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When it comes to eloping for a courthouse wedding, one size does not fit all. If government is known for one thing, it’s trying to solve problems with a cold, calculated mass application solution.
Don’t get us wrong — there are some very lovely courthouses out there that make good backdrops for wedding photography and many court officials who are perfectly capable of conducting a beautiful and meaningful ceremony.
But a courthouse wedding just can’t compare to an elopement or microwedding, tailored to you, in Las Vegas.
Vegas is home to some of the best hospitality and customer service on the planet, and while you might associate hospitality and customer service with the hotel industry, it also absolutely applies to how we plan and execute weddings.
If you want a simple civil ceremony at the Las Vegas courthouse, then we won’t stop you, but here are some reasons why a luxury Las Vegas elopement beats a courthouse wedding any day.
Ditching Convention
While eloping is becoming more and more common, getting hitched at the courthouse still feels rather traditional compared to a luxury elopement or micro wedding.
For instance, there’s nothing conventional about getting married in a museum such as the Neon Museum or the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum.
Eloping is all about ditching convention, and with the add-ons we offer, such as audio guestbooks and behind the scenes footage options for your social media channels, you’ll never be accused of being conventional.
Customization
A luxury elopement or micro wedding ceremony can be endlessly customized to your vision. Every aspect of your special day can be tailored to your preferences in order to make it picture perfect.
Our team of experts will listen to you, pull strings for you and bring the emotions and humanity to your wedding that can’t be placed on the docket downtown at city hall.
With a Vegas elopement from Cactus Collective Weddings, you’ll be treated like a close friend, not a number. Close friends go the extra mile for you.
Our experts and specialists can provide custom bouquets, custom photography packages, custom playlists and find ways to make your wedding truly yours.
For example, at one of our recent Red Rock Canyon weddings our guitarist realized (on the spot) that the groom was from Hawaii and opted to play “White Sandy Beach” for the couple.
The impromptu selection was very much appreciated and created an unplanned, yet meaningful and memorable, customized addition to the couple’s experience.
Intimacy
While a super small gathering at the courthouse sounds intimate, you can certainly do better.
Eloping at the courthouse means that you’ll just be part of the day-to-day movement and activity in the building. The business of governing doesn’t stop just because there’s a wedding going on down the hall.
Avoid the courthouse for a much more intimate affair. We don’t recommend doing anything that makes walking down the aisle feel like showing up for jury duty or paying a parking ticket.
Setting
We’ve already touched on the setting category a bit, but we want to give venues their own entry on this list because venue is a major differentiator.
The perfect setting can make all the difference when it comes to capturing your vibe as a couple.
The Las Vegas area has some really incredible scenery, on and off the Strip. Did you see the Bellagio fountains featured in the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix background recently? You can get married there!
If your love story has a country theme or an old west vibe, there’s no better place to say “I do” than one of the wildest places in the west: Eldorado Canyon.
Or go for the classic Vegas Midcentury Manor, if the Rat Pack and Hollywood glam are more your style. We have something available for everyone.
If you consider yourself anti-establishment, you may want to look into the Punk Rock Museum, which is available for micro weddings and elopements through our sister company, Electric Sugar Elopements.
Obviously, these venues provide couples with photography opportunities you can’t find in the halls of justice.
Guests
In Las Vegas, couples opting for a civil ceremony at the courthouse are limited to eight guests and are required to bring at least one to act as a witness.
You may or may not want more than eight guests, but the courthouse doesn’t make exceptions for couples who do, so you’d be out of luck.
With a luxury elopement or micro wedding from Cactus Collective Weddings, couples are allowed up to 50 guests.
And at the ultra low end of the guest list scale we’ve got the witness requirement covered for you — your photographer will serve as your witness.
The Stress Test
At the courthouse, no fuss also means no frills. Sure, you won’t have to plan for decorations, but you also won’t get any that aren’t already built into the building.
And don’t think you’ll be avoiding the hassle of picking a date, because you’ll have to have an appointment.
Some couples choose to have a courthouse wedding to eliminate stress. That’s well and good, but what if you could have a stress-free gorgeous, well-planned and expertly crafted wedding experience AND get stunning magazine worthy photos of your day too?!
That’s what we live for!
One of our number one goals at Cactus Collective Weddings is to make your wedding as stress-free as possible. We’ve helped hundreds of happy couples pull it off and can’t wait to get started on the details of your special day.
Give us a call or get in touch with us today.
Let’s get you the wedding you knew you wanted but didn’t know you could afford!
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.
