How Did Sin City Become the World’s Marriage Capital? A Trip to Las Vegas Gives the Solution 

Thomas Burger
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Sin City is just one of the many nicknames for Las Vegas. Its success can be attributed to its world-famous, high-end casinos. Furthermore, they offer first-rate entertainment that stretches far beyond the boundaries of gambling alone. You can attend a famous artist’s concert, shop til you drop, relax at a spa, and so on. 

Taking a trip to Vegas 

Many people come to Vegas solely to party for hours on end, which is why the term “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” exists. The latter expression is regularly used even while not heading to the city itself. People use it to portray moments of complete freedom from judgments and regrets. So, how does any of this apply to weddings, and how does one hope to live happily ever after? In the following paragraphs, we will try to figure out how gambling and marriage came to cohabit so peacefully in Nevada’s state capital. 

The early 1900s witnessed the introduction of casinos as well as the first weddings in Las Vegas. After all, it was in that year that the city was founded. This seeks to demonstrate that both of these features have had a significant impact on the city’s history because they have always existed, from the beginning. Even though gambling was illegal at the time, obtaining a marriage license to lawfully marry was considerably easier and faster than it is today. 

The start of everything 

A marriage license is a legal document whose origins can be traced back to the 17th century. The Catholic church was in charge of issuing it during the Middle Ages. It was designed to prevent those who are already married from marrying again without first having their former marriage annulled, to prevent blood relatives from marrying, and to ensure that prospective spouses are certain that they wish to spend the rest of their lives together in holy matrimony. 

The United States of America continues to issue this document now, just as it did when Las Vegas was founded. The reasons stated above remain relevant for having this document before getting married. However, some accounts claim that it was necessary in California around the turn of the twentieth century to prevent couples from marrying too quickly while under the influence of alcohol. This is said to have happened. 

This is where the thriving municipality of Las Vegas saw an opportunity: they declared that, while a marriage license is still required in the city, you may get it at any time of day or night and get married faster than ever before. Even though it hadn’t been formally created yet, this town took advantage of every opportunity to entice potential tourists by giving something they couldn’t find anywhere else at a price they could pay. A similar event occurred in the gaming sector after it was legalized in the 1930s. 

It’s strange, to say the least, that a city known for “sin” would be the site of a significant number of happy marriages, but that’s exactly what will happen in Las Vegas. After all, even in this day and age, many people believe that a cohabiting couple that is not married is leading a sinful existence. Even though they appear to have nothing in common on the surface, these two are linked by the entrepreneurial drive of the people of Las Vegas and the historical circumstances in which they were born. 

Is it true that marriage and gambling have so little in common in today’s culture, especially when considered from a modern perspective? Both require some time and comprehension on your part. Even for a game as simple as slots, you must have at least a basic understanding of casino terms. Similarly, the success of your marriage may rely significantly on you and your spouse having a deep understanding of one another. 

Another aspect that influences both marriage and gambling is chance. You can study, calculate accurately, and perfect your talents all you want, but if Lady Luck is not on your side, you have very little chance of success. Because you will need a little luck on your side to first identify that significant other you are going to tie the knot with, and also know right away that that is the one you are going to tie the knot with, her presence is also necessary for a marriage to function. 

How Las Vegas became one of the most popular wedding destinations 

As a result, for people living in California at the turn of the twentieth century, marrying in Las Vegas was a no-brainer because the city was so close and handy. But how and why did it become so well-known that it spread across the country, if not the world? 

To begin with, gambling became permitted in the city in the 1930s. This provided a reason for a huge number of people to visit the city, assisting in gradually establishing it as the popular tourist destination that it is today. It became plainly clear, once again, that this city will be a fantastic spot to quickly tie the knot, as little wedding chapels open around the clock began to appear on the Strip and in the surrounding area at the same time as the casinos. 

There are numerous reasons to marry in this manner. Some people choose to elope to avoid spending a lot of money and time on wedding preparations, as well as to avoid having to contact family they dislike. Others find it highly romantic to decide to marry on the spur of the moment, whether they are on vacation in Las Vegas and want to do so while there or they fly to Vegas just to be married. 

The most crucial explanation, however, for the worldwide popularity of Las Vegas weddings is undeniably found in Hollywood. To begin, a huge number of renowned couples married in Nevada’s state capital. Elvis Presley and Priscilla, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Harley, Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy, and, most recently, Lily Alen and David Harbour are among these couples. 

Second, the Hollywood movie magic featured a significant number of important characters either traveling to Las Vegas to get married or thinking about going there. And, while some celebrities may have done this to decrease the amount of attention they would receive if they had a lavish wedding reception, the outcome appears to be exactly the contrary. 

To sum up 

Weddings and gambling appear to have more in common than simply taking place in the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” which is also the most preferred location for both types of festivities. That is, at least, how it appears to us. And, as a wedding destination, Las Vegas is more than simply a collection of Wedding Chapels that are open 24 hours a day; it has evolved into a city with stunning venues of all kinds. This may not come as a surprise for a location that is home to some of the most spectacular examples of luxury hotels found anywhere on the planet.