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Say “I Do” Using Tips from our NFR Elopement and Micro Wedding Guide
Every December in Las Vegas, the wedding capital of the world gets transformed into the rodeo capital of the world as the National Finals Rodeo takes over the Thomas & Mack Center for 10 days of top-notch competition and entertainment.
The town goes all out to welcome its rodeo visitors with dedicated programming up and down the Strip, on Fremont, and everywhere in between. If you’re coming to Las Vegas for the biggest country party of the year, then why not grab your sweetheart, put a gold buckle on it and get married?!
In this blog, I’ll offer ideas for couples wanting to round up their posse for one heck of a party and say, “I do” in Las Vegas as part of their NFR trip.
WHERE TO STAY
Quick answer: The South Point
The South Point is arguably the best place to stay during the rodeo. They take care of strangers as if they were family and even offer the best horse trailer parking in town. Whether your dualie is towing a fifth wheel or a bumper pull, South Point has room for it. On the entertainment side, it’s hard to beat this property. The NFR Go-Round Buckle Awards, and the all night party that comes with it, have moved from the Golden Nugget to South Point, making it a true gem for Rodeo goers.
South Point isn’t the only option. The Westgate is the official hotel of Cowboy Christmas exhibitors because it’s super close to the Las Vegas Convention Center. So if you’ve got a booth, or plan on making the free convention center showcase a part of your daily NFR routine, then Westgate is the place for you.
There are many resorts and hotels acting as official host hotels, all of which should be part of the free shuttle bus network taking fans to the Thomas & Mack Center each night for the rodeo. Book a place on the South part of the Strip (MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay) for the shortest shuttle ride to the arena. You can catch the shuttle from one of the host hotels, even if you’re not staying at one of them, so don’t worry too much.
WEDDING VENUES
Quick answer: Cactus Joe’s
The greater Las Vegas area, Southern Nevada and the Mojave Desert are full of southwestern vistas, tumbleweeds, ghost towns and picture-perfect country and western style venues. Cactus Collective Weddings has scouted them out for you and offers a great selection of venue options for your micro wedding or elopement during the National Finals Rodeo.
One of our favorites is Cactus Joe’s Blue Diamond Nursery. This rustic locals’ favorite has dozens of interesting displays and brings the perfect Wild West feel to your wedding day. Get hitched in the little pink chapel, between towering Saguaros or on the steps of an old west storefront.
If your vision of the desert is dry, desolate and wide open, then the Dry Lake Bed just south of Boulder City is the spot you’re looking for. Each pop of color in dress, floral or prop will add an impressive element to the rather unassuming backdrop, and it’s likely you’ll have a beautiful sunset to ride off into.
ATTIRE
Quick answer: A pair of 13MWZ jeans, a sturdy Resitol and a shiny buckle… is there anything else?
Because the 65th NFR is sponsored by Wrangler (of course), why would you want to wear anything else other than your trusty blue jeans for your wedding! The only question is, boot cut or straight leg? No matter which you choose, wear them with pride.
No self-respecting cowpoke should be without a hat to top things off and a good pair of boots to get around in. If you made it all the way to the NFR without these essentials, then there’s plenty of good places to pick them up here in Vegas.
Boot Barn has doubled down on catering to the western wear crowd with both a work store and a western store at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Warm Springs. During NFR week, they’ve even been known to expand their offerings with a tent sale in the parking lot between their two buildings.
The Fashion Show Mall, located near the center of the resort corridor, has one of a handful of specialty western shops we like on the Strip: Cavender’s. They bring a touch of western flair to all the glitz of the Vegas Strip. Mosey on in to see what they got in stock.
The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas event has hundreds of vendors, many of which sell hats, boots, buckles, and everything else you could possibly need. You’ll likely already be making a visit to this huge merchandise show, and each afternoon you can shop right up until the festivities start at the arena thanks to it being one of the express shuttle departure points. The whole event has a very red, white and blue Americana feeling to it, so chances are you’ll have no trouble finding “something blue” to add to your wedding day outfit, even if it’s a pair of hardworking, good-looking blue jeans.
ENTERTAINMENT
Quick answer: Downtown Hoedown
In addition to the moniker of “wedding capital of the world,” Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and during the NFR there’s no shortage of fantastic options. All the biggest acts, show stopping headliners and brightest country stars come to town for the rodeo.
Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert and others will be in residence this December, while country stars like Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Jon Pardi, Diamond Rio and more will make appearances around rodeo time as well.
There’s also a Texas-sized group of house bands, up-and-coming artists and cover bands that take stages all over town to keep the boot-scootin’ lively each December. You won’t have to plan as far out in advance to see one of these shows; just keep your eyes peeled during your stay and you’ll find them.
If you’re in town before the NFR kicks into high gear, be sure to add the Downtown Hoedown to your wedding week activities. The 2023 edition of the free concert series takes place on December 6 and will feature live performances by country music stars Eli Young Band, LOCASH, Shane Smith & The Saints, Priscilla Block and Bryan Martin. The celebration transforms the world-famous Fremont Street Experience into a honky-tonk paradise that stretches across three stages.
The Dawg House Saloon at Resorts World has quickly become a favorite live music spot. The original sports bar and music venue located in Nashville has translated well to Vegas, and is perfectly situated across from the casino and adjacent to the sports book. Patrons can enjoy live music, beers and pub fare.
But they certainly aren’t the only ones hosting the party. Country and western mainstays, like Gilley’s, Stoney’s and Coyote Ugly, will also be rockin’ late into the night, as will many other bars.
LOCALS’ SECRET
Quick answer: Pioneer Saloon
The Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings has 110 years of experience serving cold drinks and juicy burgers and steaks to dusty miners and frontier folk under its belt buckle. The old mining town’s hangout is about a 40 to 50-minute drive south of town, and it’s as authentic as it gets. Pair an outing to the saloon with a ceremony at Cactus Joe’s Blue Diamond Nursery for the ultimate southwestern vibes on your wedding day.
GOOD RIDE!
Las Vegas is a town built to host every kind of visitor. In the spring, it hosts the world’s largest electronic dance music festival and — for the first time this fall — Formula One will come to town with a whole different kind of horsepower to spark the imagination of newlyweds. But, at its roots, Las Vegas is a dusty old western frontier town that knows how to throw a root-tootin’ shindig with the best of them.
If you’ll be in Sin City for the National Finals Rodeo this year and want to get married during your trip, get in touch and we’ll pull something out of our ten-gallon hat for you!
McKenzi Taylor is America’s go-to elopement and micro wedding expert, often featured in small and major media outlets, such as the New York Times. With over 15 years of wedding photography experience, it was after planning her own Las Vegas elopement in 2016 that McKenzi felt her purpose shift into elopement coordination. She started Cactus Collective Weddings soon after in 2017. Since then, she’s become a WIPA board member, and has helped well over 1000 couples get hitched in style around Las Vegas, San Diego and Black Hills.
