Vegas' Advocate
Vegas weddings hold a strong social stigma. They have a negative connotation, which is what Joan Didion expands on. Didion criticizes the commercialization of the Vegas wedding industry through the use of satire, using oxymorons such as "stained-glass paper windows" and "artificial bouvardia" to emphasize the "simple convenience" and run-down of the weddings. What I found more interesting, however, is when she wrote that Vegas "merchandises 'niceness' [and] the facsimile of proper ritual to
children who do not know how else to find it, how
to do it 'right.'"
By agreeing with Didion, we are implying that there is a social norm of having large, planned-out weddings. However, Las Vegas could offer convenience, in a good way for some.
Doing some research, I found myself in agreement with one of the Vegas-married couples. The husband admits that Vegas has the stigma of a place to “get wasted and get married and then get divorced the next day," but he chose Vegas from the affordability and convenience, as he didn't enjoy the meticulousness of weddings. He adds that he's been married for nine years now with three children. This allows us to view Didion's piece from another perspective. Yes, there are high divorce rates and lots of drunk/impulse marriages, but it must be considered that there are others who aren't "children" and consider these weddings special. Additionally, it's not just the Vegas wedding industry that is heavily commercialized. Traditional weddings are incredibly expensive, so for those who don't find the tradition of marriage a dealbreaker, maybe the officiation of the nontraditional Vegas wedding is perfect for them. They can definitely save money there -- potentially, all they want is some good food :) Nevertheless, another negative connotation implied is that the weddings are solely lust not love. (I always believed this, and I tried to find evidence on the negative side of Vegas weddings until this blog post led me to the affirmative.) For some, they begin with their careers, but as they stabilize there, they then shift to marriage. At that point, they may just want an officiation of a marriage; they've been lovers for so long that this is just to tie the knot. I believe we all have different opinions on marriage and that while Didion does make a point, it does take the negative stereotype of Vegas weddings a bit far.
What I must agree to, however, is the fact that the ulterior motives are incorrect. Another thing I just learned tonight is that Las Vegas is planning to promote wedding tourism and "shed the perception of Las Vegas as an elopement capital." This will be done through wedding-themed walking tours, Vegas wedding history exhibits, wedding walk of fame, chapel redevelopments, and more. Being a business, it seems that the Vegas chamber focuses on tourism and statistics (5 millionth wedding in 2021), but it also seems that something unique could be created out of chapel redevelopment and social stigma amelioration. For those who are adventurous, for those who marry late, for those who don't enjoy planning... a Vegas wedding may be the one! Not trying to endorse anything, but I'm pretty hopeful for what this industry has in store for their target audiences :-)
By agreeing with Didion, we are implying that there is a social norm of having large, planned-out weddings. However, Las Vegas could offer convenience, in a good way for some.
Doing some research, I found myself in agreement with one of the Vegas-married couples. The husband admits that Vegas has the stigma of a place to “get wasted and get married and then get divorced the next day," but he chose Vegas from the affordability and convenience, as he didn't enjoy the meticulousness of weddings. He adds that he's been married for nine years now with three children. This allows us to view Didion's piece from another perspective. Yes, there are high divorce rates and lots of drunk/impulse marriages, but it must be considered that there are others who aren't "children" and consider these weddings special. Additionally, it's not just the Vegas wedding industry that is heavily commercialized. Traditional weddings are incredibly expensive, so for those who don't find the tradition of marriage a dealbreaker, maybe the officiation of the nontraditional Vegas wedding is perfect for them. They can definitely save money there -- potentially, all they want is some good food :) Nevertheless, another negative connotation implied is that the weddings are solely lust not love. (I always believed this, and I tried to find evidence on the negative side of Vegas weddings until this blog post led me to the affirmative.) For some, they begin with their careers, but as they stabilize there, they then shift to marriage. At that point, they may just want an officiation of a marriage; they've been lovers for so long that this is just to tie the knot. I believe we all have different opinions on marriage and that while Didion does make a point, it does take the negative stereotype of Vegas weddings a bit far.
What I must agree to, however, is the fact that the ulterior motives are incorrect. Another thing I just learned tonight is that Las Vegas is planning to promote wedding tourism and "shed the perception of Las Vegas as an elopement capital." This will be done through wedding-themed walking tours, Vegas wedding history exhibits, wedding walk of fame, chapel redevelopments, and more. Being a business, it seems that the Vegas chamber focuses on tourism and statistics (5 millionth wedding in 2021), but it also seems that something unique could be created out of chapel redevelopment and social stigma amelioration. For those who are adventurous, for those who marry late, for those who don't enjoy planning... a Vegas wedding may be the one! Not trying to endorse anything, but I'm pretty hopeful for what this industry has in store for their target audiences :-)
One of my favorite episodes from Friends mentions Vegas weddings; emphasized are negative social connotations such as immediate divorce and elopement.
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