1. Research

Unless you're a spontaneous, spur of the moment person, research is essential in order to have a great Las Vegas wedding, including setting the wedding date.

Yes, you could hop on a plane at the last minute, fly to Vegas and turn up at the chapel of your choice only to find out that:

A. You need a marriage licence from the Marriage Bureau, Las Vegas, Nevada which is located at 200 S. 3rd Street, 1st floor Las Vegas, NV 89155-1603 (cost at time of writing was $55) before you can get married in Las Vegas.

B. The chapel is booked solid, even when you return with a marriage license. Then you're roaming Las Vegas wedding chapels, trying to find one that can marry you.

2. How To Get There

You also need to research how you'll get to Las Vegas. Plane, train, car or bus? If you decide to fly, you'll need to check airfares with the different airlines to find the best deal.

3. Venue

When you were doing your research, you probably came up with an idea of what sort of wedding you wanted. For example, you can be married by an Elvis impersonator, get married in medieval costume at Excalibur or opt for a traditional ceremony in an elegant wedding chapel.

Once you've decided on your wedding theme and researched wedding chapels, it's a good idea to book the chapel of your choice as soon as possible, in order to avoid disappointment.

4. Reception.

To reception or not to reception? Instead of having a traditional reception you could have a memorable wedding meal at a top restaurant in Las Vegas, depending on how many will be in your wedding party. Or if it's just the two of you, you could dine a deux with room service in your honeymoon suite.

5. Your Wedding Night and Honeymoon

Now that you know where and when you're getting married, it's time to book the wedding night and or honeymoon. It's easy to research the casino hotels online by visiting their websites or reading messages on Las Vegas forums to find a hotel that appeals to you. Once you find your hotel, it's a good idea to make your reservations as soon as possible.

6. Wedding Attire

It's time to decide on your outfit for your Las Vegas wedding. You've already decided what sort of ceremony you've having, which will help to narrow your choice of outfit. If you don't want to pack your wedding gown into a suitcase you could always rent or buy a wedding gown in Las Vegas. Just make sure you do your research first before you arrive in Las Vegas.

7. Invitations

Before sending out your invitations you should have completed the above six steps: deciding on a wedding date and type of wedding, mode of transport to Las Vegas, booking a wedding chapel, deciding on what sort of reception you'll be having if any, reservations for your wedding night/honeymoon and planning your wedding attire.

Now it's time to invite your family/friends to your Las Vegas wedding. Unless you just want it to be the two of you - how romantic!