Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

GETTING MARRIED 187
one relative, a thrill-ride enthusiast, who said he never felt more scared than
when he rode the Big Shot. After surviving, he promptly put his kids on it; they
loved it. Note: The rides are shut down in inclement weather and high winds.
Atop the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/380-7777. Admission for Big
Shot $8; for roller coaster $5; $5 per reride, plus $7 to ascend the Tower (if you dine in the buffet room or Top
of the World, there’s no charge to go up to the Tower). Multiride packages also available for varying costs.
Sun–Thurs 10am–midnight; Fri–Sat 10am–1am. Hours vary seasonally. Minimum height requirement for both
rides is 48 in.
The Wynn Collection of Fine Art So MGM took over Steve Wynn’s
resort empire, and along with it, much of the art he (trailblazingly) showcased
at Bellagio. Wynn then turned around, bought the Desert Inn, blew it up, and
is building a new extraordinary resort on the property. But meanwhile, he’s put
his art on exhibit again. Only a double handful of paintings is currently on
exhibit, but that number could go up and down (Wynn is a ferocious collector
with a keen appreciation, who just set some art-purchasing records while acquiring
a couple of costly masterpieces). At this writing, among the pieces exhibited
are Picasso’s Le Reve (for which his new resort will be named) and Matisse’s The
Persian Robe. Perhaps not enough to go out of your way for, but then again, what
an alternative to slots . . .
3145 S. Las Vegas Blvd. & 702/733-4100. Admission $10 adults, $6 children 6–12. Daily 10am–5pm.
2 Getting Married
This is one of the most popular things to do in Las Vegas. Why? It’s very easy to
get married here. Too easy. See that total stranger standing next to you? Grab
him or her and head down to the Clark Country Marriage License Bureau,
200 S. 3rd St., at Briger Avenue (& 702/455-3156; open daily 8am–midnight,
24 hr. legal holidays), to get your license. Find a wedding chapel (not hard, as
there are about 50 of them in town; they line the north end of the Strip, and
most hotels have one) and tie the knot. Just like that. No blood test, no waiting
period—heck, not even an awkward dating period.
Even if you have actually known your intended for some time, Las Vegas is a
great place to get married. The ease is the primary attraction, but there are a
number of other appealing reasons. You can have any kind of wedding you want,
from a big, traditional production number to a small, intimate affair; from a
spur-of-the-moment “just-the-happy-couple-in-blue-jeans” kind of thing to an
“Elvis-in-a-pink-Cadillac-at-a-drive-through-window” kind of thing. (Oh, yes.
More on that later.) The wedding chapels take care of everything; usually they’ll
even provide a limo to take you to the license bureau and back. Most offer all
the accessories, from rings to flowers to a videotaped record of the event.
We personally know several very happy couples who opted for the Vegas
route. Motivations differed, with the ease factor heading the list (though the
Vegas-ness of the whole thing came in a close second), but one and all reported
having great fun. Really, is there a more romantic way to start off your life
together than in gales of laughter?
In any event, the more than 100,000 couples who yearly take advantage of all
this can’t be wrong. If you want to follow in the footsteps of Elvis and Priscilla
(at the first incarnation of the Aladdin Hotel), Michael Jordan, Joan Collins,
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, and, of course, Dennis Rodman and Carmen
Electra, you’ll want to peruse the following list of the most notable wedding
chapels on or near the Strip. There are many more in town, and almost all the