Vegas Myths Dispelled: An Accidental Drunken Nuptial
EDITOR'S NOTE: There will be no "Vegas Myths Busted" entry on Memorial Day. Check back for the next installment on Monday, June 5. Today's entry originally ran on Nov. 4, 2022.
Kourtney Kardashian reportedly confessed to being "hot slob kabob" drunk when she tied the knot with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker at One Love Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on April 3. The reality TV star's memory of her big day is hazy, including the time she had a tequila-induced fit after their Elvis impersonator minister kept calling her by her sister Khloe's name.
This could lead one to believe that waking up accidentally married after a drunken night on the Strip is a common occurrence. (Caution to fans of “The Hangover”: reading further may ruin the believability of Ed Helms marrying a kind hooker after being spiked by Zach Galifianakis.)
"Las Vegas has long been known as the marriage capital of the world due to its quick and easy process of obtaining a marriage license," said Rachel Tygret, an associate attorney specializing in family law at Michaelson Law in Las Vegas. "There's no blood test required and no waiting period before using that license to get married."
However, marriage licenses are not issued at wedding chapels, so couples must first visit a Clark County Marriage License Bureau branch.
The one downtown, open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to midnight, is closest to most of the chapels. There, they must wait in line with their identification and a bank card to pay the $102 fee.
The Ugly Truth
In the eyes of the law, the license represents the marriage contract, not the ceremony. Therefore, being sober enough to enter a contract at this time is crucial.
If either party appears to be too drunk to provide the basic information needed to obtain the license, the clerk is required to refuse to issue it, according to bureau policy.
So, chances are that drunken Vegas weddings aren't as prevalent as popular culture suggests. You know, like "The Hangover," "Friends," "My Name is Earl," "That '70s Show," "Bones," and "What Happens in Vegas."
An Empty Void of Drunken Annulments
Nevada law allows either party to apply for an annulment due solely to intoxication. Tygret, a family law specialist with Michaelson Law, has annulled several Las Vegas marriages, but none were due to inebriation.
I've even annulled one because one of the parties was still married to two other people," she said.
Drunken Vegas weddings still occur frequently because there's alcohol around and it's Vegas. But they seldom involve tourists who stumble into a chapel and decide to marry impulsively.
Many wedding chapels in Las Vegas will not perform a ceremony if one of the parties is deemed too drunk. Kourtney and Travis' Vegas wedding was a "pretend" ceremony, which allows clients to experience the real thing without the legal implications. So, they didn't need a Clark County marriage license for that ceremony.
The couple had two more weddings after that, so they probably obtained a legitimate marriage license at some point.
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Source: www.casino.org
