Want to elope in Vegas ahead of your big wedding day? Wondering why? The short answer is, why not! Whether you’re thinking about eloping in Vegas ahead of your big wedding day, or you’ve already decided to move ahead with this crazy fun idea, you might have a few questions. So we’re breaking down how to elope in Vegas ahead of your wedding, in this post!

Obtaining a Marriage License is Easy

First things first! If your big wedding day is happening outside the country, you may need to have a legal union beforehand. The general rule is that marriages performed overseas are considered legally binding in that country. Some will be considered legally binding in the US, but it’s a minefield of rules and regulations. The process for making your ceremony legal in the US will require more paperwork and sometimes even bloodwork. So, if you’re looking to skip over the hoop jumping you can have a super quick, crazy fun elopement in the states prior to your big day!

There’s No Waiting Period

The second reason to elope in Vegas before your big wedding day is that in the state of Nevada, unlike other states, there is no waiting period. This means you can literally walk-in, and get married right then and there! There are also no blood test requirements in the state of Nevada either; although many states have since done away with this antiquated requirement as well! If you feel like the no waiting period thing sounds too good to be true, consider this, popular wedding dates can fill up fast, and that may be a reason to plan ever so slightly in advance. We’re looking at you 2/22/22 – the most popular date of that year!

It’s Good Practice

The last reason to elope in Vegas before your big wedding day is for practice. Yeah, we’re dead serious! Yes, you can totally have a non-legal wedding ceremony in Las Vegas! If you want your big wedding day to be your “more official”, legal union, you can still have a non-legal ceremony in Nevada. This is a fun way to get the nerves and jitters out of the way. No matter how excited you are about your big day, and how in love you are with your partner, wedding day nerves are real! So, having a fun quickie ceremony in Vegas with your partner and two of your best friends for practice doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all!

It’s a Celebrity Hot Spot for Quick Unions!

Another reason to elope in Vegas? Its a celebrity hot spot for fast, on the fly, unions! You would be shocked at the long list of celebrities who have run off to Vegas to get hitched! For example, did you know that Mila “I bought my wedding ring on Etsy” Kunis and Ashton Kutcher tied the knot in Vegas? More recently, Bennifer got hitched at “A Little White Wedding Chapel”. The world-famous Las Vegas wedding chapel with a 24-hour drive-up wedding window. Just to spice things up, we’ve added in a few more of our favorite celeb Vegas wedding anecdotes, in the section on chapels, below!

Obtaining a Marriage License for a Vegas Wedding

Ok, what we said about walking in and getting married on the spot still stands true. But you do need a marriage license. Obtaining a marriage license in Vegas has a few, and we mean few, basic requirements.

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be able to provide a government-issued ID to certify your name & age
• You can not be currently married

That’s pretty much it! The only caveat you may need to know about when applying for a marriage license to elope in Vegas is that if you are presenting a foreign birth certificate as your form of identification, the Clark County Clerk requires that the birth certificate be translated into English.

The other thing you need to know about marriage licenses in the state of Nevada is that they are considered public documents and cannot be sealed or made to be confidential. We’re looking at you Britney circa 2004. (PS: the ceremony for her infamous 55-hour marriage to Jason Alexander was held at “A Little White Wedding Chapel”) Perhaps leading to one of the biggest reasons why we get the news of celebrity unions in Vegas going viral in a split second.

Chapels

Making the decision to dash off to Vegas to Elope, leaves one gigantic decision to make. Which wedding chapel are you and your partner heading off to? There are a total of 52 chapels in Vegas to choose from FIFTY TWO! Of the fifty-two chapels, 14 of those chapels are considered “free-standing chapels”, meaning they are not connected to or affiliated with anything else. There’s a complete list of chapels below, but first, this might help narrow down your decision!

Where did Elvis & Priscilla get married?

In 1967, Elvis & Priscilla were officially married at the (now demolished) Aladdin Hotel. Vegas is a fast-moving ever changing city pulsing with energy, so it’s no surprise that many of its hotels, casinos and wedding chapels don’t exactly have “staying power”. On the site of the former Aladdin Hotel now sits Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.

What is the Oldest Chapel in Las Vegas?

Another tie-in to Elvis, the oldest chapel in Las Vegas is the Little Church of The West. You might recognize it from its depiction in the movie Viva Las Vegas. Built-in 1942, this chapel still stands today!

What is the most well-known wedding chapel in Vegas?

That would be the Graceland Wedding Chapel. It was the very first chapel in Vegas to introduce an Elvis-themed wedding ceremony. All the way back in 1977! The Graceland Wedding Chapel is licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises and has been featured on MTV, Say Yes to The Dress, 90 Day Fiance, and so many more TV & Movie outlets that we would run out of space trying to list them all!

What is the most sought-after wedding chapel in Vegas?

You’ll find that title belongs to Chapel of The Bells. It’s been featured in the movies Honeymoon in Vegas, Indecent Proposal, and Vegas Vacation. It also boasts an entire roster of celebrity names as its past couples. 

Didn’t “Kravis” get married in Vegas?

It’s true! Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker dashed off to Vegas to the 24-hour wedding chapel One Love Wedding, at 1:30 am on a Monday morning (just after the Grammy’s btw) to affirm their love. Wondering why we didn’t say to obtain a legal marriage ahead of their big wedding in Italy? Well, because it wasn’t a “legal” wedding ceremony. They had a ceremony, but there was no formal marriage license involved. Maybe they were just “practicing”!

A Complete List of Las Vegas Wedding Chapels

1. A Chapel Of Love
2. A Little White Chapel
3. A Special Memory Wedding Chapel
4. A Wedding Chapel In Las Vegas
5. Aloha Wedding Chapel
6. Bellagio Wedding Chapels
7. Belleza – A Boutique Chapel
8. Bliss Wedding Chapel
9. Caesars Palace Wedding Chapel
10. Chapel In The Clouds
11. Chapel Of Crystals
12. Chapel Of The Flowers
13. Chapelle De L’amour
14. Cupids Wedding Chapel
15. Downtown Vegas Chapel
16. Elvis Chapel
17. Garden Chapel At The Flamingo
18. Graceland Wedding Chapel
19. Hartland Mansion
20. High Roller Wedding Chapel
21. Las Vegas Chapel Of Love
22. Las Vegas Elvis Wedding Chapel
23. Las Vegas Immersive Weddings
24. Las Vegas Weddings
25. Little Church Of The West
26. Love It Loud Wedding Chapel
27. Love Story Wedding Chapel
28. Mandalay Bay Wedding Chapels
29. Marriage Commission Of Las Vegas
30. Monbelami Wedding Chapel
31. One Love Wedding Chapel
32. Paradise Wedding Chapel
33. Paris Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
34. Plaza Royale Wedding Chapel & Florist Shoppe
35. Royal Wedding Chapel
36. Scenic Las Vegas Wedding Chapels
37. Shalimar Wedding Chapel
38. Silver Sky Chapel
39. The Chapel At Excalibur
40. The Chapel At Planet Holly
41. The Elvis Wedding Chapel
42. The Elvis Wedding Chapel In Las Vegas
43. The Hitchin’ Post Wedding Chapel
44. The Little Neon Chapel
45. The Little Vegas Chapel
46. The Wedding Chapel Of Las Vegas
47. Treasure Island Wedding Chapel
48. Tropicana Lv Weddings
49. Twilight Zone By Monster Mini Golf
50. Vegas Weddings
51. VIP Weddings Las Vegas
52. Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel

Freestanding Wedding Chapels in Vegas

• A Little White Wedding Chapel
• A Special Memory Wedding Chapel
• Aloha Wedding Chapel
• Chapel of Las Vegas
• Chapel of the Flowers
• Graceland Wedding Chapel
• Lakeview Chapel
• Little Church of the West
• Mon Bel Ami Wedding Chapel
• Paradise Wedding Chapel
• The Elvis Chapel
• The Little Vegas Chapel
• The Wedding Chapel of Las Vegas
• Vegas Weddings

Honorable Mentions!

Ok, these aren’t exactly chapels, but we had to add them to the list of options because they are all amazing, each for their very own reasons!

Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck

The Eiffel tower viewing deck of Paris Las Vegas is open for business, and you can totally get married there! This intimate setting in the sky is equipped for you and your partner along with 12 guests. Their package includes a 30-minute wedding ceremony and a 30-minute photography experience. After you say I do you’ll enjoy a champagne toast alongside French-style macaroons. All in all, if you’re looking to elope in Vegas and wondering which option will give you the best bird’s eye view of the strip, this is it!

Cafe Lola

You have definitely seen the Insta-worthy Café Lola around the gram. Their “I love you a latte” take-out cups with pink sleeves practically beg their owners to be photographed and shared on social. All pink everything, gorgeous gilded chandeliers, pink velour seats, and a permanently affixed floral wall to rival the one you are already planning for the photobooth at your big wedding. This gorgeously gilded & pink cafe is a more intimate wedding than a walk-in quickie wedding chapel. Think coffee, pastries, and afternoon tea parties in a pink setting that would rival the likes of Paris Hilton’s dog house. It’s that cute, but much less “Barbie” inspired. Their event space is more suited to a small group versus you your partner and the two friends that hopped on the plane with you.

The Neon Museum

If this isn’t genius at work, we don’t know what is. Remember earlier when we talked about Elvis’ wedding and we mentioned how Vegas is a fast-moving easy come easy go kind of place? Vegas is pretty much in the middle of the desert, and anyone who has flown in at night will tell you what a sight it is to see the Vegas strip lit from the sky above. It takes a whole lot of light to make the basin of the desert glow from 30,00 feet.

All of those now-defunct hotels, casinos, chapels, etc. had to put their larger-than-life lights somewhere when they shuttered their doors. And this is where they ended up. The Neon Museum! A sort of “graveyard” of neon lights. Take the picture in your mind of a traditional art museum and burn it to the ground because The Neon Museum is like nothing you’ve ever seen! And yeah, you can get married there! Trust us, it’s as epic as it sounds! A micro elopement at The Neon Museum will cost around $1500 and includes a 60-minute ceremony & photography experience that also accommodates up to 50 guests. 

The Venetian’s Gondola Package

Not quite the historical charm and splendor of Italy’s “sinking city”, but hey they have gondolas! And yes, as you can guess by their appearance on this list, you can book a “just the two of you” wedding ceremony for a quick union aboard a gondola. The $429 package includes a 40-minute wedding ceremony and up to 40 minutes of post-ceremony photography. If you are bringing along a friend or two, they also offer the option of renting out additional gondolas to accommodate your group. However, because the Venetian Gondola wedding package is not exactly one of the chapels in the aforementioned list, it does require booking at least 30-60 days in advance!

Who Is Coming With You When You Elope in Vegas?

Vegas is a vibe. It’s an energy. It’s a world all its own. Where else in the world can you get married at a drive-up window? Pretty much nowhere. Dubbed an adult playground, it’s a city of fun with an endless parade of pool parties, swim-up bars, shows, museums, shopping, and world-class dining. So, that begs the question, who will you invite to tag along to your Vegas elopement before your big wedding day? You and your fiance will have to have a talk about whether this trip will be for strictly the two of you, or if you’ll be inviting along some of your closest friends for the wild ride ahead.

But how do you choose who to invite?  The friends you select to come along with you, have to match the energy of the city. They need to be up for anything, ready to go, and deadset on having the time of their lives with you for the short duration that you’ll be in town. And, if you’re considering inviting along some of the friends you’ve already asked to be in your wedding party on the big day, you have to be mindful of how the budget will come into play for them.

Are they already overstretched because of other pre-wedding expenses? Knowing that they are already doing their absolute best to be there for you in every way, it would be kind of unfair to ask them to tag along unless, of course, you are offering to pay for the cost of their ticket. It’s a tough decision to make. And one that will require you and your fiance to sit down and have an in-depth conversation before making the official ask.

Sharing the News & Excitement That You Eloped in Vegas!

Want to let all of your friends and family in on the excitement of your Vegas wedding ahead of your big wedding day? Assuming that your save the dates have already gone out, or if you just aren’t using save the dates, sharing the news of your Vegas elopement can easily be done through your Guestie Event. You and your fiance (or your co-host or planner!) can take to the message board of your Guestie Event to give your guests a glimpse of your quick celebrity-style chapel wedding in Vegas. Your guests will love feeling like they have a backstage pass to all the amazing things going on behind the scenes ahead of your big wedding day because they’ll get to feel like they were right there with you!

Now that you have all the info you need to bring your Vegas elopement to life, check out our most recent articles to help you plan the big wedding day of your dreams!

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