Adios, Reverend Elvis. Ciao, tiny chapels! Las Vegas’s hottest trend is outdoor weddings, with couples choosing, in particular, to say “I do” in the Valley of Fire, according to a local wedding destination specialist.

“Couples are forgoing traditional indoor weddings and instead opting to exchange their vows in one of several scenic outdoor locations in the Las Vegas area (and) Valley of Fire has recently become a top destination for couples looking to tie the knot in Sin City,” reports Scenic Las Vegas Weddings, which named the valley its most popular outdoor wedding destination of 2020.

Located about 80 km from the Vegas Strip and abutting Lake Mead, Valley of Fire State Park gets its name from the unique deep red sandstone formations.

And combined with striking desert scenery, is “a truly amazing place to have a wedding,” says the company.

“Couples come to Las Vegas looking to elope or get married all the time. Over the past six months, we’ve noticed a huge increase in demand for couples wanting to get married in the Valley of Fire,” says Scenic Las Vegas Weddings owner Trey Tomsik. “They’re looking for something different than the stereotypical Elvis on the strip wedding.”

“I think a contributing reason as to why Valley of Fire is so popular is due to people wanting to get married in epic locations,” he adds. “Valley of Fire offers an out-of-this-world landscape that has to be seen to be believed. Sunset is one of the most requested times of the day to conduct the wedding ceremony as the rays of the evening sun light up the rocks as if the entire landscape was on fire.”

Other popular outdoor wedding destinations in the Las Vegas area include Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon, Tule Springs, Mount Charleston, and the Eldorado Canyon Ghost Town.