They say Frank Sinatra made Las Vegas swing, and he certainly helped make our wedding swing when Ricardo and I took our first married dance to Fly Me To The Moon. That, plus the fact that my husband spent his entire stag weekend dressed as Elvis, meant that Las Vegas was calling when we wanted to celebrate a big wedding anniversary and renew our vows.
Thinking of renewing your wedding vows in Las Vegas?
Read our guide to renewing your vows in Vegas, covering: how to choose a chapel, what the packages cost, whether it’s tacky, and what our own Elvis-led ceremony was really like.
Let’s tackle the big question first, because it’s the one everyone asks. The honest answer is: only if you think so, and only if you want it to be.
You can build your Las Vegas vow renewal to suit your requirements; it can be as tasteful or as gloriously silly as you like. You can have a quiet, romantic ceremony by candlelight and your own heartfelt words, or you can go ‘full Elvis’ arriving in a pink Cadillac with a Blue Hawaii serenade.
Neither option is wrong. Design your vow renewal how you want it to be. After a very traditional wedding ‘back in the day’, we decided to go for the fun factor. Our Elvis themed vow renewal suited us perfectly, but you can also find understated and elegant options in Las Vegas, if that’s what you want.
So don’t let the fear of “tacky” put you off. Vegas hands you the dial, and you decide how far to turn it.
No. A vow renewal ceremony isn’t a legal ceremony, so you don’t need a marriage licence, and you don’t need to bring proof of your marriage either. Some chapels may ask to see your original certificate, but it isn’t required.
For a Vow Renewal Ceremony, you can simply turn up and enjoy it.
Real Weddings – if you are actually getting married in Las Vegas, then you’ll need to obtain a Clark County marriage licence beforehand.
There are dozens of wedding chapels in Las Vegas, and each has its own angle – one claims to be the oldest, another the first to offer Elvis ceremonies, and there’s even a drive-thru if you want the quickest version going.
Most chapels offer both real weddings and vow renewal ceremonies, with packages ranging from wildly romantic to very silly indeed, so you can spend a happy evening browsing them online.
When you’re choosing, these are the things worth weighing up:
Location: Chapels sit either on or near The Strip, or over in Downtown Las Vegas near Fremont Street. Pick one that suits where you're staying, as most include a limo pickup from your hotel.
Theme and vibe: Decide whether you want traditional and romantic, or themed and fun (Elvis is the classic, but there are others).
What the package includes: flowers, photos, video, a livestream and transport all vary. Check what's in each package, and if anything needs to be paid on top.
Group options: If you're travelling with friends who also want to take part, look for a group package. We shared our Vow Renewal Ceremony with friends who were also celebrating.
Reviews: Read recent reviews. The officiant and Coordinator make or break the day, and the good chapels have decades of happy couples behind them.
Prices vary alot, so here’s a rough guide to help you budget. Always check current prices with the chapel, as they change and promotions come and go.
Simplest ceremonies: A basic chapel or drive-thru renewal can start from around $80 to $160.
The popular middle ground: Most couples spend somewhere around $500 to $700 for the full experience, with a limo, fresh flowers, professional photos and often a livestream.
Themed and Elvis ceremonies: Usually priced like the standard packages with a themed premium on top, so circa $250-500.
Outdoor and scenic: Ceremonies at spots like Red Rock Canyon or Valley of Fire tend to start around $650 and up.
The showstopper: A Grand Canyon helicopter ceremony can run to roughly $2,750, flight included.
One honest word of warning – watch the extras that sit outside the headline price. The officiant’s fee is often paid separately in cash (commonly $60 to $100), and there are usually gratuities for the chauffeur and photographer, plus tax and sometimes a surcharge on popular dates. When a package says “all-inclusive”, it’s worth checking exactly what that covers.
Ask what's NOT included. Officiant fees, gratuities and special-date surcharges often sit on top of the advertised price.
We wanted an Elvis theme, so we gravitated towards the Graceland Wedding Chapel, one of the oldest in the city, which claims to be the first chapel to offer Elvis-themed ceremonies. It has hosted its share of celebrity nuptials over the years, including Jon Bon Jovi and Lily Allen. Non-Elvis ceremonies are available too.
Note – Elvis himself did not marry here, but he did visit the Chapel in 1967 to have a look around. After Elvis’s death in 1977, the Chapel (originally the McKee Wedding Chapel, after its founder) renamed itself in his memory and began offering the Elvis ceremonies it’s known for today.
We went all-out fun and chose a Group Blue Hawaii Vow Renewal, which enabled two couples to share the same renewal ceremony. As we were travelling with friends who were also celebrating a big anniversary, it was perfect. On the day, Elvis first facilitates the vow renewal for one couple, then for the second couple, although you are all together in the same room and can have photos together as a group.
Our package included silk flower garlands, Elvis shades, a video of the ceremony, professional photos and a livestream on Facebook. We came away with our own renewal certificate, and a copy of Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding certificate for good measure.
The chapel arranged a limo to collect us from our hotel and bring us back, which took all the stress out of getting there. Ours had disco lights inside and Elvis tunes playing, including Suspicious Minds, which made us chuckle given the occasion.
The communication from the Graceland Wedding Chapel beforehand was excellent, with plenty of reminders about what to bring. They’ve been running services for decades, so it’s a safe pair of hands.
Even so, it’s hard to fully know what to expect, and we did have a few nerves. But ‘our Elvis’ was warm and professional, and did a lovely job of putting us at ease and coordinating both couples, guiding us on where to stand, what to say and how to pose for the photographer. Any nerves melted away quickly.
He serenaded us with Blue Hawaii, Can’t Help Falling in Love and Rock-a-hula, so it was good fun throughout. It won’t be for everyone, but we loved every minute.
During our ceremony we let Elvis lead and suggest what to say, though you can bring your own words if there’s something particular you’d like to express. Ours ended up a mix of touching and light-hearted words, which was just right for us.
If you’d prefer something more romantic than the fun Blue Hawaii style, the Chapel offers more romantic options as well – there’s a version to suit whatever mood you’re after.
The icing on the cake was that our family back in the UK could watch the livestream on the Chapel’s Facebook page, so nobody missed out. On the limo ride back, we read through the comments they’d left, some funny and some touching. It’s a lovely touch if your loved ones can’t be there in person, and worth checking a chapel offers it.
We were buzzing for hours afterwards, and felt we’d created a lasting memory for a very special occasion. On reflection, only Las Vegas could have delivered this kind of ceremony. It simply wouldn’t have worked as well anywhere else.
So yes, Las Vegas is a wonderful place to renew your vows, with or without Elvis. You can make it anything you want it to be: romantic, fun, or even just a little bit tacky. And that, to us, is exactly the point.
In closing
A vow renewal is a brilliant centrepiece, but it's one afternoon of a bigger trip. For everything else, from where to stay to the resort fees to what to do with the rest of your days, see our full guide to planning a Las Vegas trip. If you fancy going all out, some couples even pair the occasion with a Grand Canyon helicopter flight.
Do something worth remembering - Elvis.
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