Wide Awake in "Napa" Feb. 3 for WIPA Event!

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is headed to Napa, CA today for a wedding industry event put on by WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association), the first non-profit trade association specifically for the wedding industry. I am proud to be a "Founding Member of WIPA". 

Through my affiliation with this amazing organization, I have met so many incredibly talented and wonderful people over the last few months, including just last week at The Special Event Show in San Diego, where WIPA had it's first real introduction as a new association to the greater special events world. 

Another perk is that I have been enjoying some pretty great day trips to California including my first trip to Napa which I am so excited for. I just wish I had time to stay longer.

Our host for this meeting will be the lovely Brooke Baglietto from one of the finest resorts in the Napa/Sonoma area, the Carneros Inn. 

The topic is "Protecting Your Creativity" and in the world of Special Events, this is a big deal! 

Ok, I'll tell you why. Because our reputations and futures of our businesses are based on our ideas and creativity and success of our events which you see in images. When someone takes those images, or writes copy or professes to have been involved in an event they were not without giving credit to the planner, designer, florist, or photographer or writer, that is plagiarism - stealing, plain and simple. 

It should matter to you because that reflects a lack of integrity, good judgement and...a lack of real creativity. Those are pretty important traits that should be in a wedding consultant or any wedding professional! If they can't be honest enough to respect their fellow wedding professionals (whether they know them or not), how can you trust they will ever have your best interests at heart?

If they are unimaginative and lack the inquisitiveness to do their own research and create their own ideas, how creative can they be for you to help you bring forth your ideas for your wedding?

Dear Las Vegas Wedding Concierge:Destination Las Vegas Marriage Legalese.

"Hi there! I found your cute blog when googling for information, and I think you're probably exactly the right person to answer the question on my mind - is it legal for Canadians to get married in Las Vegas, and are there any special documents (other than the standard travel docs) needed, or can they get a quickie Vegas wedding the same as Americans can?

I hope I'm not taking advantage just barging in and picking your brain like this, but you have a beautiful blog and are clearly very knowledgeable in your field"

Thank you,

"tattytiara"

Dear "Tattytiara":

First of all, thank for stopping by my blog, for your very nice & much appreciated compliments. If you didn't know, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is also from Canada (Hamilton/Toronto) and it's always a treat to have a fellow Canadian stop by and say hello. I most certainly am the right person to answer your question and happy to say "Yes, you CAN!".

Since Canada & the USA are among members of the *Hague Convention, they recognize the legality of the marriage in each other's countries. You don't need "permission" from Canada provided your marriage in the USA is legal according to all federal, state & county requirements. 

In Las Vegas, there is no waiting period and no blood test required (2 reasons why we gained the reputation for the "quickie" wedding destination). The fee is $55.00 in CASH (exact is preferred) along with proper identification. 2 witnesses are required. You can download instructions and the license application form here to to fill it out in advance to speed the process up at the Marriage Bureau.

If previously married, the date of dissolution of marriage (by divorce or death) is required but documentation is not.

After your  wedding, you will require a copy of your marriage certificate. The officiant who performed the ceremony will submit to the Clark County Recorder's Office no later than 10 days after. You can locate your certificate online (by 14 days, it should be available).  I suggest ordering at least 2 and keep them, with several copies, in a safe place.

It's most likely you won't need an "Apostille" (authentication) document but having one isn't a bad thing as extra piece of mind. You can order them from the NV Secretary of State.

Usually, this should be more than sufficient to satisfy provincial requirements, but I would suggest investigating with your local city office or their website just to be sure so you can avoid any hassles when (or if) going through a name-change process. 

Las Vegas Marriage Legal Links (for US & Non-US Residents) is available at www.AccessClarkCounty.gov, Clark County NV Recorder. Additional info on Canadians marrying in USA available here.

Although this answer is directed to my Canadian reader, the information on the Las Vegas Marriage website includes information applicable to US residents, Canadians and all the other future Las Vegas newlyweds from all over the world. Thank you again for stopping by and please visit often for more updates in my diary about great wedding style and fabulous Las Vegas weddings.

Plan on drinking on your wedding day?-Think again!

Wow, sometimes you think you have heard everything and then, sure enough, something happens to make you go "What the (insert your choice of word here)?".

The story below was featured as a headline on my MSN homepage today.

As your wedding planner, I have strict terms in my contract regarding the consumption of alcohol on your wedding day to protect all parties concerned. I will also reiterate the negative consequences of over drinking on your wedding day including being late & missing key parts of your wedding, potential property damage, and even looking like a complete dumb numskell in pictures so that they have to be re-taken (it's been done and it's costly!).

Of course, there is the legal issue that if either the bride or groom were so inebreated that they could not be of sound mind when they answer "I Do" during the ceremony, can the ceremony even proceed? I wouldn't think so, but my solution would be to postpone the wedding with all the extra expenses required on the shoulders of the couple involved.

Never, would I have expected the solution described in the story below.

Talk about embarassing!

Do you take this drunk guy’s brother? ...
With groom reportedly too inebriated, sibling steps in, takes bride

PATNA, India - Villagers at a wedding in eastern India decided the groom had arrived too drunk to get married, and so the bride married the groom's more sober brother instead, police said Monday.

"The groom was drunk and had reportedly misbehaved with guests when the bride's family and local villagers chased him away," Madho Singh, a senior police officer told Reuters after Sunday's marriage in a village in Bihar state's Arwal district.

The younger brother readily agreed to take the groom's place beside the teenage bride at her family's invitation, witnesses said.

"The groom apologized for his behavior, but has been crying that word will spread and he will never get a bride again," Singh said by phone.

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