Each year thousands of couples come to Las Vegas and get married. Some of these weddings are planned; some are spontaneous, like Britney Spears’ infamous 55-hour wedding to an old friend. But hopefully, most of the weddings that happen in Las Vegas will be far more stable and successful than some of the short-lived celebrity weddings that Vegas has hosted. That said, if you’re considering a wedding in America’s fun capital, what’s your pleasure. It’s no exaggeration to say that in Las Vegas, the sky’s the limit. If you want a Renaissance theme wedding, you can get it at the Excalibur, and they’ll even throw in the King and Queen costumes as part of the deal. If you want to get married by Elvis, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof, that’s possible, and for extra bucks he’ll even serenade you with “Teddy Bear,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t be Cruel,” or any of the King’s other hits.

If a pirate wedding is your style, you can get hitched on the deck of an actual pirate ship at the Mandalay Bay resort with a crew of scurvy swabs and pirate lasses as your witnesses. Aarrrr, now that would be a wedding to remember. On the other hand, if Ancient Egypt is particularly fascinating to you and your fiance’, you can have a mystical, Arabian-style wedding at one of the most beautiful, exotic resorts anywhere on the planet. Now, if you and your fiance’ want to be treated like Roman Royalty, complete with a Roman Centurion for your best man, and some slave girls in waiting for her attendants, then Caesar’s Palace is the place that can provide you with a Roman-themed wedding, including a fabulous wedding feast and a luxurious honeymoon suite.

These are all wild and fun suggestions, but if you crave something a little classier and your budget allows for it, then why not get married at Bellagio in one of the many gorgeous gardens all over the grounds. Such a beautiful, luxurious setting will give you wedding memories that will last you your entire life. If you’ve always dreamed of getting married in Venice but you can’t afford the airfares, the Venetian resort is the next best thing. And after you’re married, you can take a romantic gondola ride through the Venetian and get serenaded by a classically trained gondolier singing opera.

However, if speed, simplicity, and a low cost wedding are your priorities, you can also get married quickly and easily in a no-frills ceremony at one of the dozens of small wedding chapels all over Las Vegas and then get on with your honeymoon in one of the most exciting cities in the world.

For the true NASCAR racing fan, there’s really only one choice for a theme wedding, a NASCAR wedding, of course! If you really want to go whole hog with a NASCAR wedding, then you may as well start with your invitations. How about doing them with the shape and racing colors of your favorite driver’s car or perhaps in the shape of his jacket. Of course, some compromises may be inevitable, such as starting the traditional walk down the aisle by waving a checkered flag. You can also have a checkered runner for the bride and groom to walk down to add to the NASCAR flavor of the event. If you can find a minister, judge or justice of the peace who’s a good sport, perhaps you could convince him to dress up like Dale Earnheardt, Richard Petty, or whoever is your favorite NASCAR driver.

The ultimate NASCAR wedding would probably be held on the infield of your favorite NASCAR track either before the main race or in between races if there are multiple events that day. You’ll have a huge audience for your blessed event that will add to the unforgettable memories you’ll make that day. Check with your local track about arranging a wedding. You’ll probably find them receptive, but you may have to plan well in advance to be sure that you can get the date you want. Be sure to come up with an alternate date in case your outdoor NASCAR wedding has to be called on account of inclement weather.

When it comes to the wedding reception, that’s when you can really get creative about adding NASCAR elements to the proceedings. Why not get some life-sized cardboard stand-ups of your favorite drivers to greet the wedding guests when they enter the hall where the reception is being held? You can decorate the tables with a wedding centerpiece sporting checkered flags and Matchbox versions of NASCAR racers, tow trucks and the like. Of course your wedding cake should be in the shape of your favorite driver’s car with a racecar topper to the cake. The wedding favor boxes should come wrapped in black and white checkered ribbons. You can even extend the NASCAR wedding theme to the napkins you get for place settings. As for food and drink, you can start with soft drinks and beer, which are traditional beverages at NASCAR events, and barbecue, hot dogs, burgers, corndogs, French fries, cotton candy and other foods that are popular at NASCAR races. Of course, you can always serve something more elaborate or classier, but giving your wedding guests fast food only adds to the flavor of the event.

So you want to get married at Mount Rushmore, do you? Well, that can mean a lot of things, such as you and your fiancé being in love with America’s heritage and wanting to make your nuptials a part of it. Just think about it, there are few more potent symbols of America’s historic past than this granite mountainside carved by renowned sculptor Gutzon Borglum into the visages of four of our nation’s greatest presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. Or, if you and your intended aren’t that interested in American history, or the history of the West, perhaps you’re bikers who want to be married during Bike Week in Sturgis, South Dakota, the biggest biker party on the planet, which is held annually in the virtual shadow of Mount Rushmore.

If you do choose to be married at Mount Rushmore you’ll be surrounded by gorgeous natural splendors, and one of the largest man-made sculptures in the entire world. However, despite wanting to be married in the middle of large nation park, you needn’t worry that you won’t have access to all the amenities and conveniences necessary for staging a successful wedding. So many couples choose to get married in this historic, picturesque location that there are plenty of resources available for planning and staging a wedding, whether it’s a conventional ceremony, a western wedding flavor, or a raucous biker wedding held in one of the many saloons in Sturgis South Dakota. But if you do plan to marry in South Dakota, here are a few words of caution for you. If you’re coming from out of state and you want to get married at or near Mount Rushmore, you need to plan everything well in advance. And because of the volume of out of state visitors who flock to Sturgis from out of state during Bike Week (the population of South Dakota more than doubles during the first week of August, when Bike Week is traditionally held), I would advise against getting married at that time unless you really have your heart set on a Biker wedding. Also, because of the harsh winters in South Dakota, you would be well advised to hold your Mount Rushmore wedding in the Spring or Summer to avoid having snow, sleet or freezing rain spoil your ceremony. However, if you plan carefully, and go at the right time of year, you’ll be getting married in one of the most beautiful places in the U.S., with a grand connection to America’s past.

If you’re a couple who yearns for the glamor and mystery of the Golden Age of shipboard travel, you can partake of that history by getting married aboard the R.M.S. Queen Mary, one of the most storied passenger liners in the history of sea travel. You won’t have to travel outside of the United States to do so, either. Since 1967, the Queen Mary has been moored in the harbor of Long Beach, California, where it’s a tourist attraction, nightspot, floating hotel, and prized wedding destination for more than 65 years. In order to get started planning your wedding aboard the Queen Mary, you simply have to surf on over to the Queen Mary website at: www.queenmary.com and click on the wedding link. Many young couples have been married on the teak decks of this floating Art Deco palace over the years and the ship has caterers and wedding planning specialists on staff who can help you plan a special wedding in one of the most classic and beautiful settings on the entire planet. You can choose to stage your ceremony in the Queen Mary’s enchanting wedding chapel, or outdoors on the magnificent Sun Deck Stage overlooking the Pacific.

Imagine getting married there with a spectacular Pacific sunset as your backdrop and then retiring indoors for the reception held in the ultra-chic Art Deco Observation Bar (formerly the liner’s First Class Lounge) for wedding cake, a champagne toast, and a dinner catered by one of the best kitchens on the West Coast. The bride and groom and their guests can also visit one of the other gorgeous nightspots on the Queen Mary, including Tibbies Cabaret and Dinner Theater, or Vamp the Lounge, featuring a saucy burlesque show.

Getting married on the Queen Mary would be an especially nice treat for couples who are history buffs because of the ship’s long and distinguished career not only as one of the most glamorous cruise ships that ever sailed the Seven Seas, but also as a troop transport during World War II that braved the perilous Atlantic transporting our brave fighting men overseas and played hostess to the great wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill not once, but three times during the War and also King Edward VIII, her Majesty Queen Mary, Princess Elizabeth, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the Duchess of Gloucester, who are only some of the many dignitaries and celebrities who have trod the teak decks of this grand and historic ship. Then after your wedding and reception, you can retire to an Art Deco bridal suite and join the thousands of couples who have been married aboard the Queen Mary since she was christened back in the mid-1930s.

With the growing popularity of motorcycles and the biker lifestyle, more and more couples are opting to live the biker life, and that includes having a biker wedding. If you’re new to the scene, you may not always know what’s appropriate, but that’s okay. One thing about bikers is that while they have their traditions, they are all pretty casual. As long as they know they’ll be treated with respect, the bike-loving crowd is open to just about anything.

If you’re attending a biker wedding, you don’t have to wear a suit and tie, and don’t expect the groom to wear a tuxedo and the bride the traditional flowing white wedding dress, but you as a guest will be expected to wear your best leather jacket, chaps or vest, shine up those motorcycle boots and have a reasonable standard of personal hygiene. For biker babes, leather is fine too, but they may want to accent their natural charms with flowers in their hair or a freshly pressed Harley-Davidson bandana to contain their flowing locks. For the wedding itself, it’s okay to have a flower girl, but instead of rose petals, why not have her strew the bridal carpet with little cutouts of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs to add a distinct flavor to the whole affair. And while you’re at it, see if you can locate a biker preacher to officiate in his finest riding leathers.

Wherever you stage a biker wedding, and it isn’t always staged in a church, the place should be decorated in a style that’s in keeping with a biker theme. It could be held in the couple’s favorite biker bar or pool hall, with custom wedding centerpieces on all of the tables. One touch that I really like is having bride and groom Bottle Koozies on bottles of beer at every table. Bride styled Koozies would be for the bride’s friends and family of course, while those showing up from the groom’s side would have Koozies that look like tuxedos. The wedding favors should reflect the biker theme as well. How about getting temporary tattoos printed up with a picture of the happy couple on their favorite bike, or with their names and the date of the wedding? If there are children attending, give them toy Harleys. For the adults, how about tire gauges printed with the happy couple’s names to immortalize their wedding day?

Some other good suggestions for cool party favors are lighters emblazoned with the Harley-Davidson logo, Harley pattern bandanas, wallet chains, Harley key chains or cans of Harley-Davidson beer. Since this is a biker wedding we’re talking about be sure to lay in plenty of beer. It’s considered the height of bad taste to run out of suds at a biker wedding, and bikers drink like fish so plan ahead!

It should come as no surprise that getting married at the Washington Monument would require a great deal of paperwork since the Washington Monument is situated in Washington D.C., the seat of our national government and the heart of our government’s paperwork-obsessed bureaucracy. So, if you have your heart set on getting married in or near this magnificent national treasure, you’d better be sure that you have done your research and know exactly what kind of certificates and permits your marriage will require. Because the Washington Monument is a national monument, you’ll need to secure special permission to be married there. This is in addition to a marriage certificate and other papers you’ll need to secure before getting married.

Getting married in Washington D.C. requires proof of legal age, which you and your fiancée can supply with a driver’s license, birth certificate or valid passport. You must also supply your social security number, address, date of birth and both your home and work phone numbers. However, you don’t have to be a resident of the District of Columbia in order to be married within its confines, nor do you have to submit to any sort of premarital education. If you’ve ever been married before, you will need to provide proof of a divorce or a death certificate for your spouse. There is a waiting period of five days in the District of Columbia. You will need a receipt for $35.00 in order to pick up your wedding license from the DC Superior Courthouse located at 500 Indiana Avenue. Go to room 4885. The offices are open from 8:30 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.

Washington D.C. does require all prospective couples to provide a blood test at the time they apply for their marriage license. The blood test must be conducted within 30 days of applying for the wedding license in order for it to be considered valid. Any physician, clinic, area hospital or a military service lab can conduct the test and provide valid test results.

Cousins other than first cousins can marry in the District of Columbia. However, same sex couples do not have the right to marry there, so they will have to go to a state or municipality that permits such unions. New Hampshire is a popular destination for same sex couples that wish to form a civil union. Ordained ministers and justices of the peace are authorized to marry couples in Washington D.C.

Other than all the paperwork you must obtain if you are getting married at the Washington Monument, you will probably have a splendid time and obtain some beautiful wedding photos!

Although the Grand Canyon has always been a popular wedding and honeymoon destination, (around 130 couples get married there every year, as they have for decades), there’s never been a better time to get married there than right now. One reason for that is the newly constructed Grand Canyon Skywalk, which offers couples the opportunity to get married hanging in space some 4000 feet above the floor of the Canyon, which is visible beneath their feet. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, or for anyone who suffers from a fear of heights, but it would provide you with a unique and unforgettable setting for your nuptials. But of course, that’s only one of the many spectacular vistas that the Grand Canyon and its environs have to offer.

One popular setting for weddings is the South Rim’s Shoshone Point. While it is available for weddings for most of the year, it’s a good idea to book ahead to be sure that you can secure the date you want. There are also picnic tables there and a fire ring if you want to have a wedding reception banquet there on the rim of the canyon. If you’re set on getting married at the Grand Canyon you don’t have to get married on the rim. Many couples choose to trek down to the bottom of the canyon to get married amidst the natural splendors that are on display on the canyon floor. Or, if you can afford it, you can have yourself, your fiancée and your Best Man and Maid or Honor, and the minister, of course, flown down to the canyon floor via helicopter. You’ll land at the helipad on the canyon floor and be taken via horse-drawn wagon to the Grand Canyon West Ranch for the ceremony. Taking the helicopter to the bottom of the canyon will cost you anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 for four passengers and a minister or other officiant, with a charge of $300 for each additional guest.

Once you’ve decided on a spectacular Grand Canyon wedding, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that your nuptials go off without a hitch. Be conscious of the monsoon season. It runs from June 15th through September 15th and features some quite spectacular rainstorms. In fact, it rained so much during the 2008 monsoon season that the village at the bottom of the canyon was flooded out. You’ll also need a wedding license from the Clark County Clerk’s Office. It will cost you $55 and it remains valid for one year after it’s issued.

If you want to get married at Disneyland, Disney World or one of Disney’s other many fine theme parks such as Euro Disney, well, you’re not alone. In fact, so many couples choose to get married at a Disney theme park that the folks who work there have got marriages down to a fine art. So if you have your heart set on getting hitched in the Magic Kingdom™, you should have no trouble arranging it. All you need to do is type “Disney Wedding” into your favorite search engine and you’ll pull up a page of links that will display all of the different Disney wedding packages that are currently available, along with the costs of each. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at all of the options that you’ll have, but don’t be too shocked by the prices. All-inclusive Disney wedding packages can provide you with everything your heart desires, and even some things you probably didn’t even think of, but they don’t come cheap.

Let’s look at the popular Fairy Tale Wedding packages that Disney provides. For a total cost of $15,000 to $25,000, you can get married at one of the many Disney resort hotels with a classical harpist providing the musical accompaniment. This wedding package provides floral packages that include the bridal bouquet, of course, and also three bridesmaids’ bouquets, the groom’s boutonniere and three boutonnieres for the groomsmen. This price includes a cocktail reception with an open bar and snacks for the guest including cheese and vegetable platters. There will be an open bar for five hours, and the cost also includes a sit-down dinner for the bridal party and guests that includes Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or a Romaine Salad, an entrée of Roasted Meyer Lemon Chicken Breast, accompanied by whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes infused with Garlic Asparagus and Red Pepper strips. For desert there’s Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee with seasonal berries. There will be classically designed multi-tier wedding cake of course. The reception will include wedding centerpieces for up to ten tables, chair covers and bows, a disc jockey for entertaining the guests, and a landscaping package to create the proper fairy tale atmosphere.

The Lavish Wedding package (which runs from $30,000 to $45,000 for everything) includes similar amenities, with the addition of Cinderella’s Coach for the Bride to arrive in, a pair of trumpeting heralds to announce the bride’s arrival at the ceremony and the bride and groom’s appearance at the reception. The bride and groom’s path will be strewn with rose petals. The cocktail reception will include snacks like a selection of artisan cheeses, a sumptuous assortment of seafood appetizers, a strolling violinist to serenade the crowd during the reception and dinner, an open bar, and of course, Mickey and Minnie will be in attendance to add that extra touch of Disney charm. It’s unknown if Goofy is available to officiate at the ceremony, but you can always ask.

Aaarrrrhhh, so ye’ve set yer sights on a pirate wedding, have ye, matey? Well, blow me down! I like the cut of yer jib, so read on for some handy tips about staging yer own pirate nuptials, whether you’re planning a full-scale pirate assault or just plannin’ to add a few piratical touches to yer weddin’ and wedding reception.

To begin with, you need to plan just how much you’re going to incorporate your wedding theme into your reception and ceremony. If you want to go all-out, it’s possible to get married in full pirate regalia aboard a ship at sea with a wedding party of up to 68 guests. A Florida company called Fantasea can package just such a pirate wedding for you, complete with a wedding officiant dressed like a pirate captain, a limo to whisk you to the harbor and then back to your hotel for your honeymoon, hors d’oeuvres, beer, champagne and sodas, a musician, a dove release, even a wedding photographer and videographer. Going with a company like Fantasea has its advantages since they regularly handle pirate weddings and can take care of so many of the basic arrangements. On the other hand, staging your own pirate wedding would allow you to personalize it much more and those little touches that could mean so much to your friends, family and fiancée.

If you’re staging your own pirate wedding, you’ll of course want everything to reflect that distinctive theme, including the invitations. You can start by getting some small plastic sand bottles at an art supply store and inserting the treasure map-styled invitations that you’ve crafted, tied up with an appropriately colored ribbon and corking the bottles. Be sure you use plastic bottles, since they can be shipped through the post office with no problems. Be sure to mention the pirate theme in the invitation and encourage guests to dress for the occasion, but be tolerant of friends and family members who don’t want to come in costume. It may take some searching to find a minister or justice of the peace who’s willing to officiate at the ceremony dressed in pirate garb, but it’s possible.

For the wedding reception, I think a tropical theme with lots of finger food is appropriate, and rum punch is de rigueur for the grownups. You can serve roasted kebabs similar to what real pirates ate, chunks of pineapple and other tropical fruits, “treasure chests” filled with chocolate coins and other sweets. It’s also fun to serve everyone drinks in pewter mugs or fake coconut shells to add to the pirate flavor. For party favors you can give everyone their own pirate bandana and add toy spyglasses and eye patches for the littlest pirates. It’s all in good fun, mateys!  Aaarrrrhhh, what a fine weddin’ this’ll be!

For this article I had simply intended to write about the mechanics of getting married on a houseboat in a marina or lake, but then I read about this very special wedding that included a fly-in by owners of vintage seaplanes, and I knew I had to write about it. This is one of the coolest weddings that I have ever heard about and must have been really wonderful for the lucky couple that experienced it. Now I know that not everybody has access to a seaplane, but I have to admit that arriving on this unique mode of transportation would make any wedding really, really special. For one thing, coming in by seaplane means that you can stage your wedding at a very remote location, even one that’s inaccessible by wheeled vehicles. Getting married in such a private place has a certain romance and charm to it, though of course, it might mean that some of your loved ones who hate flying or are too elderly might be unable to attend. In that case, you could always have a second, later ceremony held somewhere more convenient like a local church or wedding chapel. If you are choosing to have an unusual “fun” wedding it’s always in good taste to consider the needs of elderly or infirm friends and family so that they won’t feel left out.

However, for those guests who are hardy enough and adventurous enough to want to attend a houseboat wedding and get there by seaplane or floatplane, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Just remember that if you are getting married on a houseboat in the middle of a lake, you’ll need to plan carefully and ensure that you have everything you need onboard, including your wedding bouquet and floral arrangements, all of the food and drink for your guests, a source of music, whether it’s live musicians, a wedding DJ, or just some recorded music on CDs and tapes. When you’re out in the middle of a lake you won’t be able to just pop down to the store and pick up whatever you forgot so proper planning is essential.

Then after the wedding and the reception, you have the option of staying aboard your houseboat for a leisurely honeymoon cruise around the lake, or taking off in one of the seaplanes to your ultimate honeymoon destination. The sky is literally the limit for this kind of a special wedding that truly takes you from the sky to the water and back again.