By Kirk Kern

Las Vegas has been known as the Wedding Capital of the World, with one reason being the ease in getting a marriage license and a number of venues ready to host the nuptials on a minute’s notice.

Sandra Ramaker

But for Mesquite residents, getting a marriage license hasn’t been quite so simple since the county closed its Mesquite office in 2011. That, however, is about to change with a new office slated to open sometime in October at City Hall on a part-time basis.

“I want to thank County Clerk Lynn Goya and County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick for listening to me and making this happen,” said Sandra Ramaker, city councilwoman. “Weddings are happy. Weddings are fun. What better place to enjoy such a special event than in our beautiful and friendly community of Mesquite?”

Ramaker said Goya came to Mesquite on Aug. 4 and met with her, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, The Eureka Resort, Mesquite Gaming and city staff to hear the pitch about bringing back a satellite county office to Mesquite to issue wedding licenses and perform other county business.

There had been in an office in Mesquite, but it had been shut down in 2011 because there wasn’t enough business taking place there to justify the expense of an office and a city employee there.

“They didn’t have the funding at the time,” Ramaker said.

The meeting on Aug. 4 went well and an office was approved along with hiring of a part-time employee to run it on Wednesdays, Thursdays and part of Fridays. The county will advertise for this new position soon. Besides issuing wedding licenses, other county business can be done at this office.

Besides the convenience of Mesquite residents not having to drive to Las Vegas to get a marriage license, there’s a hope there will be an increase in wedding tourism at the two resorts and other houses of worship in Mesquite.

“Our community has lovely locations for ceremonies, along with casinos, restaurants, hotels, florists, spas, etc, which can support a wedding party,” Ramaker said. “It is their enthusiasm and can-do spirit which is bringing a part-time clerk’s office to Mesquite.”