Sun goes down on 24-hour Vegas weddings

The chance to jet off to Las Vegas and get married at whatever time you please, day or night, is to become a thing of the past, as the 24-hour marriage licences which have always applied in the city are on their way out.

Couples will now have to wait until the morning before saying their vows, owing to budget cuts and a lack of necessity to hold ceremonies at particular times, officials told AFP.

Elen Black of the Marriage Bureau of Las Vegas County attributed the reform to a lack of demand for weddings at unconventional hours.

"Fewer than four per cent of licences are issued on [the overnight] shift," Ms Black said.

Licences will now be issued from 08:00 and 20:00 local time. It's not all bad news for any prospective newlyweds who had their hearts set on a night-time wedding, however, as privately run wedding chapels are still able to operate around the clock.

Based on recent examples, weddings in the wee hours may not be advisable. Pop star Britney Spears was wed overnight in Las Vegas and promptly had the marriage annulled two hours after.