WEDDING CHAPELS

The Bellagio

The Venetian

Weddings, Vegas Style
By Jeniva Berger

Las Vegas wedding chapels are a tradition. Just take a ride along the famous strip and you’ll see them nestled along Las Vegas Boulevard like gingerbread houses in a forest of mega hotels. What won’t be visible is the multitude of chapels inside the hotels that have become a staple of almost every major hotel in Las Vegas, offering everything in their wedding packages from the bouquets and boutonnières to massages to an in-house bridal coordinator who will take over all the miniscule details for the big day.

I have a vested interest in Las Vegas hotel weddings ever since my daughter was married in one of them five years ago. So on my recent trip to Las Vegas I decided to seek out some of the most luxurious hotels and their wedding chapels to find out what they offered that might be a little bit different from the average.

My day of discovery started off at the Bellagio where I was staying for an Expo on Luxury Travel. The Bellagio Hotel leaves everyone in awe, especially during the holiday season when its Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are so splendidly decked out that people just wander in to drink in the splendor. It’s no wonder that it’s a favorite locale for wedding photos.

The Bellagio offers two wedding chapels and 11 wedding packages ranging from $15,000 to $1500, one of which is being a “proposal” package where you can enjoy by standing on rose petals while you propose to your loved one! Rose petals are very big at Bellagio weddings and for the steepest price you can walk down the aisle on them, have a complete penthouse suite for two nights, and tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s “O.” They’re among the 29 extra special luxuries included in the ritzy Bella Cosa Wedding Package.

The Bellagio isn’t the only deluxe hotel that revels in the Italian influence. The splendid Venetian Hotel, which boasts a replica of Venice’s Grand Canal as part of its décor with pools that resemble the foundations of Italian palazzos, provide heavenly backdrops for those wedding portraits. The Venetian is also home to the renowned Canyon Ranch Spa. Spas have become important additions to all of the major hotels in Las Vegas with their promise of much needed relaxation for busy brides and grooms. Visit www.bellagio.com

The Venetian promises a touch of Italy into its wedding ceremonies. You can have your choice of being married on The Bridge, in an ornately decorated white and gold gondola as you float along the Grand Canal, or in the chapel. The six wedding packages at the Venetian range from $750 to $4,500 with additional costs for extra services. Visit www.venetian.com

My next stop was the opulent Wynn Hotel, the newest deluxe hotel on the strip. The Wynn is a dazzling super-elegant hotel that offers weddings as lavish as you want to make them. Wynn likes to call their wedding chapels “salons,” something that brings to mind the elite European art salons of the 1890s. Wynn offers a choice of three weddings salons including a lovely outdoor courtyard that bear floral names such as Lilac, Lavender and Primrose. Artful, lovely floral arrangements can be found throughout the hotel whose warm décor features lots of gold, chocolate browns and rich reds. The Wynn offers three wedding packages including The Wynn Wedding Ceremony, an Elegant Affair, and a Jewish Celebration. Their finishing touch? For a super view, the Wynn has a man-made mountain and a man-made lake created at its doorstep to shield its clients from the garish lights of the strip. Only in Las Vegas! Visit www.wynnlasvegas.com.

LAS VEGAS MARRIAGE INFORMATION 
No blood tests and no waiting period. Marriage License Fee is $55 U.S. (cash only)

APPLICATION
Both parties must appear at the Marriage License Bureau, 201 Clark Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89155-1603. Phone: 702.671.0600. The courthouse is open seven days a week, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. – midnight, and 24-hours from Friday 8 a.m. to Sunday midnight, and all holidays. To complete a marriage application online visit www.co.clark.nv.us. On the Home page click on Permits & Licenses on their Main Menu.