"Navigating the Ins and Outs of Planning a Las Vegas Wedding: My Personal Journey"

So your significant other decided to pop the question. What next? Where do you begin? When will it take place? Who am I inviting? Where will the ceremony be held? These are all of the questions I had when deciding whether or not we will have our wedding in Las Vegas, NV. This is my personal journey in navigating the ins and outs of planning a Las Vegas wedding.

What are the Steps

The first step is to decide if you would like to have your ceremony at one of the local wedding chapels that are located around the city or if you'd rather have a ceremony at one of the hotel properties. For me, the choice was the allure of being married at a local chapel to have the spontaneous feel while actually being planned. I found several wedding chapels by completing your typical search and was able to narrow it down to the one that I chose.

Next, I had to decide who to invite to share on this occasion to help make this day more special than what it already is. Naturally, our parents, siblings, children, nieces and nephews are first on the list; however, we have got to have the friends and family who will turn up with us before and after the wedding ( that's the whole point of a Vegas wedding ). Once the guest list has been narrowed down, the next step is to decide on a wedding date.

Once the date has been decided upon, you then have to decide if you will hire a travel agent to handle all of the logistics for you or if you will do this on your own. Some may say I am biased due to being a travel agent, but I recommend working with an agent to research and book your travel and accommodations for your group. The agent may be able to find more affordable travel packages for the group than if booked on your own.

The final step is to submit an application for the marriage license on the Clark County Marriage License Bureau website. You can apply the day before departure or up to a year prior. When picking up the license, both parties must be present and have a photo id for verification.

Congratulations to those of you who are recently engaged and are looking for alternatives to traditional weddings. Have fun and enjoy the wedding planning process. The time goes by quickly and before you know it, you're walking down the aisle.