Elvis Presley, of course, is one of the oldest icons for the show business scene in the gambling capital. Second only to Frank Sinatra perhaps, Mr. Presley’s image is one of the most common in Las Vegas casinos, on the strip, and in hotel and restaurant artistic displays.  Because Elvis is such a staple in Vegas, somewhere along the line, he became a popular wedding accessory.

In my humble opinion, Elvis is a top pick for wedding ceremonies in Vegas for one other important reason – the Elvis voice.  I know it sounds crazy, but I honestly believe most people want Elvis to help them say I do because of that distinctive southern drawl that we all know him so well for.  There’s just something so “Las Vegas” about the whole Elvis Presley persona.

To top it all off, Elvis is immortal.  Yes, really.  I know it’s crazy, but like it or not the idea of Elvis lives on in the hearts and minds of Vegas tourists.  Of course the man is really dead, but I’m not talking about literal life here.  I’m talking about the figurative and symbolic presence of a cultural icon.  There’s just something about Elvis that says Vegas, and there’s just something about Vegas that says Elvis.

In today’s world, a private wedding is becoming much more popular than the traditional oversized wedding of days past and for good reason.  A private wedding can be quite enjoyable – even more so than those large, cumbersome weddings with hundreds or even thousands of guests.

Of course, part of your concern at least initially will be fine tuning your own concept of what private really means.  Are you hoping to get married with just you, your partner, and the wedding chapel staff?  This approach can be quite intimate and can help you two really enjoy the process of getting married or eloping in the beautiful Las Vegas setting of your choice.

Private wedding also might mean both of you and a select group of friends and family members that you choose to invite.  Maybe you just want to see both sets of parents, a best man, and a maid of honor.  Or, perhaps you want about ten or twenty guests but no more.  In any case, a private wedding is what you make of it and really depends on what you think about “privacy” for your marriage.

Still, there is one other approach I can’t help but mention.  Some couples are doing really kinky weddings in Las Vegas.  These couples get married nude or in ultra secluded locations where

Many helicopter wedding packages include much more than just the helicopter ride itself.  If you play it right, you can get the chopper, the wedding ceremony, a wedding cake, champagne (or your beverage of choice), and additional seating for your bridal party and guests.

Getting married in the air might not seem that exciting to some newly engaged couples, but if you think about it, this type of wedding really does complicate our traditional ideas about getting married.  Whereas we usually get married on the ground while standing upright on two feet, a wedding in the sky plays fast and loose with the concept of love.  Doesn’t it really feel like you’re floating in air when you’re wooed in love?  Plus, let’s not forget about Cupid who made love possible only via the arrow sent down from flight.

Even if you’re not interested in a helicopter wedding per se, you might consider doing a helicopter honeymoon or after-wedding event to celebrate your new union.  Many of these packages include DVDs which you and your partner can keep for a lifetime after your wedding or honeymoon.

The best thing about Vegas is all the wedding planning elements are already in place and very easy to use.  You might think of Las Vegas, Nevada as a kind of wedding workshop where people are getting married daily and all the components are ready for you to use without much trouble.

When thinking about putting together a smaller wedding in Las Vegas, you should consider a few important things.  How many people are you going to invite?  How are your guests going to get to Vegas?  What will your guests do at your wedding, before, and after the ceremony?  And, finally, where do you want to hold your procession and the after party?  These are just a few questions to get you started.

The best thing about a small wedding is that it’s easy to plan and easy to put together.  Do your best to enjoy these important benefits.  Try not to turn an easy planning experience into something excessive.  If you start to get carried away, the stress will begin to creep in and you may end up forgetting the very reasons you wanted a small Vegas wedding in the first place.

As we all know, the weather in Las Vegas, Nevada, can be harsh and unforgiving.  For this reason, it’s important to time your wedding ceremony just right.  Ideally, you want to choose a time of year that will allow for the best conditions for your outdoor experience.  During the summer months – especially from June to August – the heat in Vegas is very intense and very consistent.  Many people actually complain of headaches from moving between the extremes of outdoor heat and indoor cool.

You don’t want the bride’s makeup to run.  You don’t want the groom’s hair to be dripping wet.  And you definitely don’t want your guests to pass out from heat strokes.  Any of these unfortunate events could wreak havoc at your Vegas wedding.

With these things in mind, you might also take time to consider exactly why you want an outdoor wedding and if you are flexible enough to consider a different approach.  A backup plan might be a good idea just in case a hurricane strikes without reason.  Well, maybe that’s not so likely but you get the idea.

In Vegas, you can find many outdoor wedding venues – some go by the term scenic wedding locations or garden Vegas weddings.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and your willingness to have fun and be creative!

Travel to and home from Las Vegas is a major thing to address right away.  If you are coming from outside the western U.S. you are probably going to fly in to Vegas.  Making flight and related travel plans is a huge task in and of itself to be sure.  And when we’re talking about planning a wedding, it can add a lot of stress to your general planning scheme if you are not careful and well prepared.  Just one snafu with your flight arrangements can make things exceedingly difficult.

Once you are off the plane and have safely landed in Vegas, it’s time to relax in a comfortable hotel.  In my opinion, a nice hotel can make a huge difference for a Vegas wedding planning base, especially if you have a lot of coordinating to do – people to meet, things to prepare, etc.  I am all for cheap Vegas weddings of course, but cost and quality should receive similar attention when possible.

Your actual wedding arrangements are very important, too.  That’s why you’re here, right?  If you put the right energy into it before arriving in Las Vegas, you may not have too much to do.  Your list might look like this – meet with photographer, pick up wedding cake, finalize things at the reception hall, and discuss details with the wedding chapel officiant.  Not bad at all – especially if you are prepared with some good Vegas wedding planning ahead of time!

First, you and your spouse-to-be will need to obtain the proper costuming.  Do you want to dress up as Hans Solo and Princess Leia?  How about Boba Fett and Anakin Skywalker?  Perhaps you want the officiant to dress up as Obe Won Kenobe.  The options are limitless.

Next, you should consider whether or not you want to ask guests to dress up as well.  You may have some issues with this part of the equation based on the level of appreciation your friends and family have for the George Lucas films.  I suggest asking nicely.  Say pretty please and see what happens.  Still, be prepared for “no” and plan accordingly.

Another consideration is the actual process for the ceremony.  Do you want to stay true to life or true to the movies?   Do you want to exchange vows in Ewok voices?  Should the ceremony be performed by someone who can talk like Yoda?  Really, these are important questions you need to answer before you even get to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Once you are actually married and the deal is sealed, you will want to be prepared to transition from wedding to reception or after-party.  You and your partner may want to continue the evening in Star Wars attire or you might want to change into something more casual.  If you are a devoted fan, the attire must stay on!  If you are lucky enough to have a willing group of guests, you can continue celebrating in your Star Wars costume and have a rocking time!

As a side note here – I don’t want to leave out any other cool ideas for costumes and wedding themes in Vegas.  Star Trek is another similar and popular option.  But the Lucas films really take the cake.

Since the idea became popular, a lot of Vegas wedding ideas have surfaced over the years.  The question of how to get married in Las Vegas is an easy one to answer for most couples and it does not take much work to figure it out (even if you really want to get married by Elvis).

The major motivator for most couples is simple – price.  It is so cheap to have a quick wedding in Vegas to avoid the hassles of going through a super complex process of assembling a bridal party, hiring a caterer, picking out the invitations, finding the right decorations, etc.

These days, weddings can be tremendously expensive. There are so many different types of costs to consider.  But the most important cost that most engaged couples forget about is the effect on health and well being.  Planning and putting together a ceremony is a very time consuming and stressful experience.  You really cannot put a price on this part of it all.  It’s no surprise then that so many couples are taking an alternative approach to their lifetime commitment and planning their wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Of course, some couples definitely get married in Nevada on the fly.  To elope in Sin City is to participate in a long-standing tradition of matrimony.  There is a certain cultural cachet that comes along with the quick wedding in the gambling capital of the world. On Cheap-Vegas-Wedding.com we focus on the cost aspect, but the established ritual is definitely a major part of this whole system.

Vegas Hotel Package
Nearly all wedding packages are going to include a hotel stay at the very least of 1 to 2 nights in Las Vegas, Nevada.  With so many hotel options available, it’s very easy to find a nice range of prices with at least one that will suit your budget and expectations.  Staying overnight after you Vegas wedding ceremony is a must, of course, so if you have more to spend look for one of the nicer hotels that extend a discount to newlyweds.  In many cases, these discounts ultimately benefit the hotel because those who get married in Vegas almost always come back to Vegas.  Well, it’s true!

Vegas Flight Package
If you are traveling into Nevada from California, Washington, or even New York, you’re going to need to find affordable Vegas airfare and a cheap wedding package is a great way to make it happen!  Today, with gas prices so high, cheap Vegas airfare is a major concern for those traveling and/or getting married in the Nevada hot spot.  Many hotels have partnerships with airlines and wedding chapels to make these packages affordable.  Travel agents are another good source for these types of packages.  The biggest concern most people have in finding a good flight package is the airline carrier.  If you don’t have a preference, this should be easy.  If you do, you’ll have to look a bit longer and have more patience.

Vegas Gambling Package
So why do you want to go to Vegas again?  If your answer is to go to get married and to elope, why not throw some gambling in there on the side?  Most Vegas trips center around gambling and your trip should be no exception.  Chance are, you can’t gamble in your hometown, so why not take advantage?  If you find a quality wedding package, it will probably include gambling in some way or another.  Many hotels and casinos will offer comps to newlyweds to add to the spirit of their union.  Of course, they also want you to stay longer and spend more money!

How to Find a Good Wedding Package
Since you’re already online, you should look for Vegas wedding packages online to save time and money.  The major travel search engines are a good place to start and so we have included some of their links here so you can preview what they have to offer.  Good luck and congratulations (in advance)!

Location
Where you find the wedding chapel is perhaps the most important part of this process. Some married couples to be look for chapels conveniently located right inside their Vegas hotel instead of having to go elsewhere for the services. Hotel chapels are very common in Vegas and are especially popular with people who want to get married tonight! (Trust us, it happens.)

Of course, for every chapel inside of a hotel, you’ll also find a chapel in a more formal setting that might be appropriate for those with a slightly larger budget. Larger halls are also great if you plan to invite lots of guests to witness your marriage. Since most people elope in Vegas, this is usually not the case.

Price
Another concern for getting married at a chapel in Vegas is price. Surprise, surprise. Before booking your event, you should always ask how much the wedding is going to cost. Do you want Elvis to perform your ceremony? Do you have any other special requests or needs (entertainment, music, flowers, etc)? These are all important questions to ask the Vegas officiant before you even get there.

Since so many Vegas weddings are spontaneous, most people get suckered into high fees, taxes, and last-minute add-ons. But we know you’re not going to fall into this trap since you’re already reading a website for help. Then again, you never know what people are going to do.

Type of Wedding
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Well, we know one category where that definitely applies – you guessed it, crazy wedding ideas!

You’ll see all sorts of strange things happening in the Vegas wedding world – people getting married in Star Wars costumes, animals in the ceremony, you name it! This of course is an important concern when picking out your chapel.

There are so many options available among the many Las Vegas, Nevada wedding chapels. Remember that your situation is unique and you can find what you’re looking for if you keep your needs in mind and prioritize your concerns.