, why not?

Rosie - posted on 01/15/2011

i think you should do it the way you want it. but you do have to be realistic do you WANT your family there? are you prepared to deal with the bitching? cause if you want your family there i would suggest a place that would be easy for everyone to go.
i personally wanted my family there, that is part of what made our day special, our family and friends sharing in our love together. that's what i LOVED about my wedding.
if you don't care and just want it to be about you guys (which i understand) than do what you want! :)

~♥Little Miss - posted on 01/15/2011

If I was ever to re-marry, I would most def have an alternative style wedding for sure!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 01/15/2011

DUDE! We almost ditched the whole wedding crap 1 month before and go t Vegas....but alas we did not.

We had our honeymoon in Jamaica, and if I would have done anything like that...if I could do it all over again...I would have gotten married there, on the beach...no shoes...a beautiful dress...georgous setting. I would have invited people, and whoever could afford the plane ticket and hotel could go. This is what we are gonna do when we renew our vows. We were suppose to do it at our 5yr since I was so dissappointed with our pictures and dress..but we are going on our 6th in June....guess maybe we will do it for our 10th.

Bonnie - posted on 01/15/2011

I loved my traditional style wedding. If I could go back, I think the only thing I would change is not to do it while I was pregnant (felt too sick by 8/9pm).
In your case, do what you both would love to do. If I were you, I would probably do it just to get away from everyone:-)

Tara - posted on 01/15/2011

I agree with the other ladies,
Do what you want. You will only get married once (hopefully) and it should be all about you and your hunny, and NO ONE else. It's your special day and anything you can do to make it more fun and less stressful is your right as the bride and groom.
:)Good Luck
I know nothing about vegas weddings, but the other ladies do and it sounds like it could pretty much be whatever you want.

Jenn - posted on 01/15/2011

When I "married" my bigamist ex, we did it in Vegas at A Hollywood Wedding Chapel. It was actually quite nice and not at all tacky. Mind you there was the option to have an Elvis but I declined LOL! It was just the 2 of us and the trip was our honeymoon. When we got back home (Canada), we had a reception type celebration where we showed the wedding video and then the whole family got to celebrate with us. The reception was very casual with a buffet style dinner and it was held at a bar (it was owned by a friend and we had the bar all to ourselves for the night). We also did karaoke LMAO!!

Now, if Brian and I ever get married (what would be my first REAL marriage), I think I'd like something low-key. Partly because he's just not a big fancy-schmancy kind of a guy, and partly because I feel like I already had a wedding, and partly because I'm just not into the whole big Cinderella type of wedding. I'd like to maybe have something in our back yard. Or even just go to the JOP - I really just want to be his wife - wedding or no wedding - let's just sign the papers! LOL!! But I think I still have to have my first "marriage" annulled - mind you I have yet to find a definite answer from anyone - lawyers, Supreme Court of Canada, local marriage licence office, Family Law Information Centre, etc. - they all say I CAN have an annulment, but nobody knows if the law says that I have to actually do anything about it. Frustrating to say the least - so I'm probably better off just paying the $300 annulment fee, then requesting permission from the Registrar General to get married. Nice, eh? I need permission from the government to get married!

Tracey - posted on 01/15/2011

Do what will make you happy and don't worry about anyone else. If you will enjoy a Vegas wedding then go for it.
Watch 27 dresses and get some ideas for outfits.

Johnny - posted on 01/15/2011

Loved my traditional wedding, but someday I really want to renew my vows in front of Elvis in a tacky Vegas chapel. I've been to 2 Vegas weddings. A gorgeous traditional one with all the family & friends (all Canadians) from both side of the aisle in a North Vegas country garden. And one "shotgun" in the chapel in the mall between the Luxor & Imperial Palace. Both still happily married and satisfied with their experiences. I say, do whatever makes you and your fiancee happy. Forget anyone else. If they care about you, they'll make it work for them. If they don't, you do not want them there anyway.

Stifler's - posted on 01/14/2011

I had a traditional kind of wedding, church then function room. I still think I would have done everything different if I could go back. My mum made the cake which was a big deal, should have just ordered one. Mother in law didn't pay for anything, father in law is dead, Damian's step mum we don't really expect to pay for anything. We got bridesmaid dresses off Ebay (worst idea ever), had the worst hairdresser of all time, had candle arrangements instead of floral table arrangements due to me being too scungy, photos took too long. I should have been more of a bridezilla and got what I wanted. My husband is all "I wouldn't change a thing". But he's a guy.



My friend Tamara had their wedding in their backyard, Halloween theme and a surprise with a piss up and a BBQ after the 10 minute ceremony (which my husband really loved since it was so short). It was really fun and we all loved it however... her mum didn't come thinking it wasn't that important as they had written housewarming party on the invite and she was my maid of honour and at the wedding she was kind of like... I wish I'd put more effort into our wedding. She still had really nice hair and a wedding dress but wishes they'd had it in a church and made a bigger deal as their attendants were dressed as Britney Spears in a fat suit, father of the bride as Zorro, grooms parents as vampires and bridesmaids as cavemen in the pictures!

Tracie - posted on 01/14/2011

It's been our dream wedding idea for about 20 years now, and we still haven't got there... I f you can afford that DO IT!! What an awesome experience!! I'd go dressed as Elvira and he'd go as Billy Idol... Please do it, save the stress and have a FUN, FUN time :-) (dont wait another 20 years to afford it!! lol)

Sharon - posted on 01/14/2011

No but we thought about it and then decided to get married via Justice of the Peace at the courthouse and spend the money on some techy stuff instead.

I don't regret it. My mother & brother was there. The restaurant we went to brought out a lovely cake for us. There was no stress and we were utterly happy and had money left over, lol.

Lacye - posted on 01/14/2011

Go for it! That sounds like an awesome plan!

Joanna - posted on 01/14/2011

I had a Vegas wedding'! It was an outdoor gazebo wedding at Shalimar wedding chapel at dusk. It was small but wonderful, and only $250. With what we saved, we had a fun honeymoon night out on the town, ate at Benihanas, etc. I wouldn't have changed it for the world!



Edited for spelling

Jodi - posted on 01/14/2011

If it's too much of a headache, I'd just do it.

Hubby and I are thinking of renewing our vows in Vegas, just for the fun of it :D Either our 10th or 15th anniversary, we haven't decided yet!!

Amie - posted on 01/14/2011

If it's what the couple wants, what anyone else has to say means nothing.

My husband's uncle went to Niagara falls and got married there. They took their two best friends as witnesses and that was it.

When they got home though, they did throw a party so the family (who do get bent out of shape about those things, pfftt) wouldn't be as upset.

Good Day! - posted on 01/14/2011

Do it. Not necessarily Vegas...go anywhere you want! I have a friend who is a pastor's daughter. She didn't want a large wedding, which is difficult when you are obligated to invite the entire church. She chose to have her wedding four hours away on a beach. It was a planned, "real" wedding. Everyone was invited, but only about 50 people were in attendance...her closest friends and family. I know someone else that flew to Scotland to get married. The parents and siblings were there and they all pitched in to rent a castle to stay in. They were married in a field outside the castle. Another friend chose to get married with just immediate family in attendance on the levee of the Mississippi River, here in Baton Rouge. She had a reception about 6 months later. She still brags that she got to wear her dress twice. Yet another set of friends and their immediate families went on a tour of a plantation home in our area. When they got to the balcony, one of the family members, an ordained minister, married them in a 5 minute ceremony. It's your day. Do what you want!