Posted on Jan 31, 2023 6:04 am.
Last updated on: January 31, 2023, 07:05.
Quickie weddings in Las Vegas slow down a bit around Valentine’s Day. More than 1,500 marriage licenses will be issued in the days leading up to and including February 14th. That’s double the number of licenses issued during an average non-holiday season.
So why not collect your marriage license where you collect your luggage and your Starbucks chai latte – in Baggage Claim 5 next to the Southwest Carousel in Terminal 1 at Harry Reid International Airport.
Usually, hopeful husbands and wives have to wait online at the Marriage License Bureau’s main office at 201 E. Clark St. — the one closest to most chapels. But that line will likely double in length around Valentine’s Day.
The idea for the pop-up office came from Rosemary Vassiliadis, the airport’s Director of Aviation, during a brainstorming session she had with Clerk County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya six years ago.
“I immediately noticed how great the idea is,” says Goya Casino.org. “Weddings are an important part of Las Vegas history and a major reason people come to Las Vegas and bring their family and friends with them. Since they come via the airport anyway, this is a great synergy.”
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, about 4% of all visitors to the area come primarily for a wedding—their own or someone else’s. Since 1909, more than 5 million marriage certificates have been issued by Clark County, which markets itself as the Wedding Capital of the World.
In 2022, 77,574 weddings were performed in Las Vegas. That’s nearly 2,000 more than in 2021, but still 40% down from the record 128,000 set in 2004. This reflects the national trend of younger generations rejecting the institution. According to a recent survey for charity Relate, Gen Z were least likely to say marriage is important to them (27%), compared to 38% of millennials, 41.9% of baby boomers and 60% of those aged 75 and over .
Since the pop-up Valentine’s Day office first appeared six years ago — for COVID, Valentine’s Day 2021 was free — Goya says couples have been regularly calling the airport and marriage license office to ask if it will be there.
“Everyone loves it,” she said, “and I don’t know of any other place that does it. So we made it a regular Valentine’s Day thing. As long as they want us there, we will be there.”
Stroll
Hitchhiking is easy in Las Vegas. For an application to be approved, each person must be at least 18 years of age, unmarried, and the couple cannot be more closely related than second cousins or half-blood cousins. Also, Goya added, no person may be visibly drunk. The registration fee is $102.
Marriage licenses in Nevada are valid for one year. They expire unless followed by a ceremony performed in Nevada by a Nevada licensed officer and witnessed by a person other than the officer. (Fees vary by chapel, but a basic package at the historic A Little White Wedding Chapel starts at just $50.)
The pop-up office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Only marriage certificates and renewal certificates are issued. Couples are also encouraged to pre-fill a marriage application to speed up the process even more. It can be found on the District Attorney’s website.
Marriage licenses are also still available from the Marriage License Bureau’s main office at 201 E. Clark St. in downtown Las Vegas, which is open 8 a.m. to midnight daily, including holidays.