This Canadian couple celebrated their anniversary with a destination elopement at a Las Vegas drive-in chapel

For their first anniversary of dating, Thea (she/her) and Mal (she/her) traveled from their home in Viking, Alberta, Canada, to Las Vegas, Nevada, to have a destination elopement. Thea and Mal’s goal was to have a laid-back and stress-free wedding day together to celebrate their relationship. Thea rocked a flowy white gown with a beaded bodice, while Mal went for a tailored look with white pants and a blue suit jacket for a pop of color. Mal completed her look with a brimmed white hat from Goorin Bros.

The gay wives-to-be got ready together before heading to a drive-in chapel to tie the knot. For their minimal flowers, they included navy blues accented with greens and purples in their bouquet. The florals also incorporated succulents and thistles that paid homage to the surrounding landscape of the Nevada desert. Following the ceremony, Thea and Mal enjoyed the nightlife along the Vegas Strip.

We caught up with Thea to hear about this destination Vegas elopement.

Tell us your love story!

Our love story is like most modern love stories: we both swiped right. It took a pandemic, hopping a province, renovating two houses, refurbishing an RV and buying a house to decide we could do life together…and that was all within a year of matching. After being together for just over a year, we decided to elope. What better way to experience our first holiday together than to elope in Vegas? Fast forward two-and-a-half years of knowing each other, and we are proud mommas to our baby girl, Bexley! We made the most out of the last couple of “slow years” and can’t wait to see what’s next for our family of three.

Tell us about the ceremony.

We had an intimate drive-in ceremony at a chapel in Las Vegas. We wanted something fun and easygoing, so why not a drive-in chapel? We rented a Blackjack Vanderhall sports car to really make a statement for the ceremony. We kept it simple and exchanged rings, signed our marriage license and drove off in style!

How did you personalize your wedding?

Honestly, we did everything spontaneously! Everything came together cohesively with little to no planning. One aspect that was personalized was our rings. We met in June, and Mal bought the ring in August. We didn’t coordinate our rings and only saw them for the first time when we said “I do.” Mal knew I loved salt-and-pepper diamonds, and I knew that she wanted a simple band, and I made sure she had a salt-and-pepper diamond in hers. Our rings match our personalities to a tee. Our goal with our wedding was to highlight our destination, Las Vegas, on the Strip and the local environment. We loved that we could incorporate both city vibes and landscapes.

What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples or marriers?

Plan your wedding for you. Do what you want, and don’t try to please anybody, as it’s your day. We eloped, and even though our families were not happy, we wouldn’t have changed a thing, as it’s what we wanted. One thing we would highly recommend is getting a photographer and even a videographer. We still look back at our photos and are in awe. Also, it was the best way to share our day with family and friends.