Catholic decree could hurt Vegas wedding chapels

Bob Shemeligian

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

In Las Vegas, where 100,000 couples get married each year in places ranging from drive-thru wedding chapels to hot air balloons, only those performed by a priest in a church setting are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

This is not new, said Catholic Bishop Daniel Walsh, who heads the Diocese of Las Vegas.

In fact, it's nearly as old as the gospels, which were written nearly 2,000 years ago.

But in recent weeks, holy water has been thrown into this caldron of conflict between the Catholic Church's rigid stand on marriage and the increasing popularity of quickie marriages in nonchurch settings.

"Marriage is a sacrament, and we believe that all sacraments ... must be celebrated in a church setting," a Catholic prelate in Florida states in a letter that has been showing up in churches near Disney World, where sunset ceremonies are conducted by ministers in front of Cinderella's Castle.

"In the Judeo-Christian tradition," said Sister Lucy Vazquez, chancellor of the Diocese of Orlando, "all special moments have been celebrated in the temple or the church."

But what does that mean for Las Vegas -- a city where Magic Kingdom nuptials might seem bland?

After all, Charlotte Richards, owner of five local chapels, including the Little White Chapel Drive-Up Wedding Window on Las Vegas Boulevard South, has officiated at weddings at places ranging from the Wet 'n Wild theme park to the Desperado roller coaster.

"When I perform a marriage ceremony in a hot air balloon 2,000 feet in the air, it's so beautiful that the groom and bride cry when they take their vows," Richards said.

Whether they're tears of joy or panic isn't clear.

What is clear is the church's stance on such wedding scenerios.

"We want to have a sacred dimension to the wedding ceremony that is required by the sacraments," Walsh said. "A marriage is a sacred act to be performed in a sacred place."

In other words: All Catholic weddings in Southern Nevada must be officiated by priests in church settings. And in the unlikely event that a priest would request to perform a wedding outside a church setting, he would be denied.

"I could give a dispensation from the regulation," Walsh said, "but I don't give them."

Walsh also noted that a marriage "is not only a private exchange" involving a couple, "it's also a community event, and that's another reason why we want it in a church."

Richards said she respects the church's stance, but she believes the marriage itself is more important than the setting.

"I don't think it matters if they get married in a church or at a drive-up wedding window," Richards said. "What matters is the love, the commitment, the caring and the communication they feel for each other for the rest of their lives."

About a dozen couples get married each week at the Little White Chapel Drive-Up Wedding Window. And while this type of ceremony is frowned upon by the Catholic Church, such ceremonies are recognized by the forces of law.

Greg Smith, owner of Little Church of the West, said he believes there is room in Southern Nevada for a variety of wedding settings -- and that's what makes Las Vegas the wedding capital of the world.

But he also said the wedding setting is not the most important thing.

"It's the commitment -- that binding commitment," Smith said.