The Best Las Vegas Wedding Venues

 

Image Credit: @chrismanstudios

Las Vegas is world-renowned as one of the quickest, easiest and most novel places to get married in the US. If you’re looking to get married among fabulous food, world-class entertainment and beautiful venues, look no further than Sin City.

We asked eight wedding experts for tips about the best venues to get hitched in Las Vegas.

What makes Las Vegas a great wedding destination?

“Las Vegas is the Marriage Capital of the world for many reasons”, says Vegas’s oldest chapel, Little Church of the West. “First, the ease of getting a marriage license. The marriage bureau is open every day of the year, 8 a.m. to midnight. Couples can get a marriage license with no blood test or waiting period.”

Couples also go to Vegas for the excitement and entertainment. Maggiano’s Little Italy, a restaurant and wedding venue located on the Las Vegas Strip, says, “Wedding guests will be able to make your celebration into a mini getaway when they come to Vegas. Your guests will enjoy the big city’s light and have access to some of the greatest restaurants and entertainment in the world.”

Types of Wedding Venues in Las Vegas

You’ve been given the engagement ring of your dreams—now it’s time to find a venue to match! From large, elegant affairs to bohemian desert elopements, Las Vegas boasts wedding venues for every type of couple. According to the Las Vegas museum and wedding venue The Mob Museum, “Las Vegas can make anyone’s wedding vision come true. This city can accommodate everyone and every budget.”

Custom Las Vegas Weddings, wedding planning professionals who have been operating out of Las Vegas since 1996, told us that “Vegas provides a wide variety of wedding venue options, ranging from Las Vegas Strip hotspot resorts to out-of-the-box, stunning outdoor scenic choices. Some very popular places to get married in Las Vegas include chapels and resorts on the Vegas Strip. These options make it easy to have a quick, stress-free wedding.”

Read on to find our top choices for wedding venues in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Wedding Chapels

 

Image Credit: Little Church of the West

When you think of a wedding in Las Vegas, you most likely conjure up images of Elvis Presley officiating nuptials under bright neon lights. Las Vegas wedding chapels offer this and a wide variety of other services for couples looking to exchange rings in the city of lights.

The historic Little Church of the West has been performing whimsical and elegant wedding ceremonies in Las Vegas since 1942. Now the oldest chapel in Las Vegas and the oldest building on the Strip, the chapel has been placed on the Registry of Historic places. The sky’s the limit at Little Church of the West, where you can have The King himself walk you down the aisle or enjoy a Harley Davidson–themed biker wedding! The chapel offers an assortment of customizations, including music options like bagpipes or a Johnny Cash impersonator.

Located in downtown Las Vegas, the Little Vegas Chapel specializes in weddings, vow renewals and Elvis ceremonies. Just minutes away from the Boulevard, the Little Vegas Chapel is a great option for either a traditional or Vegas-themed wedding. If you’re planning an LGBTQIA+ wedding, you might like to know that the Little Vegas Chapel was performing same-sex ceremonies even before the state recognized them. The chapel celebrated its 100th same-sex marriage ceremony in October 2016.

Tips for a Las Vegas chapel wedding

A chapel wedding doesn’t have to be kitsch (unless you want it to be!). Wedding photographer Erin Chrisman, of Chrisman Studios, had an intimate ceremony at Little Church of the West with her partner Ben. “I wore a black mini-dress. We wanted the evening to feel sexy, edgy and, well, very Vegas. Our ‘reception’ was a private dinner at Tao that quickly turned into a raucous dance party” says Erin.

With so many chapels in Vegas to choose from, the Little Vegas Chapel recommends shopping around before the big day. “If you are able, try to sneak to Las Vegas for a few days to go venue hunting so that you can see the location in person before committing to a deposit,” they say. If you can’t visit before the big day, they recommend taking a look at the venue’s website, photos, social media profiles and reviews.

For couples looking to have the Vegas experience without the legal commitment, most Las Vegas wedding chapels also offer “pretend weddings” or commitment ceremonies just for fun.

Restaurant Wedding Venues in Las Vegas

 

Image Credit: Maggiano’s Little Italy

Las Vegas is not only the wedding capital of the United States, but also a fine-dining destination, with many of the world’s top chefs opening restaurants in the city. No matter your preference in cuisine, Las Vegas is sure to have an option that suits your taste.

If you love Italian-American fare cooked with authentic ingredients, Maggiano’s Little Italy is a great venue to host your wedding. Your guests can take in views of the Strip while dining on made-from-scratch Italian food served either family or buffet style and paired with wine chosen by expert sommeliers. Maggiano’s passion is making people feel special, and in true Italian style, they believe in bringing people together to celebrate the love of family and friends.

FLIGHTS Restaurant is a one-of-a-kind dining experience. They serve signature cocktails and tapas-style comfort food in flights of three. With aviation-themed decor, including airplanes hanging from the ceiling and waitresses dressed as flight attendants, FLIGHTS Restaurant is the perfect spot for airplane buffs to get married. While FLIGHTS has multiple locations in the US, according to founder Alex Hult, “You can’t beat Vegas. The prices versus the quality must be the best in the world.”

Tips for a Las Vegas restaurant wedding

The team at Maggiano’s Little Italy says to keep a few factors in mind when planning a restaurant wedding in Las Vegas. They recommend looking for “a menu package that offers a variety of items so there is something for everyone at your wedding to enjoy, even for guests with food allergies.” Maggiano’s suggests looking for a menu that packages food and alcohol together and makes appetizers available when guests arrive so that no one goes hungry.

Maggiano’s also notes that it’s important to have a flexible deadline for your final guest count. For a restaurant wedding, your headcount is typically due one week prior to the event, which allows time for the venue to prepare meals.

Upscale Resort Weddings in Las Vegas

 

Image Credit: @chrismanstudios

Las Vegas is synonymous with luxury and has a plethora of upscale resorts to choose from.

If you’re a Vegas local looking for that destination wedding feel not far from the city, the 3,600-acre Lake Las Vegas resort community will deliver. Just a short drive from the Las Vegas Strip and downtown, the upscale resort community hosts gorgeous ceremonies and receptions at multiple lakeside venues throughout the property. “Lake Las Vegas offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the Strip as a venue only 25 minutes away. It feels like a destination wedding, as if you have stepped off a plane and entered your own private oasis of over 150,000 square feet of outdoor venue spaces, in the largest private cove in Lake Las Vegas,” says the venue.

For a truly luxurious experience, consider hosting your wedding at Palms Casino Resort. According to Chrisman Studios, “the most memorable Vegas weddings we have photographed were at the Palms, one in the Hardwood Suite and one in the Sky Villas. These suites aren’t cheap, it’s true, but they’re in line with a typical venue budget in any other town for a traditional wedding reception. You’re not just sleeping in them, you’re celebrating in them. And they do make you feel like you’re at some famous celebrity’s party, at least for a night. It’s an unforgettable experience to get a taste of that life.”

Tips for a Las Vegas resort wedding

The high-rolling couple has no shortage of resort casinos to choose from in Las Vegas! Many casinos have accommodation and high-quality restaurants on-site, making them a great option for an all-in-one wedding experience.

The wedding planners at Custom Las Vegas Weddings stress the importance of research before choosing a wedding venue. They say, “Utilize reviews to do research about the venue you plan to use. See what others are saying about the company and venue. Most couples will be honest about their experiences.”

They also highlight the importance of checking out a potential venue’s social media profile before booking. “Social media is a very helpful tool to gauge the reputation and experiences other couples have had, giving a glimpse of photos and stories about the potential venue. It helps you get a feel for a place and know if the venue is a good fit for you and your fiancè.”

Unique Wedding Venues in Las Vegas

 

Image Credit: The Mob Museum

If you’re looking for an atypical wedding venue, Las Vegas is where you want to be. “The city offers fun, alternative, unique wedding options. Some venue alternatives include desert mountains, lakes, old ghost towns or dry lake beds. These options appeal to adventurous couples seeking to elope with a nontraditional experience,” says Custom Las Vegas Weddings.

The Mob Museum immerses guests in the ongoing power struggle between organized crime and law enforcement from the Mob’s origin to today. It’s a totally unique place to host your wedding! Have your ceremony in The Mob Museum’s historic courtroom where real-life mob trials were held or the distillery where they make their own moonshine. Another option is to host a roaring ’20s reception in the speakeasy. At a venue like The Mob Museum, the ceremony and reception venue themes are perfect for a unique and memorable wedding and a great backdrop to your pictures. The Mob Museum has experience and decor built-in, making it an ideal venue for the couple looking to host a wedding their guests will never forget.

Silverton Casino, located minutes away from the Strip, offers multiple ways to wed your beloved—including underwater! For a truly memorable experience, hold your ceremony in their 117,000-gallon saltwater aquarium surrounded by exotic fish and stingrays. After a breathtaking ceremony, your guests can dine and dance in Silverton’s on-premise steakhouse, buffet or Mexican cantina. End your perfect wedding night by staying in one of their beautiful suites.

According to the Little Vegas Chapel, “More wonderful places to elope in Las Vegas include the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, the scenic Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire State Park.”

Tips for choosing a unique Las Vegas wedding venue

According to Lake Las Vegas, the first step in choosing a venue is figuring out your personal preferences. They say, “Decide what is most important to you: Location? Date? Food? Decor? Photos? Floral? Budget? What are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?”

If you’ve fallen in love with a venue that’s out of your budget, flexibility is key. “If you are flexible with your wedding date, choose a Sunday through Thursday and avoid citywide conventions. This will cut costs on the wedding venue and hotel rooms,” says The Mob Museum.

Make memories that will last a lifetime

 

Image Credit: Lake Las Vegas

They say “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” but no matter what venue you choose, a Vegas wedding is sure to make memories you and your guests will cherish for a lifetime. Erin of Chrisman Studios says, “I love that Vegas makes people feel free, like anything is possible. There are no limits to the kind of wedding you can have in Vegas because anything goes.”

 

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