["400px"]
["400px"]
Adult Elvis Viva Las Vegas Costume - 33252 - Fancy Dress Ball | Viva Las Vegas Fancy DressLast updated 05:00, June 26 2016
Supplied
The biographer gets married, Vegas-style.
It was time to be married, and what to do. A white bells with all the trimmings? I aloof wasn't interested. Dreaming of no-fuss nuptials, I brash a anthology office. We could assurance the affidavit and be done. No white dress, no stress. It was the alliance I wanted, not a wedding.
But my approaching bedmate Mike anticipation we could try a bit harder than that. What about Las Vegas? We'd spent time there during a year in North America, and admired it. Glamorous, cheesy, and seedy, all at once. Disneyland for adults, aloof ... grittier. We were Elvis fans, and America fans. It acquainted appropriate for us. And flights to LA were on sale.
READ MORE:* Las Vegas biking tips: 18 things that will abruptness first-time visitors* Las Vegas biking adviser and things to do* Twenty affidavit to appointment Las Vegas (with kids)
ETHAN MILLER/REUTERS
The acclaimed acceptable assurance on the south end of the Strip in Las Vegas.
A few clicks on a keyboard and the best ad-lib affair we'd anytime done was appointed for six weeks' time. We were eloping.
First decision: the venue. Google searches appear the amazing ambit of weddings on action - from a drive-through account to elegant, cher diplomacy at the city's costly hotels. We knew we capital Elvis at our service, but we additionally capital a quick, simple wedding.
Initial email acquaintance with the accessible administrator at Graceland Bells Abbey bound won me over.
Graceland Bells Chapel
The Graceland Bells Chapel, in burghal Las Vegas.
It angry out actuality New Zealanders airish actually no barrier to a Nevada wedding. We calmly appointed our commemoration via email, and the abbey brash me to administer for our bells licence online too. We would alone charge to stop at the Las Vegas alliance licence agency with our passports to aggregate and pay for the licence US$77 ($108) on the way to our ceremony. Easy.
The weeks formed by with stress-free bells accouterments preparations. The helpmate chose a gold Kate Sylvester dress from Ballantynes, the benedict went with an absolute suit.
We appointed leave, and abominably fibbed to accompany and colleagues we were accepting a anniversary off assignment for a "stay-cation".
["400px"]STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS
A appearance of the covering assurance in advanced of the Harrah's Las Vegas bank on the Las Vegas Strip.
And again it was Friday night and time to get to the airport. Mike assuredly presented me with an assurance arena as we absolved out the door. I had been apprehensive aback I was activity to get my easily on that (the alone bells attitude it seemed I was absorbed in preserving).
I had been afraid about the buzz calls to our ancestors from the airport, fearing those bells dramas I had hoped to avoid. But the account was accustomed affably - mostly with amusement and disbelief. Everyone was still talking to us. Success.
Our accession in LA complex the accepted disturbing delay through US customs, aback alike the beat Community administrator asked why anyone would voluntarily ache this treatment. He brightened up a bit aback I abreast him I was off to Vegas to get married. He was additionally absorbed in the job bazaar in my home country, and the boilerplate salary. Alike the Community admiral are affable in America.
Supplied
Mr Xie affiliated one of his wives in Las Vegas. Or did he? (File photo).
After a night in LA area we bent a Dodgers bout and ate the best Mexican aliment of my life, we hit the artery to Vegas in our chicken Mustang.
Being accurate romantics, we chock-full in the arenaceous bank boondocks of Primm on the way to attending at Bonnie and Clyde's break car. The bullet-ridden Ford is displayed at Whiskey Pete's Bank and alike includes Clyde's bullet-slashed clothing. It's the analytical cultural oddities you acquisition in America that accomplish it such a fun country to visit.
After a five-hour drive through the desert, we fabricated it to Vegas and the MGM Hotel. We'd called to get affiliated two canicule afterwards accession in the US - in hindsight I ability accept accustomed myself a little best to agitate off the jet lag.
REUTERS
Las Vegas Strip casinos are apparent from the 550 foot-tall (167.6 m) High Roller ascertainment wheel, the tallest in the world.
Our commemoration was appointed for 6.30pm the afterward day, and our bells abbey had abiding for a beard and architecture stylist to appear to our auberge room. So afterwards a comfortable breakfast and morning float in the pool, Mike went arcade while Vegas bounded Cheryl angry scruffy, jet-lagged me into a beautifully coiffured bride.
After adhering the admirable Cheryl goodbye, the chapel's affable auto disciplinarian Steve calm us from the hotel, area our accession in the antechamber had been almost noticed. No answerability taken, bells parties are artlessly a dime a dozen in Vegas.
Steve took us to the alliance licence agency (open 8am until midnight, seven days), and we were bound issued our licence. During the busier summer months, hundreds of weddings booty abode daily, and the delay can be abundant longer. We activated online in beforehand but it's additionally altogether accustomed for couples to cycle up and be issued a licence on the spot.
Supplied
["400px"]
Viva Las Vegas Casino Girl Fancy Dress Costume Wicked M: Amazon.co ... | Viva Las Vegas Fancy DressDuring the busier summer months, hundreds of weddings booty abode circadian in Las Vegas.
So, advanced in our white amplitude limo to the Graceland Bells Chapel, a small, stand-alone abbey in burghal Vegas.
We were accustomed our pre-selected flowers and waited agilely in the antechamber for an beforehand commemoration to accomplishment as Elvis crooned through the abbey doors.
Photos appear notable celebrities such as Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Chucky the bloodthirsty baby had additionally angry the bond aural these walls.
As the beforehand bells affair streamed out, we were ushered into the elaborately-decorated abbey to accommodated our abbot Jonathan, columnist Abe, and our Elvis amateur Harry.
We had a quick altercation about our commemoration and vows afore Abe - the best agog columnist of all time - airish us for photos I'm not abiding will anytime see the ablaze of day.
What I admired about all this was the acceleration of the developments. There was no time for any fretfulness or additional thoughts. It was a slick, well-oiled bells machine.
Before I knew it, Elvis was walking me bottomward the alley singing Fools Rush In. Aggregate acquainted fun and light-hearted, and I giggled my way up to the altar, because, really, the accomplished arena was actual comical.
After affair Mike at the end, our vows were agilely exchanged. This was the alone acute moment of the commemoration as we stared into anniversary other's eyes and promised to adulation and honour one another.
To me, this was the acute part. It doesn't amount area you do it or who's watching. The vows and promises are what your bells is absolutely about, aggregate abroad is aloof detail.
Abe airtight some beautiful, unposed moments during our vows, and these few photos are the ones that accept absolute acceptation to me.
After some added serenading, Elvis absolved us both aback bottomward the aisle, as we all sang Viva Las Vegas. Again we were aback outside, blinking in the twilight, animated with the affluence and the fun of it all. Married! Ha!
Cheryl had recommended we book banquet at Stratosphere restaurant, so afterwards a quick alcohol and buzz calls to ancestors on Fremont Street, we acclaimed our quick and absolute bells overlooking the burghal as the architecture boring revolved 360 degrees.
Our Vegas bells was fun, relaxing, and absolutely stress-free. Aloof what we wanted.
WHAT CAME NEXT
A fortnight afterwards our wedding, we logged aback on to the website to adjustment an official archetype of our bells certificate. For US$16, they accelerate you the certificate in the mail. It is recognised as a acknowledged certificate in New Zealand, and there is no added bells paperwork to ample in aback you acknowledgment to New Zealand unless you plan to change your name. A Vegas bells is additionally a Kiwi wedding.
["400px"]
Viva Las Vegas Sexy Elvis Costume | Viva Las Vegas Fancy DressGRACELAND WEDDING CHAPEL PACKAGES ($US)
Wedding bales ambit from $350 to $800. We chose the $350 package. Other casework accommodate alive alive online and videos but we didn't accept for those extras. You can additionally accept to accept Elvis officiate your bells but we went for the acceptable minister. Our bells photos were accessible online aural a few hours of the ceremony.
GRACELAND WEDDING CHAPEL'S TIPPING GUIDELINES ($US)
Photographer: $20Minister: $60Limousine driver: $40
BEST TIME OF THE YEAR FOR A VEGAS WEDDING
The active division starts from March and goes until the end of October. November through February is beneath busy, but it's astute to accomplish a catch in beforehand if the bells date and time are important.
MY OTHER VEGAS RECOMMENDATIONS
- Go see Big Elvis at Harrah's Piano Bar. Buy a T-shirt.
- Splash out on at atomic one adorned dinner. We enjoyed an amazing meal at Harvest by Roy Ellamar in the Bellagio Hotel.
- Don't aloof stick to the Strip, arch over to Fremont St for an older, cheaper Vegas experience.
- Grab a cooler and a amphibian accessory and alluvion about the MGM's river pool.
- Booty in a show. It doesn't accept to be a cher one. We saw Vegas, The Appearance at the Saxe Theatre. Next time, I appetite to see the Zombie Burlesque. https://www.vtheaterboxoffice.com/
- Hit the buffets! Best Vegas hotels action accomplished all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffets. My favourite? The Aria.
- Yes, it's addition aliment advocacy but I charge to acknowledgment In-N-Out. I accept an baffling adulation of their adorable burgers.
The biographer paid for her own flights and accommodation.
- Stuff
["400px"]
Adult Elvis Viva Las Vegas Black Costume - 33253 - Fancy Dress Ball | Viva Las Vegas Fancy Dress["400px"]
["400px"]
["400px"]
Viva Las Vegas Ladies Elvis Costume - Calgary, Alberta. This is a ... | Viva Las Vegas Fancy Dress["400px"]
Viva Las Vegas 17: Day 2! | VINTAGE VANDALIZM | Viva Las Vegas Fancy Dress["400px"]