No
more "Rush" Weddings
Las
Vegas is known for a host of things; its flashy hotels, huge
casinos, its scores of Elvis impersonators and its various,
um, adult entertainment venues. But one of the main reasons
people flock to the dessert city is the numerous 24-hour wedding
chapels that dot the area. Here in Vegas, anyone can get married
whenever they want and without the hassle brought about by
most weddings too.
So, anyone that wants to get married quickly and quietly,
from ordinary folks to big celebrities like Michael Jordan,
Bruce Willis and yes, even The King himself, comes to Vegas.
This is about to change though.
Las Vegas’ country officials declared that effective
August 30, the city’s marriage bureau will only be opened
from 8 in the morning until midnight daily. Before the order,
couples could obtain the needed marriage requirements from
the bureau anytime of the day from Fridays to Sundays (including
holidays.)
According to officials, they are trying to implement more
cost-cutting measures, and they felt that the small number
of couples who require the service after midnight does not
justify its cost. Others say that officials are merely to
“help” couples out by giving them more time to
think about and plan the wedding. Las Vegas’ of course,
is notorious for instances when intoxicated couples get married
based on a drunken dare or whim (think: Britney Spears’
55-hour marriage to Jason Alexander.)
The city’s move was met with various reactions.
Wedding chapel owners complain that the order would “kill
(their) after-midnight” business. Others claim that
unplanned and spur-of-the-moment decisions like getting married
quickly or betting $1,000 dollars on a single poker hand are
what make Las Vegas Las Vegas. Then there are those who are
thankful for the ruling as it would lessen the chance of them
going to Vegas a single man/woman, and then going home 2 days
later with a spouse they hardly know. |
