How much lead time you really need
A Las Vegas chapel wedding for two can be organised in an afternoon; a resort wedding with 100 guests needs the better part of a year. The difference is entirely about the things that sell out: resort chapels and ballrooms on weekends, the best photographers, room blocks in peak months, and anything on Valentine's week, New Year's Eve or a date with repeating digits. Chapels, officiants, flowers, dinner reservations and the licence itself never sell out in any meaningful sense.
So the rule is: book the scarce things first and in the order below, and treat everything else as a last-month task. The timeline here assumes a wedding with a few guests; for an elopement compress it, and for a large resort wedding stretch the front end. The eloping guide has the 48-hour version.
Six to twelve months out
- Pick the date and a backup date. Weekdays cost less and are calmer. Avoid convention weeks (CES in January, the big trade shows) and event weekends (F1, the rodeo, big fights, EDC) when hotels triple; see events.
- Choose the venue type: chapel, resort, outdoor or unique, and book it with a deposit. Resort chapels and ballrooms are the ones that need this much notice.
- Book the photographer if hiring independently; the good ones book out months ahead for spring and autumn weekends.
- Arrange the room block for guests at the wedding resort or a nearby hotel, with a booking deadline.
- Book flights once the venue date is confirmed, never before.
- Tell guests with a save-the-date that includes hotel and date information; people need time to arrange a Las Vegas trip.
Two to three months out
- Book the wedding dinner or reception: a restaurant private room for 10 to 40, or confirm the resort reception menu and minimum. See best restaurants.
- Book hair and make-up, either a resort salon or a mobile artist, and a trial if you want one.
- Apply for outdoor permits (Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead) if marrying on public land; see unique venues.
- Order flowers beyond the package if you want them; local florists need a couple of weeks.
- Book the honeymoon segment: a canyon trip, a helicopter, a second hotel. See honeymoons.
- Sort attire and any alterations; if renting in Las Vegas, reserve now.
- Plan the guest programme: a welcome drink the night before, a group show, a pool afternoon. Guests appreciate one organised thing per day and free time otherwise.
The month before
- Complete the online marriage pre-application with Clark County within about 60 days of the visit, and save the confirmation number.
- Confirm every vendor in writing: times, addresses, contact numbers, what is included, final balances due.
- Send the timeline to the photographer, coordinator, hair and make-up and anyone in the wedding party.
- Finalise the guest count with the venue and restaurant; most need it two to four weeks ahead.
- Book transport: a limo for the couple, and a shuttle or rideshare plan for guests if the venue is off the Strip.
- Buy or rent the rings, check the outfits, book a spa treatment for the day before.
- Check ID: valid, unexpired, photo, date of birth. Passports for anyone born outside the US.
The week before and the day before
Week before: pack the rings, outfits, licence confirmation, vendor contracts and any vows in carry-on. Print a one-page schedule for the wedding party. Confirm the restaurant and mention it is a wedding. Check the weather if marrying outdoors and agree the plan B.
Day before: go to the Marriage License Bureau downtown, both of you, with ID, and collect the licence; photograph it and put it with the rings. Steam the outfits (resorts will do this). Hair and make-up trial if booked. A relaxed early dinner with any guests, welcome drinks, and an early night. Do not go out late; the photographs are unforgiving.
The wedding day
- Breakfast, water, and a slow morning. Give yourself twice as long as you think you need to get ready.
- Hair and make-up, dressing, first-look photos if planned.
- Transport to the venue, arriving 15 to 30 minutes before the slot with the licence, rings and gratuities in envelopes.
- Ceremony (10 to 30 minutes) and venue photographs.
- Portraits at golden hour with the photographer.
- Dinner or reception; a toast; cake.
- The night: a show, the fountains, a bar with a view, or just the suite.
Delegate one person (a friend, the coordinator, the photographer) to hold the schedule so you do not have to.
After the wedding
- Check the marriage is recorded with Clark County after two weeks, then order certified copies (two at least) from the County Recorder.
- Apostille for international couples: send a certified copy to the Nevada Secretary of State, or pay the chapel or a service to handle it.
- Name change, if wanted: Social Security first, then driver's licence, passport, bank, employer.
- Photos: most photographers deliver in four to eight weeks; chapel package images sooner.
- Thank vendors and review them; the Las Vegas wedding industry lives on reviews and it helps the next couple.
- Plan the party at home for everyone who was not there, or do not.
The one-page checklist
Booked: venue, photographer, dinner, hotel, flights, hair and make-up, transport, honeymoon activities. Paperwork: pre-application done, valid ID for both, previous-marriage details known, outdoor permit if needed. Packed: rings, outfits, shoes for walking and for photos, vows, contracts, gratuity envelopes, a steamer or a plan to use the hotel's. Day before: licence collected, photographed and stored with rings. Day of: schedule delegated, water, snacks, sunscreen for outdoor ceremonies. After: certified copies ordered, apostille if needed, photos received, reviews written. For budgeting each of these, see costs and budget, and for a general trip checklist see the trip planning checklist.