Is a Vegas wedding legal in Ireland? Your ultimate guide to tying the knot in Las Vegas

In love and thinking about a destination wedding? There are so many different options in countries around the world but one that’s a dream for many is Las Vegas.

With its neon signs, glitzy buildings and glamorous offerings, the City of Lights calls to the hearts of many soon to be newlyweds, but if you dream of an over the top Vegas wedding what do you need to do to make it a reality?

To help answer that question, this guide is going to run you through the logistics of a Las Vegas wedding, looking at the practicalities from the standpoint of an Irish couple. We’ll explain the steps to getting married there, if a Vegas wedding is recognised in Ireland and what the associated costs can be, including how a Wise card can help you save on fees during the trip.

Wise card: Pay as a local
in the US 💰

Why get married in Las Vegas from Ireland?

Aside from the infamous Elivs impersonators, there are some other reasons why you might choose to get married in Las Vegas instead of Ireland:

• There’s no waiting period to get married
• Paperwork is relatively minimal
• There are low cost yet memorable wedding packages available as a fun alternative to a courthouse wedding
• A huge range of different types of weddings are available, from drive through ceremonies and themed chapels to ceremonies up in helicopters or down the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

How to get married in Vegas: Step by step

If you’re wondering whether you can even get married in Las Vegas if you’re not American, don’t worry, you can. All you need to do is follow these steps and you’ll have had a legally valid wedding ceremony¹:

1. Apply for a marriage licence

Head to the Clark County website and apply for a marriage licence. As you fill out the information make sure everything matches your ID. When you submit the completed form make sure you save the confirmation number.

2. Collect the marriage licence

As a couple go to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau with your confirmation number and ID to collect your marriage licence and pay the fee of $102 USD. You don’t need an appointment and it can usually be done in under an hour.

3. Get married

Now that you have the licence it's time to get married! Bring your documents to the ceremony for the Officiant to complete after the vows have been said. They’ll then file your marriage certificate within 10 days.

4. Order your marriage certificate

Once the marriage certificate has been filed by the Officiant you can order a copy online or in person for a fee of $20 per certified copy. You can also get an Apostille for it from the office of Nevada’s Secretary of State if that’s something you want to have.

What documents do you need to get married in Las Vegas as an Irish?

To be able to get married in Vegas these are the documents you’ll need to have or get during the process¹:

• Government issued ID with a photo such as your Irish passport
• Marriage licence
• Marriage certificate

As you can see, the requirements are quite simple to meet.

Is a Las Vegas wedding legal in Ireland?

For an overseas wedding to be legal in Ireland it has to be entered into the civil registry of the country where it took place.² Taking a look at a Vegas wedding, this step happens when the Officiant files the marriage certificate with the government.

When you arrive back in Ireland there’s nothing you need to do as the General Registry Office has no role in marriages that took place abroad.⁶ Anytime you’re asked to show evidence of your marriage, you can provide the US marriage certificate.

Are same-sex marriages possible in Las Vegas?

Not only is same-sex marriage legal in Las Vegas, Nevada was actually the first US state to protect this right in the state constitution.³ Since it’s also legal in Ireland, the process for same-sex and heterosexual couples is the same.

🔎 Read also: How does Wise work in Ireland?

What are the costs to get married in Vegas? 💰

The cost to get married in Vegas can be roughly broken into two categories: wedding expenses and destination expenses.

For the wedding here’s some of what you’ll need to pay for:

• Marriage licence
• Marriage certificate
• Officiant and wedding package
• Rings and wedding outfit

Then there’s the costs associated with this being a destination wedding held outside of Ireland. As a result, these are some other expenses to consider:

• Flights, accommodation and food
• Travel insurance
• USA visa fees

There are lots of different options for each of these costs meaning you can spend as little or as much as you want for your special day.

How much does it cost to get married by Elvis in Vegas?

The answer to this one depends on which Elvis you want to marry you - yes, there’s more than one!

The original and arguably most famous is the Graceland Wedding Chapel that has been holding Elvis themed ceremonies since 1977.⁴ How much it costs to get married there depends on which wedding package you choose, but here’s an overview of some of their costs without sales tax.

Graceland Chapel services	Price
Wedding Packages	$249 - $799
Officiant Fee	$60
Digital Images	$20 each or buy a package deal for a better rate
Digital Video	$75

Use the Wise card to pay directly in Dollars

When getting married in Vegas one thing to consider is that you'll need to pay in USD rather than in EUR. To make this easy you could get yourself a Wise card.

To get a Wise card you first need to open a Wise Account but don’t worry, there’s no account opening or monthly fees for personal accounts. Instead, you get to experience an account with transparent pricing that you can use to hold and convert over 40 different currencies and can be easily managed through the website or secure Wise app.

Once you have a Wise card you can use it to spend money in over 150 countries, including the USA, and any currency conversions will be done at the mid-market rate (the same rate you normally see on Google).

When there is a currency conversion there’s a small variable fee, but if you already have USD in your account you don’t need to worry about paying that either.

Supporting online, in person, digital wallet and contactless payments, and able to withdraw cash from an ATM, the Wise card is a great resource to have while travelling abroad.

Join Wise today 🚀

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FAQ: Getting married in Las Vegas as a Irish

Now that you know the process for getting married in Vegas, here’s a couple of FAQ’s you might be wondering about.

How old do you have to be to get married in Vegas?

To get married in Las Vegas you both need to be at least 18 years old.¹

Do you need a marriage licence to get married in Vegas?

Yes, you do need to have a marriage licence to be able to have a legally recognised wedding ceremony in Las Vegas.¹ That being said, it’s relatively easy to obtain one following the steps above mentioned in this article.

Do you need a witness to get married in Vegas?

You will need someone to stand witness and it needs to be someone other than the ceremony Officiant.¹ There are no specifications about the person knowing you, they just need to be there to witness the vows.

Places to get married in Las Vegas

Looking for some inspiration on the best places to get married in Las Vegas? Here’s a few ideas to get you started on finding the right wedding ceremony for you and your loved one.

• Graceland Wedding Chapel
• Little White Chapel
• Venetian Resort White Gondola
• Maverick Helicopter Weddings
• Chapel of the Flowers

Sources used:

1. Clark County - How To Get Married in Las Vegas
2. Department of Foreign Affairs - Marriage and civil partnership abroad
3. Shouse Law - Nevada Same-Sex Marriage & Cohabitation Law
4. Graceland Wedding Chapel
5. Graceland Wedding Chapel - Wedding Packages
6. Citizens Information - Registration of Marriage

Sources last checked on date: 24 November 2024