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Clark County expects to issue 10,000th same-sex marriage license next week

The “wedding capital of the world” is on the cusp of issuing its 10,000th marriage license to a same-sex couple, and local businesses want to make sure the ceremony to come will be a lavish celebration.

The Clark County Clerk’s Marriage License Bureau has received an abundance of gifts for the couple including a two-night stay at Mandalay Bay, free wedding photography from Frick Photo and offers for free ceremonies from a handful of local resorts and wedding chapels.

In all, more than 25 businesses have donated gifts. Most are members of the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce.

“We thought it was a great opportunity to say ‘thank you for getting married with us’ and celebrate the ‘same love, same rights’ (movement),” chamber president Kristen LaBuda said. “Marriage equality is just an important value to us here.”

The county issued its first marriage license to a same-sex couple on Oct. 9, 2014. As of noon Friday, more than 9,900 such licenses had been issued.

Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya said her office expects to issue the landmark marriage license within the next week.

“We welcome all couples to Las Vegas,” she said. “We think we offer some of the best wedding services and the best amenities in the world, and we want people to come and experience them.”

Wedding tourism is a core industry of Las Vegas. Last year more 81,000 marriage licenses were issued here, Goya said.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477- 3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.

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