Our Las Vegas Outdoor Wedding: Red Rock Canyon

Recently celebrating our fifth anniversary, of course my husband and I reminisced our Las Vegas wedding getaway - it still reigns as the most nonstop fun we've had as a couple. Our honeymoon was perfect for us for many reasons, but the main event - our Red Rock Canyon wedding - set it all into motion.

There's more to Vegas than The Strip

How many couples think of the stereotypical Las Vegas chapel when considering - and then possibly ruling out - a Vegas wedding? Yet an outdoor ceremony, dignified by the breathtaking natural beauty of locations like Red Rock Canyon, or the Valley of Fire, is both economical and easier to arrange than one might realize. Followed by a honeymoon romp through the one of the world's most fascinating tourist destinations, newlyweds can enjoy the best of both worlds - if not several worlds - and relish the memories forever after.

Simple

My then husband-to-be and I knew we didn't want to suffer traditional wedding expenses or obligations. Complicated plans and crowds held no appeal. Las Vegas quickly emerged as the ideal place for a hassle-averse couple like us to officially embark upon our new path together. The only downside was facing the prospect of pledging our love within the confines of a Vegas chapel. It may be true not all chapels are created equal, but I already knew I didn't want to go that route.

Because I assumed Las Vegas to be over-the-top in every way, I was genuinely surprised to learn wedding planners offered non-chapel options less quirky than the Elvis wedding, or more calming than the helicopter wedding. A few simple "Vegas wedding" searches quickly revealed my location - a sprawling desert plain crowned by rocky, red and gray cliffs - exactly the backdrop I wanted for our own wedding photos. When I signed up for my Red Rock Canyon package, I considered my largest problem solved.

Cost-saving

I thought I'd select the first day of spring as our wedding date - a Saturday that year - because it seemed symbolic. However, when I discovered a weekday wedding in Vegas would be $200 less, I bumped up our date to Friday evening. What can I say? We were winning already.

Our standard Red Rock Canyon package included: one minister; our choice of civil or religious ceremony; limousine service between our hotel and the park; one Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permit, required to wed in a public park; and one photographer / videographer (doubling as witness, in our case), who handed over a video of the wedding and the 12-exposure roll of film he shot before we parted. Basic online package prices today range from $699.99 to $999.99 plus tax, but plan on at least a few hundred dollars more in gratuities for the minister and limo driver.

To obtain our marriage license, we taxied Downtown to the Clark County Clerk Marriage Bureau the night before. The license is the mandatory document which legally permits the designated party to perform the wedding ceremony. The Bureau is open daily (including holidays) from 8 a.m. until midnight and the license fee is $55.00. Refer to the official website for most current info and official documents you must pack and present.

Tips for couples going it alone:

1) Don't assume the wedding package photographer is the best one for the job. If you're unable to view samples of his / her previous work, keep looking. You'll be glad you spent some of the money you're saving overall on a professional - someone you're sure has a sense of style, can frame a shot, and possesses the technical expertise to manage the tricky, high-contrast lighting conditions the glorious desert sunshine may create.

2) Wedding service providers may take very little responsibility for anything beyond ensuring you get married - if that. Understand all the disclaimers before signing on with anyone, or making any nonrefundable cash deposits.

3) Another photo-related item - do bring your own camera. Preoccupied with everything else, I purposely left my camera in our room. Now I regret missing the shots I could have taken before and after the ceremony. You'll be no less nervous leaving your camera somewhere it can't be used, so take it.

4) Flowers - a bride without a bouquet couldn't be more empty-handed, but in the midst of everything, I completely forgot. Ask your wedding planner to remind you or supply you.

Our favorite things

As much as my husband had traveled in the past, escaping the Michigan chill for a warm-weather destination was a first for him. This made it especially sweet to depart from our gray, winterworn hometown one day, and exchange vows under a bright blue, springtime desert sky the next.

The 30 minute road trip to our wedding stop also imposed a well-defined break from the artificial glitz of Vegas. Red Rock Canyon's majesty touched our hearts and elevated our simple ceremony in a way no Vegas chapel ever could have.

Sources and more info:

http://www.lasvegasweddingsource.com/redrock.html

http://www.weddingslasvegas.com/red_rock_canyon

http://www.lasvegasweddingsource.com/valley.html

http://www.weddingslasvegas.com/valley_of_fire

http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/clerk/pages/marriage_information.aspx