The Romantic Side of Las Vegas:

The engagement ring is on the left hand and the impending nuptials have been announced to family and friends. If you are a couple that desires a small, romantic wedding surrounded by those closest to you and your beloved, or if you want to renew your vows to honor a special Wedding Anniversary, pack your suitcase and let the (destination) wedding planning begin!

Destination weddings have become an increasingly popular option for couples who hold fond memories of vacationing in Mexico or the Caribbean. Europe is gaining popularity as well, but may be out-of-budget for many couples as well as their guests, not to mention issues that may arise from the new U.S. passport regulations. Destination weddings also allow a couple (or their parents) to host a smaller, more intimate wedding celebration without the pressure of feeling a need to host a party for extended family, business associates and other acquaintances.

So where else can a couple get married with international glamour, without having to go through customs?

Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

Did you know that according to Wedding Industry statistics, Las Vegas is the most popular city in the world for couples to say "I Do?" Forget the images of Elvis impersonators and kooky "themed" weddings...

Read on to learn from my own Las Vegas wedding experience on how a bridal couple can host a romantic, sophisticated, and most important, meaningful exchange of marriage vows among family and close friends.

Luxurious Resorts with Wedding Chapels - Almost all of the resorts on the famous Las Vegas strip have wedding packages of one type or another. Basic packages generally include use of the chapel, florals for the bride and groom, and guidance from a professional wedding coordinator who is familiar with the Dos and Don'ts of a Las Vegas wedding; her service will prove to be invaluable. An Officiant is available for a small fee, anywhere from $50 on up depending on the Resort.

For additional cost, you can upgrade to amenities such as professional a photography service, or limo transportation to and from the Clark County Courthouse for the marriage license. The wedding coordinator should be able to guide you on how to obtain the license. Wedding packages offered by a resort are as unique as the resort itself, and you can go as simple or extravagant as your wedding budget will allow.

Las Vegas wedding chapels will require a deposit of $200 or more just to hold the chapel for the date and time you select. Be assured that that the House will prevail, and that you can count on losing all or most of the deposit if you decide to change the date of your wedding; all of it if you cancel the wedding altogether.

Several non-resort wedding chapels both themed and traditional are located on or near the Las Vegas strip, and they offer chapel amenities similar to their mega resort counterparts. I strongly suggest that you conduct your research by visiting websites of chapels that are of interest to you.

Catering for your reception is usually available at the resorts. I suggest that for an intimate and stress-free reception, you go with a cocktail reception for up to two hours in a private banquet room, as opposed to a formal, sit-down dinner. After all, you are in Las Vegas and once the wedding festivities are over, your guests will be just as anxious to hit the town as you will be to head for your honeymoon.

I discovered with my own wedding planning that catering prices in Las Vegas are comparable to catering prices charged by most luxury hotels and catering halls and again, it depends on how elaborate you want to go. If you have the budget, I say, "go for it" and pay for the catering, as you will not be disappointed with the quality of the food, the beverage selections, the cake, or the personal service. Limit beverages to beer, wine or champagne, and soft drinks for the non-drinkers, to keep the beverage budget down.

Some couples also choose to reserve part of the hotel's buffet restaurant for their dinner reception, especially if they have a large number of guests and want to keep the cost down. A buffet in Las Vegas runs about $25 at dinnertime, perhaps more on weekends. This is fine, if you do not mind sharing your event with gawking tourists and other hotel guests. In my own situation, our walk from the wedding chapel to the private banquet room became a photo op for tourists, which I did not mind because it comes with the territory. However, once we entered our reception room we regained our privacy, and enjoyed our reception with just family and friends.

Affordability - Las Vegas is generally an affordable vacation spot. Of course, the more upscale the resort, the higher the rate will be. In general, no matter what hotel you choose, weekends will be more expensive than weekdays. Note that I was not successful in negotiating a lower group rate for my guests because we only needed about twelve rooms. We held our event in December when rates tend to be lower anyway and our guests paid about $100 per night with most guests staying for two nights.

Etiquette for destination weddings is that guests should plan to pay their own way for travel, accommodations, meals and such not included in the wedding festivities. Send "save the date" announcements at least six months in advance of the wedding date to prospective guests. This is a good way to give them a chance to save up for travel expenses or book early for best rates. If your heart is set on a special friend attending, perhaps your maid of honor, the best man, or a beloved relative who is on a fixed income, you may want to pay for part or all of his or her travel.

From my own experience, it seemed that friends and relatives with small children were unable, for obvious reasons, to commit to a trip to Las Vegas to watch us exchange our vows. Please keep in mind that at the end of the day, it is still your party, and this wedding about what you and your fiancé decide to do, not what a relative or two thinks you should do. My thought on the issue of destination weddings and guests with opinions about your wedding choice is this: if people really want to join you in Las Vegas, or wherever you and your fiancé choose to marry, they will find a way...no hesitation and no complaints.

Great Weather - July in Las Vegas is hot, hot, hot...and January is the coolest month, according to the weather statistics. However, you will spend most of your time in the climate-controlled comfort of the resort, at least during the wedding festivities.

Entertainment - There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas that bridal couples need not feel obligated to entertain their guests full-time over two or three days.

My husband and I hosted a pre-wedding "happy hour" in the main bar of our hotel on the eve of the big day to welcome our 25 or so guests to Las Vegas, and to thank them for coming from near and far to partake in our joyous event. After an hour or so, we graciously turned them loose so that they can catch a show or hit the game tables, and told them that we will see them the next day at 5:00 PM at the Wedding Chapel. Note that we hosted the welcome event during happy hour, when margaritas were half price, and we paid the entire tab.

I hope this information will be of help if the idea of a Las Vegas Wedding has crossed your mind. Best of Luck on planning your big day...Cheers!