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Follow Us By: Blake Stilwell | Military.com
Las Vegas has come a long way since Nicolas Cage jumped into the city with The Flying Elvises in the 1992 comedy “Honeymoon In Vegas.” Elvis isn’t as closely associated with the desert gambling mecca as he once was, and many of the city’s most iconic night spots have changed, but at least one thing has remained constant: Las Vegas is still the Marriage Capital of the World.
Every year, Clark County (the Nevada county where Las Vegas is located) still issues more marriage licenses than any other county in the United States, and it boasts the only Chamber of Commerce dedicated to the wedding industry. From its website, visitors looking for more than a shotgun marriage can find vetted professional wedding caterers, photographers and planners, among other services.
This year, the Vegas Wedding Chamber is offering something more with its Las Vegas Marries the Military contest, which runs between now and Aug. 24, 2024. Active-duty U.S. service members, retirees and veterans (without a dishonorable discharge) with more than one year of service can enter to win a free wedding at a Las Vegas venue on Nov. 7, 2024, courtesy of the Vegas Wedding Chamber.
Eight lucky couples will be chosen and notified by email or phone. Winners of the nuptial prize will receive a two-night stay at a Las Vegas Strip hotel, with taxes and fees included, and a daytime wedding ceremony, complete with a legal officiant, flowers, a professional photographer, video recording and an evening wedding reception for the brides and grooms, along with up to 10 guests for each couple.
The wedding reception is a joint one, with all eight winning couples seated at the Winner’s Head Table. It comes with decorations, an emcee, buffet dinner, wedding cake, photo booth, champagne toast and a wedding gift for newlyweds. Photo and video services are also included at the reception.
What might be available (but not guaranteed) are hair and makeup services, wedding attire (the chamber recommends service dress uniforms), rings and transportation to the reception from the wedding venue and hotels. Winning couples from out of town will have to pay their own airfare, parking and marriage license fees.
Las Vegas Marries the Military isn’t just a contest for unwed couples. It’s also open to spouses looking for a fun way to renew their vows. The ceremony also doesn’t need to be legally binding. According to the contest rules, if a couple cannot obtain a Nevada marriage license ahead of the ceremony, it will be recognized as a non-legal commitment.
Couples entering who are looking for a real wedding ceremony should submit a pre-application at the Clark County Clerk website. They can then pick up the license before the ceremony at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau.
It’s important to remember that what happens in Vegas certainly does not stay in Vegas. Marriage records in Nevada are public documents and cannot be made confidential or sealed. Entry in the contest also means entrants are allowing the Vegas Wedding Chamber the use of their image in future promotions and media.
Enter to win a free Las Vegas wedding with the official Vegas Marries the Military submission form. Entrants can view the Nevada marriage license requirements at the Las Vegas weddings website and read the official contest rules here.