I was married in the US.
UK residents can marry in Las Vegas provided you have the appropriate documentation:
Complete a marriage license application. You will both need to be present in order to obtain the license.
A valid 10-year passport
A birth certificate
Decree Absolute
The marriage license application is valid for one year from the date of issue, provided the ceremony is performed in any Wedding Chapel, Church or the Civil Marriage Commissioner's Office, by an authorised person.
After the marriage ceremony you will receive a signed souvenir certificate of marriage to take home, and another copy will be filed with the County Clerk.
You will need to obtain a certified copy of your Marriage Certificate (which is proof of marriage). This can be purchased from Las Vegas Wedding Bureau. You should call the Wedding Bureau in advance to clarify the necessary documentation for obtaining a certified marriage certificate. Please be aware it may take between 2-3 working days for the Wedding Bureau to obtain a certified copy of the marriage license. You can collect this by visiting in person, or by mailing in your request where it will then be sent to your home in the UK.
Your marriage will be legal in the UK, however, as it will have been performed under USA marriage laws your marriage can not be ‘registered’ here in the UK. An exception to this is where one of the couple is a serving member of, or is attached to, the British Armed Forces at the time of the marriage. This should be discussed with the Forces prior to the marriage-taking place.
If, however, this is not the case, provided one or both of you is a British citizen, a ‘record’ can be created for your overseas marriage by depositing the marriage certificate in the General Register Office (GRO). This record can be created at anytime after your marriage ceremony. In order to have your marriage certificate deposited you will need to specifically contact the GRO in the UK, and the British Embassy in Los Angeles, as this is not an automatic process, and state that you wish to deposit your marriage certificate with the GRO.
The marriage certificate must first be sent from The Las Vegas Wedding Bureau to the British Embassy in Los Angeles. The British Consular General will then forward the certificate, along with an accompanying note, to the GRO in the UK. Once the documents have been received by the GRO you will be notified. The documents are then held with the GRO and from then onwards a copy of your marriage certificate can be requested, should the need arise.
What's the difference between a ‘registered’ and a ‘recorded’ marriage?
When a British Citizen gets married within the UK the marriage is ‘registered’ with the GRO, but if a British Citizen gets married outside the UK the marriage can only be ‘recorded’ (deposited) with the GRO. These deposited marriage certificates are kept so that if you require a copy of your marriage certificate you can request this from the GRO, rather than having go back to the country you got married in.