Las Vegas' changing landscape makes selling iconic little white chapel difficult
Las Vegas is constantly changing, and as the number of tourists choosing to get married in Sin City declines, selling the little white chapel becomes difficult.
The 2018 Las Vegas Visitor Profile Report, commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), found that only 3 percent of visitors arrive in Sin City with the primary purpose of attending a wedding. This was a 1% decrease compared to 2016 and 2017.
Vacation/entertainment came first at 40%, followed by friends and family at 19%. 9% of travelers said their main reason was gambling, down significantly from 14% in 2014.
As far as weddings go, the number of weddings in Clark County is declining. In 2001, more than 121,000 couples said their vows in the region. Last year that number fell to 74,500, a 38% drop.
Charolette Richards, 86, who has officiated hundreds of thousands of weddings during her career, has been trying to sell her world-famous home at 1301 S. Las Vegas Boulevard since April small white wedding chapel. Asking price: $12 million.
Many at the Three Percent demonstration said their main reason for coming to Southern Nevada was to get married, but eventually also started gambling. The Las Vegas Strip casino now has its own chapel and offers wedding packages with amenities, including gaming credits.
Marriage Income
Weddings are big business in Las Vegas, long considered the "Wedding Capital of the World." The ceremonies generated about $2.5 billion in economic activity in Clark County last year.
There is a $14 fee for each marriage license issued in Clark County, which will be donated to the LVCVA’s Wedding Tourism Fund. As of the end of last year, the account had an available balance of more than $3 million. Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya said the LVCVA needs to do a better job of marketing Las Vegas weddings.
“We haven’t really been marketing effectively in the last 20 to 25 years,” Goya said. “This drunken Elvis wedding that you later regret needs to change.”
She added that it is actually illegal to marry someone who is drunk. "While it's a good movie, we have to sell the image that was actually created."
Richards said finding a buyer for Little White Chapel was more difficult than she expected. Goya probably wouldn't be surprised. “We’re halfway to the top,” she recently told The New York Times.
Wedding Expenses
If you want to get married quickly and cheaply in Las Vegas. At Little White Chapel, ceremonies start at just $50. Of course, not everyone is so frugal when it comes to saying yes.
Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle last year cost an estimated $43 million.
Back in Las Vegas, Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts billionaire Frank Fertitta spent $25 million on his daughter Kelley’s wedding in 2018. The guest list numbered 450 and the evening's entertainment included performances by John Mayer and Bruno Mars.
The average wedding cost last year in Las Vegas, Henderson and Paradise was $28,088, according to The Wedding Report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average annual median wage in Nevada last year was $46,170.
Read also:
- Blackjack Casino Advantage: How to Beat the Odds
- Football 101: What is relegation in football?
- University of Iowa athletes 'reasonably searched' in gambling scandal
- Michigan casino employee found guilty, must pay back $84,000 in stolen money
Source: www.casino.org
