Reno's wedding history by Dan Gallagher, Outpost Contributor   Some people have come to Nevada to do one of two things, get a divorce or get married. Out of the dust of a divorce capital, a marriage Mecca was erected. For the past 41 years, millions of people have trekked from all over to country to get married in the chapels of downtown Reno. In 1957 Joe Miltcher opened the Park Wedding Chapel. It marked the first in a long line of quick, no hassle marriage chapels. In 1959 the Sunset Chapel opened and in 1962 the Chapel of the Bells opened. The only thing required to get married in Nevada was, well, nothing. Unlike most states in the 1960s, Nevada didn't require a blood test or a waiting period. These first chapels took advantage of Nevada's relaxed marriage laws. There was a demand for easy marriages. People who came to Reno for a divorce often looked to get remarried as well. By 1975, Reno was 12 chapels strong. In 1978, Reno was host to about 40,000 weddings. Eventually other states relaxed their marriage laws, yet the marriage business in Nevada stayed strong. Why do people still come to Reno to get married? "At first it was because there was no blood tests," said George Flint, owner of the Chapel of the Bells, "But California dropped the blood test, and people still come here to get married. It is traditional to get married in Reno." Flint said couples come back to renew their vows, or they bring their children to get married in the same chapel they had. "A couple can drive up to Reno on Friday and buy their marriage license, get married on Saturday, and spend Saturday in Sunday in town and then go home," said John Foulk owner of the Candlelight Wedding Chapel and the Silver Bells Wedding Chapel. "It is convenient." One obstacle the Reno chapels used to face was the marriage bureau's hours. It used to only stay open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and open for a half an hour in the evening between 8:30 and 9:00. The chapels had to try to work around it, but couples would often drive down to Carson City, where the marriage bureau stayed open until midnight. The couples were more likely to get married in a chapel down there. Eventually the marriage bureau in Reno changed their hours and began to stay open to midnight as well. "The chapels' only advantage is their convenience. Quick, no hassles, and inexpensive," said Claudia Logan a receptionist at Candlelight Wedding Chapel. "For an average young couple, a traditional wedding would cost about $10,000. If they come to Reno and bring 20 guests, get flowers and photos, it will cost them $200," Flint said. Flint recalled a time when a young couple received a cashiers check for $5,000 from the bride-to-be's father. The father told them the money could either go to a down payment on a house or to a wedding. The couple decided to come to Reno and got married for $150 and put the rest of the money down on a house. "I don't think the state has ever recognized the economic impact the chapels have brought to the tourism business," said Flint. Flint estimates an average group that comes to Reno for a wedding in the chapels is 12 people and they stay for an average two to three days. Multiply that by 24,000 weddings per year and the numbers start to add up. Where do the chapels go from here? Will the Reno chapels be left behind in the glitz and glam of Las Vegas' Elvis impersonators and drive up marriage windows? "I think there is a desire to keep tradition in Reno," said Foulk. "Vegas is like a giant playground now."   copyright May 1998 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost