By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
From Wedlok.com

When you give your hands, you give your heart. Many cultures have different ways of blessing the hands of the bride and groom.

In Thai ceremonies, for example, the couple kneels as elder, married relatives pour blessed water from a conch shell onto their hands and offer words of blessing. In the ancient Celtic tradition of hand-fasting, the couple’s hands are literally tied together to symbolize spiritual and physical unity as prayers and blessings are recited.
Of course, in Las Vegas, the tradition is to have Elvis bless your hands as he serenades you with a song that touches your heart!

In any tradition, a hand blessing is a ritual that is meant to draw you closer to one another.
I have always heard that the hands are a connection to the heart, and a hand blessing symbolically brings two hearts together. When I officiated the wedding of a physician recently she confirmed that physically there is a connection between the veins in the hands and the heart.

I like to offer couples a non-denominational approach. It can be done at any point in the ceremony yet fits in perfectly right after the exchange of the rings.

Here’s how it works: You and your beloved face each other. First join your right palms, and then your left palms. This forms an infinity symbol with your hands, which symbolizes a love that will go on forever.
I love to begin with the sentiment that Shakespeare said, “Now join your hands, and with your hand’s your hearts.” (And in Las Vegas, you can probably find Shakespeare to utter that line himself during your ceremony!)

Continue reading "Hand Blessing Ceremony" »

Posted September 18, 2008 7:28 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
From Wedlok.com

There are so many different possibilities for getting hitched in Las Vegas. From Elvis impersonators to elegant chapels, from themed weddings to drive by “I dos,” the options are limitless. There is one thing you can do in almost any kind of ceremony that would truly honor the uniqueness of your union -- include personal vows.

Personal vows are a wonderful way to express your love on your wedding day. Contained within those vows are the seeds of dreams to come true, and intentions for your married life. For many people, vows are the hallmark of the wedding ceremony. Imprinted in many a mind is the romantic image of a loving couple looking deeply into one another’s eyes and calmly vowing their love and devotion on their wedding day.

Personalized vows are meant to provide a sacred moment in which you can express your truest feeling for each other. They can be part of even the wackiest wedding. You may be driving in a pink Cadillac or in the roller coaster atop the Stratosphere … no matter, the vows can still be real! Speak with your officiant (or the person who arranges your ceremony) in advance, whenever possible, about where vows fit into your ceremony.

Ways to say I love you: There are many ways to weave vows into your ceremony. For example, your vows can be repeat-after-the-officiant style or they can be read to one another. You can utter them as part of your I dos, or speak them when you exchange rings. You can each decide on different vow, or share the same vows. You can even speak the same vow to one another simultaneously; or you can read from one long vow or statement, with bride and groom alternating lines. If you don’t want to say much, you can ask to include the promises you would like to make in a longer question of intent (which your officiant will ask you), to which you only have to answer “I do.” It’s best not to try to memorize your vows. On your wedding day, the mind goes into Wedding La-La Land … it is too much to ask of yourself.

Continue reading "Personalize Your Las Vegas Wedding Vows" »

Posted September 18, 2008 7:22 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Editor, Wedlok.com

Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that media owes a major apology to Lisa Ann Presley.

The media was so nasty last week, snapping photos of her eating and running stories about how she packed on the pounds and was eating like crazy. She's suing one newspaper for calling her fat and upsetting her with taunting coverage.

We do not blame her. On top of everything else you go through during pregnancy, those pregnancy hormones make you feel super sensitive. And really, anything media does to upset her balance will affect her baby.

She stood up to it, revealed her pregnancy and basically took action that shut up the worst of the media vampires. I feel bad that she had to deal with all that while trying to deal with pregnancy, but she handled it well!

I gained 45 pounds when I was pregnant with my son. I remember that food and eating were so important.

When you're pregnant, sometimes it is hard to eat in the first trimester. Food and everything makes you nauseous. You are basically are at the mercy of your changing body.

Then you get to a point where food is the only thing that keeps you balanced. if you don't eat when you need to eat you feel sick, strange, faint, awful. It is not unusual to also get sudden boinks in which you feel you blood sugar may have slipped, or the blood has drained out of you, and you have to eat immediately to start feeling normal.

Pregnancy is not always elegant. Your body has to work hard to accomodate a new being.

A woman who gives new life should be saluted, not attacked. As much as we love our kids, pregnancy requires we surrender our bodies to invaders for nine months. It's a miracle, yes, but it is hard work to grow another human inside of yourself. So back off celebrity blood suckers. What you try to take from the mommy you also take from the baby. Don't try to take anything away from her experience.

And even if she wasn't pregnant, so what if she wants to eat? She is a beautiful woman, normally quite svelt in form and very elegant.

I say, leave Lisa Marie alone. Let her bond with her baby while it is growing inside and bond with her hubby of two years, Michael Lockwood, as they prepare for the birth, which some say is in fall. We wish them good health, happiness, an easy pregnancy, a good birth, and a beautiful baby.

Posted March 11, 2008 5:01 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

What makes a ledgend?

Swiveling hips. Awesome voice. Heartbreakingly handsome good looks. And perhaps a full time, post-passing, gig as a wedding officiant in the heaven we all know as Las Vegas.

Forbes puts Elvis on top of the list of highest paid dead celebrities. We are sure that Las Vegas has kept up the allure!

Other's include John Lennon and Albert Einstein.

Posted February 16, 2008 12:48 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Today my hubby Rev. Vic and I celebrate the three year anniversary of our Elvis Wedding. It was a wedding that was many years in the making.

It all began about fifteen years ago, when Bridal Guide Magazine sent me to Las Vegas to write an amusing article on the wedding chapels on the Strip.

I visited just about all of them. Back then, I was a full time journalist and 7 months pregnant. As I walked in and out of chapels doing my research, concerned chapel administrators and ministers offered me a seat, a glass of water, and a recommendation that my wedding should take place sooner than later. They thought I was a pregnant bride. It truly was a hoot.

Always love to share the story, which was first posted on Wedlok.com.

Posted January 18, 2008 6:42 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Las Vegas has always enjoyed bragging rights as the America's hot spot for weddings.

Things may be changing according to new statistics from Clark County showing a drop in weddings -- or at least, a drop in the number of marriage licenses issued -- in 2007.

According to today's Las Vegas Review- Journal, some Las Vegas chapels are noting a dip in brides and grooms, while others see an increase in vow renewals.

Alan Choate's article, Fewer Going to the Chapel, offers an excellent overview of this breaking story.

As Choate reports: "The number of marriage licenses issued in Clark County dropped in 2007 for the third straight year to just under 107,000, the lowest number since 1996."

"A variety of factors get the blame: the economy, gas prices, national trends in marriage and family, international competition, and a fracas over a rogue wedding chapel that was forcibly closed in October."

"But just because weddings are down doesn't necessarily mean the wedding business is down. Some in the industry point to increased traffic and new opportunities, and there's evidence that Las Vegas' share of the national wedding market is holding steady."

In its hey day, Las Vegas wedding stats were up to 125,967, in 2004. Interestingly, the 7-7-07 excitement did not drive the number of weddings off the charts in 2007. Better luck on 8-8-08!

Read more of Fewer Going to the Chapel.

Posted January 10, 2008 10:34 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The classic wedding reading "The Art of Marriage," by Wilferd Arlan Peterson, is one of the most oft read and inspiring wedding readings around. As we reported several months ago, wedding lore has it that several lines of this reading was included in the nuptials of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, who got hitched in Las Vegas.

That was almost fifty years ago! Today it stands out as a classic for our times.

I have been using this reading in my wedding ministry for many years. Couples love it because it reflects the values and sentiments that truly enhance life together! It's the stuff a good marriage is made of.

Wanted to share it again here because it is so important for all of us to remember that a good marriage must be created, nurtured, built over time. Marriage is an art unto itself. And …

In the Art of Marriage the little things are the important things.

It means never being too old to hold hands, or to say I love you.

It's never going to bed angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should
not end with the honeymoon. Allow it to continue through the years.

It's having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It's standing together facing the world.

It's forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It's doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or
sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It's speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in
thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other and yet seeing each
other perfect as you are.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of
humor.

It's having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It's giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is
equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It's not only marrying the right partner, it's being the right partner.

The above is a version of "The Art of Marriage" that I may have slightly tweaked over time, so I offer it with apologies to Mr. Peterson if a word was changed here or there. However, I imagine it would please him to know how much his words have meant to so many over time!

You can find links to the original short and long versions, with related copyright information, at http://www.artofmarriage.org.

Posted November 6, 2007 11:33 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

So what happens to the brides who already planned and paid to get hitched at the now defunct Garden of Love? Afterall, it is not as if there is no place else in town to tie the knot!

KVBC/DT News 3 in Las Vegas reported on the couples who would have been wed there and says that some could not get a hold of anyone from management since they had their license pulled by the Las Vegas City Council last Monday.

In at least one case, they chapel refused to refund any money but tried to make amends for this wedding disaster by sending a couple to another venue in Red Rock to get married.

We heard a report of a local chapel stepping in to help out would be Chapel of Love patrons.

Will we see a spate of kindness -- and positive publicity opportunities -- as local Vegas chapels open their hearts and doors to couples who got caught in the Chapel of Love shut down mess? Let us hope.

Posted October 29, 2007 6:01 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Michelle Pfeiffer said recently on a UK TV show that if George Clooney ever weds he will have to pay her $100,000, even before he starts plunking down cash for a big million dream wedding.

Apparently, Clooney bet Pfeiffer $100,000 that he would never tie the knot. They stared together in the romantic comedy One Fine Day and have been friends since.

“I bet him he would get married and he keeps inflating the bet - from 100 dollars to 100,000 dollars,” Pfeiffer told talk show host Jonathan Ross last Friday.

She thinks he will wed someday, anyway. But just in case, good thing Madame Tussauds Las Vegas offers a chance to wed bachelor George.

They have a terrific interactive attraction called "Marry Clooney.” There, you can step into a real wedding gown and into an authentic Vegas wedding chapel environment, and wax poetic with the hunky movie star as you share vows and pose for photos.

George will not protest - in fact, he won't say a word since he is present in the form of a wax figure wearing a tuxedo -- but it will be fun just the same!

Posted October 8, 2007 6:32 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Talk about magic! Looks like magician Hans Klok was able to move his beautiful assistant to the ultimate Las Vegas publicity stunt. A wedding in between shows!

Pamela Anderson got hitched last Saturday to Rick Salomon in between the 7PM and 10 PM shows of the "Hans Klok's The Beauty of Magic" show at Planet Hollywood, where Pam is starring as a magician's assistant.

Anderson announced the marraige during the late show and there was supposed to be a champaign toast.

A couple of interesting facts:

The recently divorced Carmen Electra was the first gal up for the part of magician assistant and she bowed out when she realized the intensity and time involved in rehearsals. Pam took over.

Planet Hollywood was, not too long ago, The Aladdin , where Elvis and Priscilla Presley wed long ago.

The casino said they sprang for a four-tiered, pink and white wedding cake. For more information on
the magic show, check out: http://www.hanslasvegas.com/

Posted October 8, 2007 6:06 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Reports are ringning 'round the world that Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson married boyfriend Rick Salomon yesterday in Las Vegas.

This makes three for Pam, who also was Mrs. to Tommy Lee and Kid Rock.

Salomon is the ex-beau of Paris Hilton. He is best known as the "co-star" in the infamous hot sex video that was released on the internet and hence made Paris so... hot.

Pam had a video like that of her own with Tommy Lee, if you recall, and a long court case ensued.

Is this for Publicity Pam? Looking for a new producer for a new line of videos? What's up, girl?

Stand by for more details.

Posted October 7, 2007 8:59 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

According to recent news reports, Pam and Rick Salomon were granted a marriage license late Saturday in Las Vegas. They have up to a year to use it.

We have only a few things to say on this topic:

Oh Pamela, why do it? You are smart, beautiful, famous and rich. You don't really need another marriage under your belt, do you?

You were on and off and on again with Tommy Lee for years. You married Kid Rock five times and stayed together four months.

Honey, you are not the marrying kind. Have a boyfriend! Be a girlfriend. Forget about the wife thing.

Is this the same Rick Solomon who made the sex videotape that made Paris Hilton famous and was once married to wild child actress Shannen Doherty? On no.

If you feel you have to wed again Pam, we'd love you to get hitched in Las Vegas... but not to that guy!

Posted October 1, 2007 6:47 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Looking for a fab Las Vegas wedding experience? Just think of the photo opportunities with this one!

Madame Tussaud's in Las Vegas, located in the Venetian Hotel and Casino, is now offering dream weddings inside their famous house of wax figures.

They already have an "In Your Dreams" Wedding Chapel on the premise -- now home to the fun attraction called the "Marry Clooney" in which you can get pretend hitched to George Clooney's wax figure. You slip on a wedding dress and nuzzle his wax figure. Then send photos to all your friends (honeymoon night not available)!

The chapel is already in place for Clooney and company, so why not let real, live, non-wax brides and grooms say " I do" there? Now you can reserve the chapel for your wedding.

Part of the package is, "With These Stars I Thee Wed." This allows you to invite two of the Madame's wax figures to your wedding. Wax witnesses, or, you might say, "celebrity guests" can be selected from a special list. Those available for your wedding include: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Taylor and Tony Bennett, or, the dead wedding guest special, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.

The package starts at $1,195.00.

Ready to sign up, or find out more about your wax wedding opportunities? Visit http://www.mtvegas.com/weddings.html.

Call 1-800-292-1177 or email weddings@madametussaudslv.com.

You can also hold a reception for about 130 in the Spirit of America Room. For more information on the reception, call Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas Events Department at 702-862-7805.

Posted September 27, 2007 8:10 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Yikes. Satirist Tina Dupuy writes a very cranky -- but interesting -- commentary on the American marriage in today's Huffington Post.

She spins the political angle around the idea that gay marriage is getting more support in this presidential election than any other in history. It sets the stage to chat in general about her opionons on marriage, but really, these are her opinions on weddings.

Honestly, I do not disagree with some of her assertions that the hyper-sales approach the wedding industry lures brides into believing a big wedding means a good marriage. Sigh. Unfortunately, for some couples, it can mean the opposite.

Essentially, Dupuy sites a survey about American marriage that says people ain't getting hitched like they used to (reported in Wedlok.com months ago) and a recent Census report that states their are more "unmarried" households than "married" households.

She does point out a pithy factoid about why she believes less people are marrying and more are shacking up without a license: "According to a survey done by the Fairchild Bridal Group, the average American wedding costs $30,000. On the other hand, according to the US Census Bureau the median American household income is only $44,389."

The fact that the average American wedding can cost $30,000 (other's say it is $23,000 to $26,000 by the way) and be the equivalent of two-thirds of the Average annual income is indeed a sobering thought. Perhaps this is why Las Vegas is host of 120,000-140,000 of the two million weddings in the US each year.
They certainly require a smaller portion of your annual income!

Read Tina Dupuy's column at the HuffingtonPost.com.

Posted September 25, 2007 9:38 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

A Las Vegas Judge set OJ free this morning on $125,000 bail.

Whether guilty or not, right or wrong, this case puts him in the headlines again and brings up a lot of memories from his last trial.

Let's hope all the weddings that O.J. does not attend in Las Vegas go a lot smoother than the one he attended last weekend.

Posted September 19, 2007 9:35 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

This is not a good Las Vegas wedding story.

O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday, charged and the story is dominating the news. So sad that he came to Las Vegas to attend a wedding and made a mess of it for the bride, groom and his oldest daughter, Arnell, who was the wedding planner.

He was supposedly in town, he told authorities, for a wedding.

Afterwards, Simpson is alleged to have busted into a Las Vegas hotel room to steal memorabilia related to his career. He was with three other men, who he was said to have met at a wedding reception.

As the Associated Press is reporting from Las Vegas, "O. J. Simpson and three other men were charged Tuesday with 10 felony counts, including kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, in the purported theft of at least $80,000 worth of sports memorabilia from a hotel room."

The groom, who was implicated at first, has been cleared of charges. What a honeymoon!

The charges against Simpson are serious. And it comes as no surprise that there are a lot of people rooting for a stiff prison penalty for former NFL star and actor, who is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.

Read more on this breaking story.

Many believe his karma has caught up to him. And that it is time for comeuppance. What do you think?

Posted September 19, 2007 6:53 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Fess up, ladies. Glamour Magazine wants to know: What's your craziest Vegas-like moment? And, was it worth it?

Julie D. Andrews - the journalist, not the actress -- is writing an article on what we gals really do when they let it all hang out in Sin City.

She says she is seeking women nationwide to share funny, shocking stories from Las Vegas itself, or real-life crazy stories that feel like they would or could happen in Vegas.

Here's her challenge to all you wild women out there: "Try to get me stories that warrant the ad campaign slogan What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

For the fact checkers sake, include your: name, age, city/state, phone, e-mail, Vegas-like moment, and opinion of whether it was worth it.

She is on deadline so drop her a line soon! Julie_d_andrews@yahoo.com

Posted September 18, 2007 9:30 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I had a super hard time watching Britney Spears on the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.

MTV took over the Palms and Las Vegas glittered even more with all the stars in town. But Britney's big comeback was the big event. Most people agree it was an almost startling experience ... to see her work her way through her act looking like a kid on stage for a college production. Although talent was never one of her strong suits, her live performance was distressing.

As one who is a definite stranger to the concept of sit ups, but as one who knows that Brit once did at least 500 crunches a day, I hate to make a fat comment. But hey, baby had back. Too much of it for that tiny little black sparkly bikini, on national TV. The camera was not kind to her. And she seemed lost.

Is it mean to compare Brit, mom of two, at 25, to Brit, young, sleek, hip and dripping with sensuality at 20?

Continue reading "Britney Spears, MTV and that Little Black Bikini" »

Posted September 11, 2007 5:55 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

August 17, 2007 marks the 30 year anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. Hard to believe that Elvis left the building three decades ago!

Must have been soon after that we saw the advent of the "Elvis Wedding" Las Vegas in now famous for.

Elvis truly lives on here in the form of multiple entertainers who have taken on his look, style, hair, hip swiveling, persona and singing voice. They regularly carry on the tradition of the Elvis nuptials with song and merriment at famous chapels such as The Graceland Chapel, Little White Chapel, and Viva Las Vegas Chapel.

Although some of the bigger hotels like to think of themselves as the posher, more sophisticated, non-Elvis part of the Las Vegas wedding industry, Elivis Presley is honored is smaller chapels and many hotels and casinos everyday in nuptials up and down the Strip!

The guys who impersonate Elvis here take it very personally. I am sure they will be thinking of the king tomorrow! And like many of us, remembering where they were when they first heard the news that he was gone.

The Elvis’ of Las Vegas reguarly serenade couples with Viva Las Vegas with such vitality and joy that it feels like the movie is being filmed right there on the spot! Often, they use that song to get everyone at your wedding singing and bopping and rejoicing for your big day! (When hubby and I renewed our vows at the Graceland Chapel, Elvis and the era of Ann-Margret’s sexy legs and seductive smirk came alive!)

Speaking of Viva Las Vegas ... in an attempt to try to "ease the sorrow" of fans, Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment coordinated an anniversary mega re-release of Elvis classics to coincide with the celebrations and remembrances at the real Graceland, in Memphis, during Elvis Week (which began August 11 and run through the 19th).

They re-packaged 24 the trademark Elvis movies. He starred in 31 of those hip-swiveling, lip curling classics. This includes delux editions of "Jailhouse Rock" (1957) and Viva Las Vegas (1964).

Anyone whose been hitched in an Elvis Las Vegas wedding ceremony may find if hard to believe that film was made over 40 years ago. Many of the brides and grooms who come here weren’t even born yet!

Here’s an interesting tidbit from By Michael H. Kleinschrodt, DVD columnist for The Times-Picayune:

“Viva Las Vegas, whose catchy title tune too easily becomes lodged in the brain, is from the middle of Presley's movie career. It is one of his slickest productions and is arguably the only one to give him a co-star -- Ann-Margret -- whose talent approached his own. In his commentary track for this title, Pond says Presley's people were so worried that Ann-Margret might overshadow Presley that all but one of their duets was cut from the film."

“This time, Presley plays a guitar-playing auto racer wooing Ann-Margret's character, a swimming instructor at a Las Vegas hotel. Again, there's no Oscar-worthy acting going on, but the movie beautifully showcases the vitality of its stars and illustrates the sense of pure fun that informed most of Presley's films. “

Elvis has become a staple of Las Vegas and the king of the Las Vegas wedding chapel culture. The neat part about this re-release is the DVD includes a 20-minute documentary about the importance of Las Vegas throughout Presley's career.

Will the Elvis impersonators wear their black jumpsuits tomorrow? Will they morn the memory of the lost king, or head toward Memphis to celebrate his life? If you are thinking of tomorrow as a day to get hitched by the King, I am sure you will find one of his "representatives" here to sing your through your I Dos.

Sirus Radio will carry the Elvis Week activities live on their Elvis Radio channel.

You can still come to Las Vegas and get married by Elvis while listening to his other hometown celebration on the radio! Long live the King!

Posted August 16, 2007 8:55 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

One way to keep wedding costs from soaring is to ditch the open bar for a signature drink! You can even name it after you and your beloved!

Anthony Alba, Mixologist at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, has designed a few signature cocktails to make brides and grooms feel ... happy. We like the pink drink he designed with the bride in mind! Sounds like a malted with a little kick to it. He calls it a drink as "exquisite as the bride." The recipe includes:

* 1 part Vox® Raspberry Vodka
* 1 part DeKuyper® Pucker® Strawberry Passion Schnapps
* 2 parts rose nectar
* Splash pasteurized egg white (or fresh egg whites kept cold)
* Splash of champagne

Shake with ice and strain in a champagne flute. Top with champagne, garnish with a rose petal and sprinkle with edible gold dust.

Not sure if gold dust is good for your digestive system, but hey, it's your wedding and this is Las Vegas!

Posted August 15, 2007 9:50 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

If you are coming to town to marry on 7-7-07, here's some practical advice for your romantic occasion: Remember to leave extra time to get your marriage license!

Although Vegas is known for the ease of the wedding license process, the lines will be longer!

Don't wait until the last minute. You will need to think ahead a tad more than usual. If your wedding is, say, 7:07 am on Saturday, July 7, 2007, you will need to get your license the day before.

We just spoke to the Marriage Bureau and they said they will maintain regular hours (the hours that became effective on 8-30-06) and they will not be open 24 hours this weekend.

They said they have "no idea" how many couples will converge on their offices this week, but they have staffed up to help keep the flow going.

There is no blood test required. The cost is $55. For all the information you need, including acceptable ID and rules and regulations visit the website for the Clark County Marriage Bureau.

Continue reading "Where to Get Your Las Vegas Wedding License on 7-7-07" »

Posted July 5, 2007 2:15 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The Le Burger Brasserie Sports Grille at Paris Las Vegas came up with a unique way to honor newlywed triple seven couples - an early anniversary present!

They will give a Lucky Seven couples a fun chance to commemorate their one year anniversary next year with a great meal, a bottle of Champaign and a chance to go to Paris (well, a one a one night in the famous hotel)!

Keep a look out for some delicious treats coming your way on your wedding day, newlyweds!

This venue tells us that beginning at 7:07 a.m. on Saturday, July 7, uniformed servers from Le Burger Brasserie will visit high-profile wedding chapels on the Las Vegas Strip, congratulating newly married couples on their nuptials and feting them with sliders and champagne.

Each interested couple will receive an entry form for the anniversary prize. The first seven couples to return the form as specified, with a copy of their marriage certificate confirming the July 7 date, reportedly will receive the “777” dinner and a stay at this romantic spot on the strip!

Continue reading "Getting hitched on 7-7-07? You'll always have Paris!" »

Posted July 4, 2007 6:43 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The media is full of reports of giddy engaged couples looking forward to getting hitched in Las Vegas on Saturday.

July 7, 2007 is being billed as the luckiest day of the century.

This week’s In Business Las Vegas in its column on tourism and gaming published an article titled An anniversary to remember that provides just a little insight into how crazy Saturday will be for local wedding chapels and officiants.

Continue reading "7-7-07 is wedding date for thousands of couples" »

Posted July 3, 2007 10:15 AM by | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

We may not see anything but brides and grooms in Las Vegas this Saturday, the wedding day otherwise known as 7-7-07.

Couples are getting married enmasse around the country, but Las Vegas is a particular favorite.

This joint will be jumping! Media is covering all the commotion here like crazy, with stories all over the world.

Las Vegas chapels are being discussed as THE PLACE TO BE on 7-7-07. From the small chapels on the strip to the big hotel and casinos, weddings are in the air.

* Charolette Richards of the Little White Chapel says she already has over 400 weddings booked that day and is expecting more people to "walk in" or "drive through" her famous Vegas chapel.

* The Garden Chapel at Flamingo Las Vegas is preparing for 77 couples who will marry at one of 7 venues on the property.

* Mandalay Bay and Caesar's Palace will be hosting wedding with over 60 couples.

* The Venetian is booked with back-to-back 30 minute gondola rides and had to open another bridge in their indoor Venice-style water way to accommodate the couples who want to marry there on that day.

We'll keep you updated as we count down to the BIG DAY!

Posted July 3, 2007 8:30 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

I am probably the only wedding officiant on the planet who does not have a wedding booked on 7-7-07. Interestingly, I have barely gotten inquiries about that date.

I'm not worried though, I think God left my calendar free so I can trade my clergy robe for reporters pen and pad, and cover the exciting and possibly crazed wedding activities of the day. Whether it is the biggest wedding day of the century, or the biggest wedding hype of modern times, 7-7-07 remains a hot wedding story!

As a far as I can tell there are no formal national statistics on the actual numbers of people getting hitched but obviously, Las Vegas will see a healthy percentage of them, as one of the selling points of 7-7-07 is that it represents the winning numbers of a lucky jackpot.

Stories are spreading like wildfire and even those with a local angle often has a Las Vegas mention. See today's piece in the LA Times.

Estimates have been pouring out from TheKnot.com, the nation's leading wedding planning website. I've seen their estimate at 31,000 and, more recently, seems to be up to 38,000 "knotties" (the bride, and her groom) who plan to say "I do" on that day nationwide.

Continue reading "The Knot Says 38,000 Couples Will Wed on 7-7-07" »

Posted June 23, 2007 7:22 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Anyone who plays slot machines knows the burning desire to see the reels come up 777, and thereby win a pot of coins. And the prospect of a lucky marriage is prompting couples coast to coast to travel to Las Vegas to get hitched on July 7—the date in ciphers being 7-7-07.

Recognizing a good bet when they see one, staff members of that East Coast stalwart magazine The Atlantic have included the 777 mania in its calendar listings in the July/August edition. The item on page 23 reads as follows:

July 7
Gambling on Love
One-armed bandits may get a workout in Vegas this weekend: Wedding halls are expecting a flood of couples betting that the triple-seven date (7/7/07) will bring a little luck to their nuptials.

Continue reading "777 Las Vegas mania spreads to wedding chapels, finds an echo" »

Posted June 21, 2007 8:58 AM by | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This