LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For couples looking for a unique way to tie the knot, Las Vegas has a lot to offer.
February has been one of the busiest months for weddings Clark County has ever seen, and couples from around the world flocked to the city to say "I do."
2/22/22 was the coveted "dream date" for many, but with demand so high, some couples opted for a President's Day wedding instead. Julianne Vidug and Chris White traveled all the way from Canada for a destination wedding with Maverick Helicopters.
Though they'd wanted to get hitched on the palindrome date, they found out 2/21/22 actually had a lot of significance, too.
"It's actually my aunt's birthday," White said, "and my aunt and uncle got married on Julianne's birthday."
"And that's probably when I got conceived by my parents," he added. "So, there you go."
White and Vidug (now Vidug-White) were married by True Love Knots founder Maria Romano. They had the ceremony on the ground in Nevada and were later whisked off with Ramona to re-do their vows over the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
That's just one of many destination options couples have when they choose a Vegas wedding, Romano said. Since the pandemic, she says more couples are opting for new ways to take the marital leap.
"We have lots of great chapels throughout the Las Vegas area that do a great job, but there are so many alternative ways that couples need to be aware of," Romano said. "You can get married on a helicopter, in a hot air balloon here, also, you can get married at Lake Mead. So, we have a variety to offer couples that want to have a destination wedding or just elope."
For Vidug and White, the decision to make theirs a destination wedding came down to dollars and cents.
"It's such a magical experience," White said. "It's something different than pretty much anyone else is doing. And, yeah, it's actually saving us more money than had we done a big blowout where we're from."
If you're still looking for love on 2/22/22 and want to end up like White and Vidug, Romano — who sees a lot of love — has some advice:
"Make sure you first love yourself before you decide to get out there anyway, and you just never know when you're going to come across the perfect person for you, so make sure you're prepared" she said. "Make sure you're ready to find love, but do work on yourself and that perfect person is going to cross into your path."
