The short answer
Las Vegas wedding pricing spans an unusually wide range because the market serves everything from same-day walk-in elopements to full destination weddings. A basic chapel elopement package runs $200 to $600 and typically includes the ceremony, an officiant, and a couple of photos. A mid-range chapel or small venue package with photography, a small guest count, and some décor runs $1,500 to $5,000. A full-service venue wedding with catering, a larger guest list, and a dedicated coordinator generally starts around $8,000 to $15,000+ and climbs from there with guest count and vendor selection.
Why the range is so wide in this specific market
Las Vegas is one of the only U.S. wedding markets built around genuine walk-in, same-day ceremonies — a couple can legally marry within hours of arriving in the city, which created an entire tier of ultra-low-cost chapel packages that simply don't exist in most other markets. At the same time, the city's luxury resort and event infrastructure supports full destination weddings on par with any major market. The result is a market with almost no "typical" wedding cost — the range itself is the defining feature.
What's actually included at each tier
Entry-level chapel packages typically include the venue, a licensed officiant, and minimal photography (sometimes just a few digital images, no album). Mid-range packages usually add a real photography package with an edited gallery, basic floral or décor, and sometimes a simple reception add-on. Full-service venue weddings add catering, bar service, a dedicated day-of coordinator, extended photography and often videography, and more flexibility on guest count and timeline. The jump in price between tiers is almost always explained by coordination and catering, not the ceremony itself.
The cost most couples forget to budget for
The marriage license itself costs $102 in Clark County (cash only, at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau) and isn't included in almost any package price. Beyond that, transportation, guest lodging, and vendor gratuities are the most commonly under-budgeted items — worth building into your total figure from the start rather than discovering them at the end.