Las Vegas Wedding Costs 2026 — Real Budgets, Line by Line

The honest range

As of 2026, a Las Vegas wedding for two costs anywhere from about $300 (licence plus the cheapest civil or drive-through ceremony) to well over $100,000 (a Wynn ballroom with 200 guests). Most couples who marry here without a large reception spend $1,500 to $8,000 on the wedding itself, plus travel and hotel. With 20 to 50 guests and a dinner, $8,000 to $30,000 is typical; with a full resort reception, Las Vegas costs roughly what a wedding costs anywhere, with better food.

The reason the low end exists is volume: the city's vendors are fast, competitive and used to small weddings. The reason the high end exists is that the resorts are excellent at selling upgrades. Every figure on this page is a range; venues change prices by season and day of week, so always request a current quote and check official sites.

Line by line: the fixed costs

Marriage licence: roughly $100 to $110 from Clark County; certified copies about $20 each. See the licence page.
Ceremony venue and officiant: civil ceremony at the county well under $100; drive-through $100 to $300; chapel package $200 to $2,500; resort chapel $1,500 to $15,000; outdoor or helicopter $1,500 to $8,000.
Officiant gratuity: $60 to $100-plus, expected at chapels and resorts; more for Elvis.
Photography: package photos are limited; an independent photographer runs $600 to $1,500 for one to two hours, $2,000 to $4,000 for a full day.
Videography: $500 to $2,500, or live streaming for $50 to $150 at chapels.
Flowers: package bouquet included; upgrades $100 to $300; a full floral order for a resort ceremony $500 to $3,000-plus.
Hair and make-up: $150 to $400 per person at salons or mobile artists.
Attire: whatever you bring; Las Vegas has rental shops from $100 to $300 if you want a dress or suit only for the day.

Line by line: the variable costs

Transport: limousine from package or $150 to $400 for two hours; rideshare $15 to $30 per hop. See transportation.
Wedding dinner for two: $150 to $300 at a good restaurant; $300 to $700 for a tasting menu with wine.
Guests' meal: $80 to $150 a head at a restaurant private room; $150 to $300-plus a head for a resort reception with bar, plus the food-and-beverage minimum, service charge (typically 20 to 25 percent) and tax.
Reception venue: restaurant private rooms usually have no fee beyond a minimum spend; resort ballrooms and outdoor spaces charge $2,000 to $15,000 for the room.
Cake: $100 to $600 from a bakery; resorts charge more and may add a cutting fee.
Music: a DJ $800 to $2,000; a live band $2,500 to $8,000; a solo musician for the ceremony $300 to $700.
Hotel: $150 to $600 a night midweek at a good resort including resort fees, double at weekends and events; suites more. See hotel deals.
Permits: outdoor public land, tens of dollars to a few hundred.

Five sample budgets

The $500 wedding: licence, a simple chapel or drive-through ceremony, package photos, dinner at a casual favourite. Legal, quick, and a good story.

The $2,000 elopement: licence, mid-range chapel package with limo and flowers, a one-hour independent photographer, hair and make-up for one, a good dinner for two. The most common Las Vegas wedding.

The $6,000 elopement-plus: licence, a resort chapel or Elvis package, a two-hour photographer with Strip and desert portraits, hair and make-up for two, a tasting-menu dinner, two nights in a suite, a helicopter flight or show the next day.

The $15,000 small wedding: resort chapel ceremony for 25 guests, in-house or outside photographer, flowers, a private-room dinner with open bar, a suite for the couple, welcome drinks the night before.

The $50,000 resort wedding: ballroom ceremony and seated dinner for 100 at a major resort, full florals, band or DJ, photography and video, a rehearsal dinner and a room block. Comparable to the same wedding in a large US city, with the advantage that the guests are already entertained.

Where the money hides

Photo rights. Package photos are few and sometimes low-resolution or watermarked; buying the full set afterwards can cost more than hiring your own photographer would have.
Outside-vendor fees. Chapels and resorts may charge to let in your own photographer, florist or officiant.
Service charge and tax on receptions. A $150-a-head quote becomes about $190 after a 22 percent service charge and sales tax.
Food-and-beverage minimums. A private room "with no fee" may require $3,000 in spend on a Saturday.
Resort fees. Charged daily on every room including yours; see resort fees.
Gratuities. Officiant, limo driver, hair and make-up, coordinator. Budget $200 to $400 for a small wedding.
Weekend and holiday pricing. The same package can be 30 to 100 percent more on a Saturday or on Valentine's Day.
Rescheduling. Date changes beyond the first are often charged.

How to spend less without regretting it

Marry on a weekday: the chapel is calmer, the resort is cheaper, the hotel is half price and the restaurant has a table. Marry in a value month: late June to early September (indoor only), or December to January excluding the holidays and CES; see best time to visit. Buy the smallest chapel package and hire an independent photographer; the photos are the thing you keep. Skip the resort reception and book a restaurant private room instead, where the minimum spend is the food you were going to buy anyway. Let the resort upgrade you rather than paying for a suite: wedding couples are routinely upgraded if they ask at check-in.

Do not economise on the photographer, the officiant's tip or the dinner. Do economise on flowers (the desert light does the work), on video (live streaming is cheap and good) and on transport (a rideshare is fine; the limo is for the photo).

Paying, deposits and what is refundable

Chapels take a 25 to 50 percent deposit online, with the balance on the day; most allow one free date change and most deposits are non-refundable. Resorts contract in writing with a schedule of payments and a food-and-beverage minimum that becomes a hard commitment 30 to 60 days out. Independent photographers take a retainer of 30 to 50 percent. Pay by credit card for protection and consider travel insurance that covers a destination wedding if you are spending five figures. Keep every contract in one folder; the timeline and checklist shows when each payment falls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to get married in Las Vegas?

A civil ceremony by a commissioner at the county office, or a drive-through or basic chapel ceremony, plus the licence. All in, roughly $200 to $400 as of 2026.

How much does an average Las Vegas wedding cost?

Most couples who marry here without a large reception spend $1,500 to $8,000 on the wedding itself. With 20 to 50 guests and a dinner, $8,000 to $30,000 is typical.

How much do wedding photographers cost in Las Vegas?

Independent photographers charge roughly $600 to $1,500 for one to two hours and $2,000 to $4,000 for a full day, as of 2026. Chapel packages include a limited number of images.

Are resort weddings in Las Vegas expensive?

Ceremony-only resort packages start around $1,500 to $3,000 midweek. Full receptions with dinner start around $150 to $300 a head plus service charge and tax, plus room fees.

Do prices go up on weekends?

Yes. Saturdays, holidays, Valentine's week and big event weekends can cost 30 to 100 percent more for venues and double or triple for hotels.

Is tipping expected at chapel weddings?

Yes. Chapels expect an officiant gratuity of around $60 to $100 or more, and it is often prompted at checkout. Limo drivers and stylists expect 15 to 20 percent.

Are chapel deposits refundable?

Usually not, though most chapels allow one free date change. Resorts and photographers also work on non-refundable retainers; read the contract.