State of marriage: Nevada leads nation in rate of those tying, breaking the knot

Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 | 11:27 a.m.

In Nevada, you can get married by Elvis, or divorced six weeks after moving to the state.

Either way, you won't be alone. In fact, you'll be in good company.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the U.S. Census Bureau released figures this week that show Nevada is without peer when it comes to passion, ranking No. 1 in marriages and divorces per capita.

According to the agency's "Statistical Abstract of the United States," Nevada had 75 marriages per 1,000 people in 2001 and 6.8 divorces -- tops in both categories.

The news grabbed the minds and hearts of a variety of experts, each of whom had theories as to why there are more knots tied, and untied, here than anywhere else.

"Nevada's always been about hope, and marriage is about hope," said Hal Rothman, chairman of the history department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of several books on Las Vegas.

"And Nevada's also been about reinventing yourself, and divorce is a way of reinventing yourself."

At the Marriage License Bureau downtown, supervisor Cheryl Vernon, in a less philosophical mood Thursday, said her "staff was staggering" as they beat back the romantic crush of the year's busiest time, with about 1,500 couples expected by the time Valentine's Day was over.

"People like getting married by Elvis," she said, when asked about the Census Bureau's report. "Personally, I don't get it."

Revell Bullard, 55, and Patricia Eubanks, 39, do get it.

At 8:15 a.m. today, they were the last ones in a 200-couple line that stretched out the Third Street door of the courthouse and around the corner all the way to Carson Street. The residents of Hope, Ark., had arrived in Las Vegas at 2 a.m., on a red-eye flight.

"When you're in Hope you get married in the Bill Clinton chapel. When you are in Vegas you get married in the Elvis chapel," Bullard said. "We're big Elvis fans, and we thought it would be fun to do."

When asked their plans for the rest of the weekend, Bullard said, "I'm hoping she gets naked." But Eubanks said she was "hoping to win $1 million."

State Demographer Jeff Hardcastle had what he called the "Simpsons theory," recalling an episode of the TV show in which Homer and his neighbor Ned hit Las Vegas and wind up marrying women they met during a night of drinking. Tourists from everywhere come here to make their vows, and that skews Nevada's number when it comes to marriages, he said.

As for the divorce record, Hardcastle said the number of new arrivals to the state may contribute to breakups.

"A lack of family social support structures for the new residents moving here may be a part of it," he said.

Gerald Weeks, chairman of the counseling department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the vices that put the sin in Sin City are no good for marriages.

"Nevada has high addiction rates to alcohol, gambling and so forth," he said. "And so the person is essentially married to the addiction instead of the spouse."

Weeks, whose department offers what he said is the country's first minor in treating gambling addiction, said that problems with addictions lead to problems with money, "and money is one of the top five reasons for divorces."

The pyschologist also said that casinos and the state don't address the issue with funding for research and counseling, and that Las Vegas couples tend to seek help less readily than those in other metropolitan areas.

County Clerk Shirley Paraguirre said at least some of Nevada's high divorce per capita numbers also come from tourists.

"I know for a fact that a lot of people come from other states to have a divorce," she said. They come in part for Nevada's short residency requirement of six weeks, she added.

Over at the Riviera, the Census Bureau's news on love and hate will be celebrated in true Las Vegas fashion starting today.

The hotel's casino will be issuing a thousand $5 chips commemorating the institution of marriage today, and another thousand for divorces Feb. 25.

The divorce chip says, "I got custody of the dog in 2003."

"Some people find the divorce chips offensive," said John Neeland, spokesman for the hotel. "They wonder who would want to celebrate that."

But the chips are mostly for collectors, who will auction them off on eBay the day after buying them, Neeland said.

Meanwhile, back at the marriage license bureau, the staff of 28 will be dealing with other passions as Valentine's Day unfolds.

Many couples don't plan ahead, and show up at the downtown office an hour or so before their weddings -- only to find a wait of two hours or more.

What do they do?

"The bride starts bawling," Vernon said, "and the groom pays the people in front of the line to get ahead."

That was happening this morning at the courthouse, minus the tears and with a currency exchange and language barrier twist: One of the hundreds of couples in line was negotiating in French and using Euros to move up.

In Las Vegas, all's fair in love on Valentine's Day.