EDITOR’S NOTE: The series “Vegas Myths Busted” features new installments every Monday, along with a special Flashback Friday edition. Today’s entry originally published on November 4, 2022.
In a playful revelation, Kourtney Kardashian admitted that she was a “hot slob kabob” intoxicated during her wedding to Travis Barker, the drummer of Blink-182, at the One Love Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on April 3. The reality star had limited recollection of her joyous occasion, including a moment when she collapsed in tequila-inspired laughter after the Elvis impersonator officiating their ceremony mistakenly referred to her as her sister Khloe.
This scenario recalls a popular myth about Las Vegas—that waking up married after a night of revelry is a common occurrence. (Beware, “The Hangover” fans: continuing to read might undermine the plausibility of Ed Helms’ character marrying a sweet-hearted escort after an unintentional drugging by Zach Galifianakis.)
“Las Vegas has long been celebrated as the wedding capital of the world due to its convenient and efficient process for acquiring marriage licenses,” explained Rachel Tygret, an associate attorney focusing on family law at Michaelson Law in Las Vegas. “There are no blood tests required, and couples can marry immediately after obtaining their license.”
However, marriage licenses aren’t issued on-site at wedding chapels, meaning couples must first visit a Clark County Marriage License Bureau location.
The closest bureau, conveniently located downtown, operates year-round from 8 a.m. to midnight, making it accessible for most chapel-goers.
Prospective couples should be prepared to wait in line with valid ID and a card that can cover the $102 fee—a queue typically long enough to dampen any alcohol-induced excitement, taking the “quick” out of the “quickie wedding” image.
The Hard Truth
Legally speaking, the marriage license acts as the contract—not the wedding ceremony. Consequently, being sober enough to enter a contract is the critical factor.
“If, at the time of application, any individual appears excessively intoxicated and is unable to provide necessary details for the marriage license, the clerk is obligated by policy to deny the application,” Tygret added.
Thus, unexpected drunken weddings in Las Vegas are probably far less frequent than “The Hangover” would suggest—or even “Friends,” “My Name is Earl,” “That ’70s Show,” “Bones,” or “What Happens in Vegas.”
The Absence of Boozy Annulments
Nevada law permits either party to seek an annulment of a Las Vegas marriage based solely on intoxication. Tygret has managed numerous annulments, yet none have been due to this reason.
“I’ve even filed for annulments where one party was already married to two others,” she shared.
While drunken weddings in Las Vegas do take place frequently due to the festive atmosphere, they seldom involve inebriated tourists who randomly decide to stroll into a chapel and think, “why not?”
“Many wedding chapels in Las Vegas won’t conduct a ceremony if one party is considered too intoxicated,” Tygret said.
Kourtney and Travis’ Vegas wedding was a “pretend” ceremony, a service offered by various chapels allowing couples to enjoy the matrimonial experience without the legal implications. Therefore, a Clark County marriage license was neither necessary nor obtained.
Ultimately, the couple celebrated two additional weddings afterward, suggesting that at least one of those involved a properly signed marriage license when neither was inebriated.
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