Quirky wedding chapels make weddings easy, affordable and interesting.
Would it surprise you to know that a lot of couples choose to spend their nuptial nights in a Romeo and Juliet–themed room? Or that it’s a big draw to have Elvis walk the bride down the aisle? Or that you can have a marriage ceremony over within 90 seconds?
Welcome to the quirky world of area wedding chapels.
Dotting the South Tahoe and Reno landscapes, these curious little buildings peek out behind casinos and bars. They are surprisingly busy places, frequented by elopers, divorcees on their second, third, fourth marriages, or couples who simply don’t want to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a traditional ceremony. Most of these classic chapels offer basic wedding packages for under $200, and to keep it interesting, a few other perks as well.
Cloud 9 Weddings and Value Inn has two chapels, one holding 15 guests, the other 50. With packages starting at $135, this spot is a favorite with elopers. However, nine other offerings, plus optional add-ons like bouquets and video, make it popular with those who plan ahead as well. Both the Romance and Ultimate Romance Packages include music ceremonies and a honeymoon at the Value Inn, topped off with cider or champagne to enjoy in the suite’s heart-shaped Jacuzzi.
South Lake Tahoe’s Chapel of the Bells is a welcoming white building with an eight-foot bear standing at the entrance. With long hours—open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays—this chapel catches the late-night get-hitched-quickly crowd. The ministers all double as notary publics, so there’s no need to go to the courthouse for a marriage certificate. Chapel of the Bells has seen several generations pass through its doors and, occasionally, even the same people twice for vow renewals. Basic ceremonies come with an Indian wedding blessing for luck, and the Unique Reflection Wedding package adds the choice of three accessories, for example, video, guestbook and unity candle.
For people who will settle for nothing less than their fantasy wedding, Loves Wedding Chapel provides just that; past ceremonies have included pirate, gangster and Fiddler on the Roof themes. For an additional fee, they also have an in-house Elvis (the side-burned, white-suited King), who will walk the bride down the aisle and perform some of his greatest hits, post-ceremony.
Carrying the fantasy into the honeymoon, the Fantasy Inn & Wedding Chapel offers packages that range from the basic ceremony to the lavish Fairytale Come True, complete with a horse-drawn carriage. Most of the options include several nights in one of the inn’s themed rooms, a primo honeymoon setting for newlyweds with a penchant for the Wild West, Arabian Nights or just feeling like royalty.
Off the mountain at the Adventure Inn and Wedding Chapel in Reno, you can get married in the small Waterfall Chapel, the 150-person chapel or the gazebo, and then spend the night in one of the super suites—Adam and Eve (use your imagination), King Arthur (battle scenes and mirrored ceilings) or the Adventure Chalet, where nothing says romance like a giant heart-shaped bed.
Reno’s Chapel of the Bells, though not currently affiliated with the Tahoe counterpart, was started by the same individual. A family-run operation, this pretty little chapel is self-described as more “spiritually run” than some other quickie-wedding chapels. Nevertheless, if a speed ceremony is desired, the chapel is more than accommodating. A couple once walked in asking for the quickest possible marriage; a minute and a half later, they officially became man and wife. This Reno version also offers an interesting service, a drive-thru chapel. Although it may sound more Happy Meal than Happy Ever After, it’s a great alternative for brides or grooms with disabilities, who may feel more comfortable not walking or wheeling down an aisle.
Of course, both Tahoe and Reno offer plenty of additional wedding alternatives. You can have a slope-side ceremony—the bride, groom, minister and guests skiing or snowboarding down one of Heavenly’s runs. You can get married in a casino and spend the honeymoon night at the slots. You can say “I do” as you boat the blue, tying the knot on The Lake. And, if you need a little help, there are plenty of places to help you decide how exactly, be it on skis, in a car or incognito, you want to spend your perfect day.
Cloud 9 Weddings and Value Inn, South Lake Tahoe
1-800-545-0611 or www.affordablelaketahoe.com
Chapel of the Bells, South Lake Tahoe
1-800-247-4333 or www.tahoechapelofthebells.com
Loves Wedding Chapel, South Lake Tahoe
1-877-258-1116 or www.lovesweddingchapel.com
Fantasy Inn & Wedding Chapel, South Lake Tahoe
1-800-367-7736 or www.fantasy-inn.com
Adventure Inn and Wedding Chapel, Reno
1-800-937-1436 or www.adventureinn.com
Chapel of the Bells, Reno
1-800-USA-2-WED or www.renochapel.com
-by Alison Bender
