Before she became a force in the Las Vegas wedding scene, Paula Cook applied for a position in the Clark County, Nevada, coroner’s office. But after she was steered toward an open position in the Marriage License Bureau, Cook ended up focusing more on “’til death.”
“It really is the funnest job I never knew I wanted,” said Cook, who began as a window clerk with the bureau in 2012 before eventually becoming the records administration manager.
Cook has made it her mission to transform the bureau into a welcoming environment for couples, from adding red carpets to offering special marriage keepsakes to introducing a pop-up Marriage Bureau at the Harry Reid International Airport. Her efforts earned her a 2024 Exemplary Public Servant award.
“Sometimes it's hard to believe it is a government job, because the department right behind us is people coming in to pay tickets,” Cook said. “They're not so happy, those customers, and our customers are pretty happy.”
The Marriage License Bureau operates daily from 8 a.m. to midnight, typically administering around 200 marriage licenses a day, according to Cook. Special events and holidays are popular times for weddings in Las Vegas, and Cook is happy to oblige, rolling out a red carpet during the month of Prince Harry’s wedding and crafting bracelets for couples when the Electric Daisy Carnival, a popular EDM festival, is in town.
If it’s a palindrome day, the bureau braces for an influx of couples looking to get hitched. One of the most popular wedding days in recent memory for Cook was Dec. 31, 2023 — otherwise known as “123123.” Halloween and the costumes it inspires can also be a big draw down the aisle, as can April Fools and Friday the 13th. Cook said she used to think such preferences were a little “silly.”
“But actually being in the industry now, it's really kind of cool,” Cook said. “Because in Vegas, you can pretty much do whatever you want and have your wedding how you want it.”
Helping her team get through those work-heavy special days stands out as her favorite part of the job. “When the line's out the door, you're just calling couple after couple after couple, and it can be a grind,” she said. During those busy days, Cook orders pizza and wings for the staff “to make it a little more fun.”
The pop-up Marriage License Bureau initiative at the airport began in 2018 during Valentine’s Day, and it sometimes boasts lines that could outdo security.
“We just take over one of the small offices and baggage claim, and it works out great,” Cook said. “So, people literally get off the plane and they'll go get their luggage and they'll come right to our office.”
If couples apply online and have the necessary IDs, they can be in and out with a marriage license in five minutes, according to Cook.
Vegas being Vegas, the bureau also sees its share of celebrities.
“There's nothing like sitting at your desk and turning and going, Wow, that really looks like Nicholas Cage … Oh my gosh, that is Nicholas Cage!” Cook said.
As another way to highlight the bureau and its work, Cook helped lead an initiative to create a timeline of all the celebrities who have been married in Las Vegas. The list dates back to 1900 and has topped 400 — and counting.
Couples can match their wedding dates with famous people who have tied the knot. “It's actually very popular,” Cook said.
Looking back, Cook has no regrets about winding up at the center of the Wedding Capital of the World and helping it to thrive.
“I had no clue how exciting this job was gonna be,” she said.
