Besides secretly marrying because your family won’t approve of your future husband/wife.
Well, MrWhatsit and I got married in Vegas primarily because we decided that we wanted to get married quickly, we didn’t want a big wedding with a lot of invitees, and we thought Vegas would be fun. Which it was.
Wedding rebellion? My sister had a moderately large wedding last week (about 60 people were invited) and I have privately sworn to never have a wedding like that, ever. I hate being the center of attention and it just doesn’t seem like a great use of money.
I think I’d get married by fat Vegas Elvis just for the sheer weirdness/rebellion of it. And then go on a nice trip.
For a bet?
Alcohol?
My aunt & uncle got married in Vegas in 1967. It was her second, and they weren’t going to make a big deal out of it anyway. Some friends and loved ones drove out, and everybody had a great weekend.
Simple, fun and inexpensive. What’s not to love?
60 people is “moderately large?” Damn, mine might have made your head explode… 
No, it wasn’t Bridezilla or anything dramatic, just lots of people (about 125, I think).
If I were to do it again tomorrow, though, I’d do it on the beach, with kalua pig and a band.
So you can get married by The King, baby!!!
Yep, quick, easy, drama free. Usually far enough away from home that only the people who REALLY like you will go to the effort of showing up, saving you spending 10’s of thousands to spend the day with people who’ve you’ve never seen before, don’t care to know, wish you didn’t know or are actively annoyed by. All to keep peace with family members who mostly fit into one of the previous catagories.
My Dad told me to work out how much a fancy wedding would cost, and then take that money and spend it on a trip to the US complete with Vegas Elvis wedding. His thinking was that a Vacation Of A Lifetime with wacky “Elvis married us!” story and photos was a better use of the money than spending it on one single day.
Because I was living there. We decided to get married, went down to the court house, and got that done. On the way out some guy gave us a business card for a chapel. Called them from home, and set it up for the next day. Easy.
-Otanx
Some people don’t really need a big wedding, an expensive dress, flowers, a full bar, and a big cake to be joined to the person they love. All of that stuff is usually for show and vanity.
I think an interesting question would be why you believe it would be only a negative thing to get married in Vegas.
Maybe if they are atheists, and want to replace the church thing with something fun?
My husband and I got married at the Las Vegas Hilton. On the bridge of the Enterprise, married by a Federation officer, and with a Ferengi and Klingon in attendance. We did everything else by the book - a big dress for me, a best man, etc. And then we came home and had the reception/party a month later.
It was really a fun way to do it, and quite memorable for us and the 10 or so people who came with us. Plus, we could enjoy the reception as just a party, without the stress of getting married on the same day.
We didn’t need family drama, it was quick and painless, the minister was amazing, and it was Vegas, baby!
Besides, I get great milage out of mentioning that we got married at the drive-up window of the chapel!
I totally want to see pictures of this!
My friends did it because they just didn’t want the stress of a regular wedding.
We got married in Vegas. Here’s a price comparison:
Vegas Wedding, including airfare, hotel, meals, ground transportation, bride’s dress, groom’s tux, limo, gambling, entertainment:
$3000
Cheapest Wedding We Could Arrange At Home:
$15000, plus one hell of a lot more trouble
It was a REALLY easy call.
:dubious: It doesn’t cost much to stand before a justice of the peace and say your vows. I assume you meant that the cheapest wedding you could arrange at home that included a nice venue for your guests, tux, dress, flowers, catering, etc. was $15k?
The classic was to avoid a blood test delay. Also, many married there because they had just established residency to get a divorce in order to remarry.
Several members of my family have gotten married in Vegas.
My baby sister just didn’t want a big family wedding, as our older sisters are touched and would have taken it over. My best friend, whom I consider family, had a similar reason. If you know our sisters you’d understand.
One of my cousins was marrying a white woman (we’re black) and he knew that one of my sisters, two of his own, and several of our cousins would disapprove. They had an actual ceremony but held it in Vegas to give anyone who was likely to bitch a graceful reason to skip it.