Lifting the Veil on Las Vegas' ‘New Wave' Weddings
But post-pandemic, Vegas is back in its bridal best. And she's never looked better. In 2024, Clark County issued a buoyant 76,779 marriage licenses, with wedding tourism generating an estimated $2.5 billion in economic impact. Among the 18,000 people employed in the city's matrimony industry are a new wave of style-savvy vendors, who are reshuffling the pack by blending retro style with modern sensibilities.
Think pin-up parlors using vegan beauty products, vintage-inspired cakes worthy of a social post on the grid and ceremonies so kitsch they're actually chic – with Elvis still very much in the building. In short, it's once again fashionable to say 'I do' in Sin City.
Leading the charge in Vegas' love-fueled renaissance are two fingers-on-the-pulse chapels: Sure Thing and its equally glamorous younger sister, Sure Thing Too. Tucked into a former strip mall on Fremont Street – sandwiched on either side of a tattoo parlor and bathed in the warm glow of vintage motel signs – the love shacks have been lighting up social media like a Vegas slot machine on a winning streak.
Step through the doors and it's easy to see why. The interiors are a glorious whirlwind of nostalgic powder pink and baby blue drapes, flickering sweetheart-shaped neon and cherubs suspended overhead. This is Vegas kitsch, made fresh for a new generation.
The Instagenic settings have chimed particularly well online, says co-owner Amy Hybarger, who along with her partner Victoria Hogan, has a background in photography. 'I'd say at least half of our bookings find us on social media,' Hybarger says.
And it's not just the aesthetics that are luring lovebirds. According to Hybarger, affordability is another major draw. 'Although many of our couples really splurge on details for their day, it's also easy to be super chic in Vegas and not break the bank,' she adds.
The chapels lay on themed experiences with all the showmanship of a circus ringmaster twirling a gilded baton. At Sure Thing and Sure Thing Too, lovers can strike a pose in the creaking leather seats of a classic car, march down the aisle to the dulcet tones of an antique Wurlitzer electronic organ and exchange vows beneath the glittering gaze of a female Elvis or a burlesque showgirl.
Bonus points, of course, if their pampered pooch is trotting down the aisle as a ring bearer in a rhinestone collar. And there's even a velvet-curtained photo booth on hand for a strip of kiss-me-quick souvenirs.
One couple who decided to renew their vows at the Sure Thing chapel are Margaret and Corey Bienert:
The amorous duo is the creative force behind A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, a viral account showcasing throwback hotels in the U.S. that has amassed a staggering 1.4 million followers on TikTok.
Renewing their vows 13 years after marrying young out of a sense of 'duty or even obligation' to their deeply religious backgrounds, Margaret said Vegas offered a moment of true reverence. 'We're still very much in love, but we're different people now and don't hold the same beliefs about marriage.'
Now in their thirties, their union these days feels more like a grand adventure. 'Vegas is the perfect place to celebrate that. It's very 'come as you are,' no questions asked. And we're serious about being a little bit ridiculous, dramatic and hopelessly romantic,' she said, recalling their happily-ever-after moment, complete with a photo op in front of a black velvet portrait of 'The King of Rock and Roll' himself.
There's really nothing new about over-the-top wedding cakes in Vegas – sugar-sprinkled fantasies have been served here for decades. Back in 1967, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu sliced into a towering six-tier creation, draped in a cloak of Kirsch-flavored fondant, at their Aladdin Hotel celebration, following a speedy ceremony that took all of eight minutes.
Today, one can only imagine The King tipping his lacquered quiff in approval at Winston Marie Cakes, a mid-century-themed bakery where the confections flirt shamelessly with glitter-dipped cherries, coquettish satin bows and endless swirls of decadent buttercream.
'Interest in vintage wedding cakes has definitely picked up over the past year,' said owner Monique Perez. 'Right now, I'm averaging about 40 wedding cakes a month, ranging from a small 'elopement' cake to a tiered showstopper.' At the more elaborate end of the scale, a bespoke cake can take up to 24 hours to create. 'My signature look is very maximalist and detail-heavy,' she said, adding that cherubs, pearl sprinkles and vintage toppers all make frequent appearances.
A quick detour across town leads to Dafna Beauty parlor, a hair-and-makeup emporium for vintage vixens. Since opening its doors in 2023, the boutique has been conjuring up bridal looks that would have made Elizabeth Taylor raise an impeccably arched brow in approval.
Inside the all-pink-everything salon is a dream team of stylists, armed with flicks of cat-eye liner, tubes of siren-red lipstick and enough hairspray to sculpt a beehive that could survive a thunderstorm.
'Old Hollywood wavy hair is always a go-to, but I feel like we've been doing more 1960s laid back half updos lately too,' said salon founder and beauty influencer Dafna Bar-el. Baby blue eyeshadow is also having a moment, particularly among those committing at Sure Thing Too, where the look doubles as a playful nod to the chapel's pastel-hued palette.
Bar-el is quick to note that her beauty parlor celebrates vintage aesthetics, not values.
All products are vegan, cruelty-free and consciously low on plastic packaging.
She adds that being situated in the heart of Downtown, in the shadow of events like 'Viva Las Vegas' – the world's largest rockabilly festival, held each April – helps spread the word. 'We personally attend the event and also host an annual pre-Viva party at our boutique.'
Capturing these looks in all their Technicolor glory is a new crew of shutterbugs and videographers. Among them is photographer Cruz Valentin, who swaps digital crispness for deliciously grainy 35mm analog film. She's often spotted at offbeat venues like the Neon Museum Las Vegas, where couples can tie the knot before a glowing chorus of historic signage and have enough room for up to 50 guests.
For those craving yet more throwback magic, Valentin also offers instant Polaroids and captures the ceremony on original Kodak Super 8 film – not since your grandparents' road trip to Niagara Falls have these old-school cameras seen so much action.
Getting hitched in Sin City has always been a vibe; it's just that now, a new generation is falling head over heels for its unique charms, often via the scroll of a social media feed, said Hybarger. 'Vegas weddings have always been cool! I think the couples getting married now care less about traditional norms and are really leaning into having enjoyable, beautiful experiences.'
As newlyweds increasingly trade protocol for personality, Vegas just might be the bellwether for how Americans marry now: in wildly photogenic settings and proudly on their own terms.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Frame Work: New play shows the human impacts of drone warfare
A new play coming to the Detroit Public Theatre tells the story of how a U.S. drone pilot's job affects his mental health and his family. The big picture: The story of " Drone" is set alongside a series of testimonies based on real U.S. drone strike survivors, delving into the impacts of drone warfare. The production also features live music from the U.S. and Middle East, and involves a temple to an Egyptian goddess, Elvis impersonators and a sex worker. Between the lines: Presented by the Dearborn-based Arab American National Museum, "Drone" is written by award-winning playwright Andrea Assaf. Assaf worked on the project during an artist residency with the museum. What they're saying: Assaf said in a news release that Dearborn and Metro Detroit were the "perfect place" for "Drone" to be conceived and premiere. "We are creating a new performance about global wars that are happening right now, while they are happening, with the communities who are most impacted by them," Assaf said. "We are investigating this technology while it is escalating." If you go:"Drone" is showing July 31–Aug. 2 at 7pm and Aug. 3 at 2pm.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Building the Band' has Liam Payne's last major appearance before his death
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Netflix's new reality show, 'Building the Band,' unexpectedly became Liam Payne's last major appearance — moments the show's hosts say they, along with contestants and viewers, are lucky to have. The show features Payne as a guest judge, offering pointed but witty advice to young bands chasing success not unlike what he achieved as part of the culture-shifting boy band, One Direction. Payne died in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, not long after the show's production wrapped. 'Getting to see the real, true him that the world gets to remember him for, which you'll see on this show, is just a beautiful thing,' says the Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, the show's host. 'Building the Band' flips traditional music competitions on their head, bringing together 50 up-and-coming artists who are tasked with singing for each other and forming groups based on those performances. The catch? They can't see how anyone looks. The first batch of episodes premiered in early July and the last few episodes, including the finale, will drop Wednesday. The show ultimately follows six bands working to develop their group sound and performances — until only one band is left standing, winning the $500,000 prize. The show is hosted by McLean, with Pussycat Dolls frontwoman — and newly minted Tony winner — Nicole Scherzinger mentoring the bands and Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland serving as a guest judge alongside Payne. Payne's impact on 'Building the Band' The series opened with a dedication to Payne and his family, in which McLean said they 'never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend' while filming the show. Payne first appears in the seventh episode for the showcase, where each band performs in front of a live audience and the judges, only about a week after they form. 'We were amazing dancers, obviously, in One Direction,' Payne joked in the episode while offering critiques to boy band Midnight 'til Morning, whose members expressed hesitations with dancing onstage. Band member Mason Watts then revealed his family had won tickets to sit front row at a One Direction concert when he was 11, stoking applause from the crowd and a heartfelt response from Payne. 'Ever since that moment, I wanted to be in a group,' Watts, originally from Australia, said in the episode. 'It's kind of a full-circle moment to be here with a group and performing in front of you. So, thank you, man.' Landon Boyce, a member of the show's other boy band, Soulidified, told The Associated Press that Payne left a lasting impact and was a leading example of how he hopes to carry himself as a performer. 'I remember Liam just said, 'Have fun,'' Boyce says. 'He just told us, 'I wish One Direction kind of, like, did what you guys were doing.' And I kind of just took that as like, let's just have fun and dance.' Payne is seen nodding along with excitement during the band's showcase performance, when they sang 'Sure Thing' by Miguel. Bradley Rittmann, another Soulidified member, told the AP they were 'on Cloud 9' after Payne said he would join their band. Payne applauded their ability to own the stage and acknowledged the unconventionality of their band due to the members' varying musical and fashion styles, saying he 'wouldn't put you guys together, but the result was amazing.' How it works: 'Love is Blind' meets 'The Voice' This show mashes together the likes of 'Love is Blind' with music competition shows like 'The Voice,' secluding contestants in pods, where they can only hear each other. Contestants can express interest by hitting a button during the performance, and then speak through voice chats to test their chemistry. The initial 50 contestants dwindled to just 22, comprising two boy bands, three girl bands and one mixed-gender group. Contestants chose their bandmates without input from the host or judges. 'It formed in the most real, raw, authentic way,' says Aaliyah Rose Larsen, a member of the mixed-gender band SZN4. 'I think we would have re-found each other in a million other lifetimes, in a billion other shows, because we were always meant to find each other.' The result of this process, judges say, are bands that labels traditionally wouldn't form, given members' differences in style and appearance — an important pillar of the show, McLean and Rowland say, given the current state of the music industry. 'Back in the beginning of our careers, your sophomore album was the one that would make or break you. Now you get one shot,' McLean says. 'To be able to give the power back to these individuals, to let them put each other together based on just raw talent and chemistry, never seeing each other, is a testament to truly what it is to be in a band.' An audience vote determines which bands continue on after each live performance. The last episode of the first batch left viewers on a cliffhanger, as Midnight 'til Morning and girl group Siren Society were voted in the bottom two. The next batch will reveal who was eliminated. Payne embraced the mentorship role Rowland says Payne was fully invested in the process and checked in regarding the bands' progress after filming. Payne had also expressed interest in mentoring the bands after the show ended, Boyce remembers. 'He was just honest. He called everything out, you know what I mean? Before they saw it, before we saw it,' Rowland says, adding that Payne had 'many shining moments' during his storied and decorated career , 'but this was a really incredible one.' Nori Moore, a member of 3Quency, 'had a lot of firsts' in the show as a young performer and says Payne's advice to contestants that they claim the moment every time they walk onstage was pivotal to her development as an artist. Larsen says viewers can watch the show and 'see his heart.' 'We know how much he loves the show,' says Katie Roeder, another SZN4 member. 'I know he's very proud of us and looking down on us.'
3 days ago
'Building the Band' has Liam Payne's last major appearance before his death
LOS ANGELES -- Netflix's new reality show, 'Building the Band,' unexpectedly became Liam Payne's last major appearance — moments the show's hosts say they, along with contestants and viewers, are lucky to have. The show features Payne as a guest judge, offering pointed but witty advice to young bands chasing success not unlike what he achieved as part of the culture-shifting boy band, One Direction. Payne died in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, not long after the show's production wrapped. 'Getting to see the real, true him that the world gets to remember him for, which you'll see on this show, is just a beautiful thing,' says the Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, the show's host. 'Building the Band' flips traditional music competitions on their head, bringing together 50 up-and-coming artists who are tasked with singing for each other and forming groups based on those performances. The catch? They can't see how anyone looks. The first batch of episodes premiered in early July and the last few episodes, including the finale, will drop Wednesday. The show ultimately follows six bands working to develop their group sound and performances — until only one band is left standing, winning the $500,000 prize. The show is hosted by McLean, with Pussycat Dolls frontwoman — and newly minted Tony winner — Nicole Scherzinger mentoring the bands and Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland serving as a guest judge alongside Payne. The series opened with a dedication to Payne and his family, in which McLean said they 'never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend' while filming the show. Payne first appears in the seventh episode for the showcase, where each band performs in front of a live audience and the judges, only about a week after they form. 'We were amazing dancers, obviously, in One Direction,' Payne joked in the episode while offering critiques to boy band Midnight 'til Morning, whose members expressed hesitations with dancing onstage. Band member Mason Watts then revealed his family had won tickets to sit front row at a One Direction concert when he was 11, stoking applause from the crowd and a heartfelt response from Payne. 'Ever since that moment, I wanted to be in a group,' Watts, originally from Australia, said in the episode. 'It's kind of a full-circle moment to be here with a group and performing in front of you. So, thank you, man.' Landon Boyce, a member of the show's other boy band, Soulidified, told The Associated Press that Payne left a lasting impact and was a leading example of how he hopes to carry himself as a performer. 'I remember Liam just said, 'Have fun,'' Boyce says. 'He just told us, 'I wish One Direction kind of, like, did what you guys were doing.' And I kind of just took that as like, let's just have fun and dance.' Payne is seen nodding along with excitement during the band's showcase performance, when they sang 'Sure Thing' by Miguel. Bradley Rittmann, another Soulidified member, told the AP they were 'on Cloud 9' after Payne said he would join their band. Payne applauded their ability to own the stage and acknowledged the unconventionality of their band due to the members' varying musical and fashion styles, saying he 'wouldn't put you guys together, but the result was amazing.' This show mashes together the likes of 'Love is Blind' with music competition shows like 'The Voice,' secluding contestants in pods, where they can only hear each other. Contestants can express interest by hitting a button during the performance, and then speak through voice chats to test their chemistry. The initial 50 contestants dwindled to just 22, comprising two boy bands, three girl bands and one mixed-gender group. Contestants chose their bandmates without input from the host or judges. 'It formed in the most real, raw, authentic way,' says Aaliyah Rose Larsen, a member of the mixed-gender band SZN4. 'I think we would have re-found each other in a million other lifetimes, in a billion other shows, because we were always meant to find each other.' The result of this process, judges say, are bands that labels traditionally wouldn't form, given members' differences in style and appearance — an important pillar of the show, McLean and Rowland say, given the current state of the music industry. 'Back in the beginning of our careers, your sophomore album was the one that would make or break you. Now you get one shot,' McLean says. 'To be able to give the power back to these individuals, to let them put each other together based on just raw talent and chemistry, never seeing each other, is a testament to truly what it is to be in a band.' An audience vote determines which bands continue on after each live performance. The last episode of the first batch left viewers on a cliffhanger, as Midnight 'til Morning and girl group Siren Society were voted in the bottom two. The next batch will reveal who was eliminated. Rowland says Payne was fully invested in the process and checked in regarding the bands' progress after filming. Payne had also expressed interest in mentoring the bands after the show ended, Boyce remembers. 'He was just honest. He called everything out, you know what I mean? Before they saw it, before we saw it,' Rowland says, adding that Payne had 'many shining moments' during his storied and decorated career, 'but this was a really incredible one.' Nori Moore, a member of 3Quency, 'had a lot of firsts' in the show as a young performer and says Payne's advice to contestants that they claim the moment every time they walk onstage was pivotal to her development as an artist. Larsen says viewers can watch the show and 'see his heart.'
