The prospect of going to Las Vegas, getting drunk and waking up married has always been an entertaining idea to me. The fact that you can now realise it with Shotgun Weddings made it an opportunity too good to miss. I would start the evening off single and potentially end it married.
The Venue
Taking up temporary residence for the evening at The Underdog Gallery, everything had been stripped off the walls and it really felt like a blank canvas ready to be filled. There was a makeshift, yet well stocked, bar and a centre stage platform which was to be used for the marriages. The stage also had a large luminous heart behind it which gave it that authentic Las Vegas wedding look.
Shotgun Weddings really felt like a true, last minute Las Vegas wedding.
The Atmosphere and Clientele
The vibrant atmosphere was arguably the best part of the evening. Shotgun Weddings hired an incredibly entertaining actor to play the part of a Deep South minister, and his commitment to stay in character all night was fantastically well-received. One of the marriages he ordained got everyone involved and after a few "Praise the Lord's" and "Hallelujahs", a couple were wed in front of our very eyes. A second later, Chuck Berry was being blasted out and everyone was doing the signature dance from 'Pulp Fiction'. The authenticity of the atmosphere shocked me, I nearly had to pinch myself and remember that it was all a clever ruse.
The fantastically portrayed minister truly brought the night together for me.
The Music
With weddings, you expect corny love songs and disco hits capable of getting your Dad gyrating (and probably embarrassing you), but I was very surprised by the choice of music. A wide range of classic tunes were spun throughout the night from David Bowie to James Brown, which was a nice change to trendy smattering of indie, hip hop and house. Forget your traditional wedding DJ, constantly doing requests, this was a slick and well-oiled machine of a wedding, with a DJ to match. Faultless all night.
Like most weddings, people weren't afraid to get their groove on.
Summary
Overall it has to be said that Shotgun Weddings was a throughly entertaining evening. Whilst I sadly didn't get married, I had a great time and my fellow wedding guests certainly did too. The marriages in their own right were a unique spectacle and understandably the best part of the night, but the strong music, party atmosphere and cool crowd also helped make it a real treat.
