The office of Clark County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya is launching a new innovative idea starting tomorrow. With Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day and Chinese New Year all coming up soon, it’s a busy time for weddings in the Las Vegas area. Working with McCarran International Airport, the clerk’s office is opening a Pop-Up Marriage License Bureau in Terminal 1 to help couples get licenses faster and easier.

The office of Clark County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya is launching a new innovative idea starting tomorrow. With Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day and Chinese New Year all coming up soon, it’s a busy time for weddings in the Las Vegas area. Working with McCarran International Airport, the clerk’s office is opening a Pop-Up Marriage License Bureau in Terminal 1 to help couples get licenses faster and easier.

The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 9 through Feb. 17. The temporary office will only issue marriage licenses, and will accept credit card payments. Couples coming to Las Vegas to get married are encouraged to fill out a marriage license pre-application, which can be found through the County website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov. (Select “Get a Marriage License” under “Popular Services” on the left side of the webpage.) After completing the application online, the couple will be issued a reference number that they should bring with them to the Marriage License Bureau, or the temporary office at the airport. Anyone seeking a marriage license needs to show proper identification, such as a driver’s license or passport (a complete list of allowed identification and other information is available through the Clerk’s Office web page). Marriage licenses cost $77.

The Marriage License Bureau, a division of the Clerk’s Office, issues about 80,000 marriage licenses annually and is typically the busiest in the nation. In 2016, more than 1 out of every 25 marriages in the U.S. took place in Clark County. More than 1,500 marriage licenses are issued during the days leading up to and including Valentine’s Day, which is about twice the number of licenses issued during a non-holiday period.

The County Clerk’s Office will temporarily open a pop-up marriage license office at McCarran International Airport from Feb. 9 to 17, to help couples obtain marriage licenses faster and easier during the busy Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Chinese New Year holidays.

“The days around Valentine’s Day and the Presidents’ Day weekend are always some of our busiest,” County Clerk Lynn Goya said. “This pop-up marriage license office will make it easier for couples flying here to pick up a marriage license.”

The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 9 through Feb. 17, and will be located in the baggage claim area in Terminal 1. The open dates also include the Chinese New Year on Feb. 16. The temporary office will only issue marriage licenses, and will accept credit card payments. Couples may also get a marriage license at the Marriage License Bureau main office at 201 E. Clark St. in downtown Las Vegas. The office, which is on the south side of the Regional Justice Center just three blocks south of the Fremont Street Experience, is open from 8 a.m. to midnight every day, including holidays.

 Couples coming to Las Vegas to get married are encouraged to fill out a marriage license pre-application, which can be found through the County website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov. (Select “Get a Marriage License” under “Popular Services” on the left side of the webpage.) After completing the application online, the couple will be issued a reference number that they should bring with them to the Marriage License Bureau, or the temporary office at the airport. Anyone seeking a marriage license needs to show proper identification, such as a driver’s license or passport (a complete list of allowed identification and other information is available through the Clerk’s Office web page). Marriage licenses cost $77.

The Marriage License Bureau, a division of the Clerk’s Office, issues about 80,000 marriage licenses annually and is typically the busiest in the nation. In 2016, more than 1 out of every 25 marriages in the U.S. took place in Clark County. More than 1,500 marriage licenses are issued during the days leading up to and including Valentine’s Day, which is about twice the number of licenses issued during a non-holiday period. Couples can find a directory of wedding services and vendors at www.WeddingChamber.Vegas. The wedding industry is also an important component of our tourism economy, as people coming to Clark County to attend a wedding or get married generated more than $2 billion in economic activity including on lodging, entertainment, dining and other non-gaming activities in Clark County in 2016.

The Clark County Clerk’s Marriage License Bureau is close to issuing the 10,000th marriage license to a same- sex couple.

In celebration of this milestone, local businesses have donated many great wedding presents for the 10,000th same-sex couple – including a two-night stay and dinner at Mandalay Bay, passes to the High Roller observation wheel at The LINQ Promenade, flowers, professional photographs and a wedding ceremony.

“I would like to thank all of the people and businesses who are helping us congratulate the lucky 10,000th couple,” Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya said. “Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world, and it is exciting for us to welcome all couples to our community and help them celebrate one of the most memorable and most enjoyable days of their lives.”

As of noon, the County Clerk’s Office has issued marriage licenses to 9,909 same-sex couples since the first license was issued to a same-sex couple on Oct. 9, 2014. Goya said she expects her office will issue a marriage license to the 10,000th same-sex couple within the next week.

Almost all of the gifts have come from businesses that are also members of the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce, which is the first wedding industry chamber in the country. Chamber members specialize in providing wedding ceremonies and/or wedding-related services such as flowers, photography, and entertainment.

Congratulatory gifts for the 10,000th same-sex couple*

• Chapel of Flowers - $1,000 gift card to be used towards a ceremony
  
• Paint and Party - two gift cards for a painting session
  
• Mandalay Bay – two-night complimentary stay and dinner for two at one of their restaurants
  
• Photo Tours Vegas/LV Wedding Connection – one-hour walking photo tour
  
• LilPink Party Bus – two-hour charter for the couple.
  
• Bowties Tuxedo - tuxedos for the grooms or brides
  
• Caesars Entertainment - two passes to the High Roller observation wheel at The LINQ Promenade
  
• The Luxor - couples massage at Nurture Spa at Luxor
  
• The Mob Museum - Two tickets
  
• Face2Toe - complete makeover beauty treatment for two including facial, pedicure and manicure
  
• Reverend Julie Nourish - discounted wedding ceremony
  
• Dawn Angela Mickens of Timeless Connection - free wedding ceremony
  
• Ace of Hearts Wedding Chapel - free wedding package
  
• OS Photo Booths – 10 percent off their $350 package
  
• The Little Neon Chapel – free wedding ceremony, photos,    DVD, flowers, and photos on Fremont Street
  
• Elegant Vegas Weddings - free wedding ceremony
  
• Ceremony of Dreams - complimentary ceremony
  
• The Plaza Hotel - $1,000 wedding package for a ceremony in their chapel
  
• Info Allure - 15 additional photos to any wedding package
  
• Enchanted Florist - $​50 gift certificate
  
• Classic Entertainment - live music for the couple’s ceremony and cocktail hour
  
• Frick Photo - free wedding photography
  
• Photo Tours Vegas/LV Wedding Connection – one-hour walking photo tour
  
• Royal Wedding Chapel – wedding ceremony package in their Garden Chapel
  
• The Ritz of Las Vegas - wedding ceremony and reception for 50 guests
  
• The Aria Hotel – wedding ceremony, Fantasy wedding package
  

*Some of the similar gifts may be offered to other couples.

Originally posted by elvispresleyaaronlove

With nearly 1,000 weddings expected on Feb. 13 and 14 alone – and more than 80,000 marriage licenses issued a year – it’s easy to see why Clark County is considered the Wedding Capital of the World! 

In 2015, 350,000 couples traveled to Las Vegas to get married, and 80 percent of them were younger than 40. A quarter of all the couples from Britain fly here just to get married. Local economic impact of wedding tourism is $2 billion!

In January, Clark County celebrated issuing its 10,000th marriage license to a same-sex couple, to Jennifer Dickerson and Amanda Falzone from Colorado Springs! The couple married at a local wedding chapel that weekend.

Of course, Las Vegas has been a destination wedding location for decades. You could just go to Paris … or you can go to France, Italy, and Egypt (plus time-travel to medieval Europe and hang with pirates) all in the space of a day on The Strip.

Celebrities love to get married in Las Vegas, too. Here’s 10 of our favorite couples who’ve said, “I do” in Clark County:

Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward – married on Jan. 29, 1958 at the El Rancho hotel and casino. They were married for 50 years, until Newman’s death in 2008.

Michael Caine & Shikira Baksh – married Jan. 8, 1973 at the Candlelight Wedding Chapel, which has since moved from the Las Vegas Strip to the Clark County Museum on Boulder Highway. The couple is still married some 44 years later!

Bette Midler & Martin von Haselberg – married Dec. 16, 1984 at Candlelight Wedding Chapel. They are still married 32 years later and have a daughter.

Jon Bon Jovi & Dorothea Hurley – the high school sweethearts married on April 29, 1989 on the front steps of the Graceland Wedding Chapel, clad in rocker fashion in jeans and leather jackets. They are still married almost 28 years later and have four kids. *In 2013, he made a fan’s wish come true as he walked her down the aisle for her wedding at the same chapel where he tied the knot!

Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos – the couple eloped to Las Vegas on May 1, 1996 and are still married, with three children.

Leah Remini & Angelo Pagan – married on June 16, 2004 at Four Seasons. They have a daughter.

Demi Moore & Bruce Willis – the power couple married on Nov. 21, 1987 at A little White Wedding Chapel and have three daughters. They famously ended their marriage amicably in 2000.

Kevin Dillon & Jane Stuart – the couple’s April 21, 2006 wedding was an Entourage family affair. Jerry Ferrara (aka “Turtle”) was his best man and Kevin Connolly walked Stuart down the aisle. The couple have one child.

Elvis Presley & Priscilla Beaulieu – the music and pop culture icon married on May 1, 1967 in a hotel suite at the Aladdin hotel. They were married for six years.

Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow – the couple married on July 19, 1966. Their marriage only lasted two years.

For more information about marriage licenses, go to ClarkCountyNV.gov. 

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The County Department of Family Services is launching a new effort to find adoptive families for children in challenging situations.

The County is partnering with The Adoption Exchange to enhance recruitment efforts and provide pre- and post-adoption training and support to interested parents. During the next 12 months the program is expected to help about 70 children, many of whom are teens, some of whom are in large sibling groups, and some of whom have special medical needs.

“Every child deserves a family and a home,” Commission Vice Chairman Lawrence Weekly said. “This program will help us fulfill that promise to all the children in our care.”

“As an adoptive parent myself, I know the joy and love that comes with bringing a child into your family,” Commissioner Justin Jones said. “I encourage anyone who may be interested in adoption to reach out to us and learn more about this great opportunity.”

Anyone considering adopting a child should go to www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/adoption, email DFSadoptions@ClarkCountyNV.gov, or call (702) 455-0800 for more information about this program and the children we are trying to connect with adoptive parents.

Every year about 500 children under the County Department of Family Services’ supervision are adopted. Today, there are about 100 children living in foster care that need an adoptive home.

Through this new effort, recruiters with The Adoption Exchange will focus on finding adoptive homes for older children, children in sibling groups of three or more, and children with special medical needs. They are expected to help about 70 children during the next year.

It was an emotional day at the Clark County Government Center Rotunda as the Las Vegas Portraits Project was unveiled. The display is in conjunction with the one-year anniversary of the 1October shooting as Clark County and the Vegas Strong Resiliency honor the 58 victims who lost their lives in the attack.

The Las Vegas Portraits Project,1 October Memorial Exhibit is located in the Rotunda Gallery on the first floor of the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway in downtown Las Vegas. It will be on display through Oct. 19. Crosses that were put up at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign to memorialize those who died also are on display. The “Art of Healing Mural” created by Las Vegas Academy of the Arts students and the local Guerilla Artz Foundation is on exhibit in addition to a display of stained-glass angels made by volunteers of the nonprofit Angels of Love organization based in Orange, California.

Clark County commissioners presented artist Ellen Abramo with a proclamation honoring her and her cousin Kortney Struempf for organizing the Las Vegas Portraits Project to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the shooting. Additionally Mary Jo von Tillow, wife of Kurt von Tillow, who lost his life at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, participated in the opening day ceremony. Mary Jo and Kurt of Cameron Park, California met four other family members in Las Vegas last year to attend the festival. Kurt and Mary Jo’s niece and sister in law from Northern California were shot.

In the immediate days after 1 October, Ellen and Kortney organized the Las Vegas Portraits Project on Facebook seeking volunteer artists willing to illustrate a portrait of each person who died. All artists volunteered their time and their efforts. Ellen Abramo’s mother, Virginia Culbertson of Edgefield, South Carolina painted the portrait of Kurt in collaboration with Mary Jo. Each artist selected for the Las Vegas project chose his or her subject from images and biographical information that appeared in published news stories about the victims following the 1 October attack. Some of the participating artists live outside the United States in Canada and as far away as Greece and Peru.

The Vegas Srong Resiliency Center and the Clark County Parks & Recreation Parks and Recreation Department Public Art Office partnered with project organizers to curate the exhibit. The portraits range in size. They are hung on a wall, maximizing the use of natural light from the Government Center’s outdoor amphitheater. The Clark County Museum crosses are set up nearby on tiered pedestals. 

In a time of great grief after the Route 91 concert shooting, the world mourned with Las Vegas and Clark County.  Residents and visitors alike left objects at makeshift memorials, including ones at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and at Reno Street.

These objects were eventually collected and brought to the Clark County Museum to be documented and preserved.  While the process is not complete, with the help of many volunteers and staff, more than 12,000 artifacts have been cataloged to date. 

One year after the tragic event, the Clark County Museum will highlight the strength of our community by hosting a new temporary exhibit entitled, “How We Mourned: Selected Artifacts from the October 1 Memorials,” from Friday, Sept. 28 through Feb. 24, 2019.  A selection of the items left at the memorials will make up the exhibit, including flags, stuffed animals, rosaries, artificial flowers, signs, letters, banners, candles, art works, and a portion of a large Hawaiian lei that was left to promote world peace.

“The outpouring of love and support for Las Vegas after what this community endured was a bright spot in an otherwise terrible episode in our history,” said Jim Gibson, whose district includes the festival site as well as the museum and half the Welcome sign. “This exhibit will be a reminder of how the community and the nation came together in the wake of the tragedy and I encourage residents and visitors to take in the exhibit.”

 Those wanting more information about “How We Mourned” may call the Clark County Museum at (702) 455-7995 or visit the museum at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/museum, where one may view all the artifacts that have been cataloged to date.

We are into the final days of our effort to gather input on what people would like to see in a permanent #1OctoberMemorial. For this effort to be successful, we need to hear from as many as possible. The goal is to create a lasting memorial to remember the victims, honor the survivors and first responders and showcase the resilience of our Las #Vegas community in the wake of the 2017 tragedy. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/1octsurvey by Sunday, March 14 to take the survey and please share with anyone you think would like to offer their opinion.

For additional information, please visit www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/1OctoberMemorial. 

The 1 October shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival was a tragedy that Las Vegas will never forget. Now, work is underway to create a lasting memorial to remember the victims, honor the survivors and first responders and showcase the resilience of our community. Our 1 October Memorial Committee is seeking the public’s input on what it would like to see in a permanent #1OctoberMemorial.

Please go to https://tinyurl.com/1octsurvey by March 14 to take the survey. This is the first step in an ongoing community-wide conversation about the best way to memorialize what occurred. There will be additional opportunities for public input, which will include town hall meetings and likely additional surveys so that we can create a Memorial to Remember. For additional information, please visit www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/1OctoberMemorial.