A couple passes under the Vegas Weddings’ sign on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, February 14, 2018.
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to get married in Las Vegas, and a pop-up Marriage License Bureau at the airport will also make it one of the easiest.
For the second year in a row, the Clark County Marriage License Bureau will host the temporary office at McCarran International Airport. Last year, Clark County issued 2,541 marriage licenses between Feb. 9 and 19, about 8 percent of them at the airport, according to the Clark County’s Clerk’s Office.
“Valentine’s Day is always one of our most popular days,” said Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya. “People come from all over the world.”
The Marriage Bureau will sell marriage licenses from Feb. 13 to Feb. 16 at baggage claim in Terminal 1. Couples can purchase a license for $77.
In addition, the bureau will offer vow renewal certificates at the airport for $21. The certificates recognize how long a couple has been married.
The certificate “is not a legal document; it’s just for fun. But it’s part of the Las Vegas wedding experience,” Goya said.
Because there is no waiting period and no blood test required to get married in Las Vegas, the city is a popular destination for marriages year-round. But couples still need government issued IDs, such as a driver’s license or passport, and some chapels are booking up quickly.
The Marriage License Bureau’s website provides a list of acceptable government IDs for obtaining a license, a marriage license pre-application form and other information about the process.
It also includes a link to a state website for couples to confirm their marriage is performed by a licensed officiant certified by a Nevada county clerk.
Couples who don’t pick up their license at the airport can get it at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau, 201 E. Clark Ave., from 8 a.m. to midnight daily.
Wedding chapel hours vary, with some open until midnight or later, especially for Valentine’s Day. Some chapels, such as the Little Neon Chapel on Fremont Street, the Fremont Wedding Chapel on Fremont Street and the Chapel of Crystals on Paradise Road, are preparing to accommodate plenty of walk-ins.
“It’s one of our busiest days — Valentine’s Day, April Fool’s Day and New Year’s,” said Ben Silvano, owner of all three chapels.
The cost of ceremonies at Silvano’s chapels ranges from about $40 for a basic ceremony to about $2,000 for ceremonies that include a hotel room and wedding attire.
Las Vegas Weddings, which offers outdoor weddings at seven locations in the valley, performed more than 25 ceremonies last Valentine’s Day, compared to two to five ceremonies on an typical day.
“The most popular [day] would probably be Valentine’s Day,” said Bri Absher, a spokeswoman for Las Vegas Weddings.
Costs with Las Vegas Weddings depend on the package, which could be a helicopter wedding on the Strip for $999 or a ceremony at Valley of Fire State Park for $769, among other options.
A Little White Wedding Chapel on Las Vegas Boulevard is expecting about 100 couples on Valentine’s Day. Wedding packages range from a drive-through wedding for $50 to a helicopter wedding for $1,215.
