Economy Hammers Quickie Vegas Wedding Industry

At any given moment, the Las Vegas Strip is strewn with gown-wearing brides and unshaven grooms with befuddled, what-have-I-done looks on their faces. But tough economic times have brought the population of these leap-before-you-lookers down to its lowest level since 1993.

The AP reports the 92,000 marriages in or near Las Vegas is in 2010 was a far cry from the 128,250 hitchings in 2004. Since then, the amount of Vegas weddings has declined each year. Wedding-related revenues in Nevada’s Clark County have slipped from $7 million in 2004 to $5.5 million last year, and chapel owners have started to reach out to already-married couples to renew their vows and gay couples to set up commitment ceremonies.

Vegas has long been a popular wedding destination due to its lax marriage laws — no blood tests or waiting period required — and it offers licenses between 8 a.m. and midnight.

Las Vegas wedding chapels deal with love recession [AP via Las Vegas Sun]

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