‘Vegas-style’ weddings offered at new Windsor business

Want to get married right now? Even under lockdown conditions, Kristina Foto’s Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel in Walkerville can make a couple official.

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Want to get married fast? Windsor’s Kristina Foto says she can put together a ceremony for you with about 60 minutes’ notice.

“We’re set up and ready to go at all times,” said the 38-year-old wedding officiant at her new Walkerville-area business: Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel.

“If somebody were to call me up right now, and they have their marriage certificate and want to do a small wedding, I could probably accommodate them within an hour or two. I can make it happen.”

Located at 1335 Wyandotte St. East, Foto’s “Vegas-style” wedding space opened about two weeks ago after renovations and rebranding.

Foto said she can host a ceremony with up to five attendees — including the couple —while staying in full compliance with Ontario’s current COVID-19 restrictions on indoor gatherings.

The rules of the ongoing provincial stay-at-home order allow for weddings, funerals, and religious services with up to 10 people.

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Foto said her five-person limit is due to the size of her business space. Under normal conditions, its capacity is about 30 people.

As the owner, operator, and officiant, Foto runs her “Vegas-style” weddings as a one-woman comprehensive program. She’ll even provide the bouquet.

“We try to keep it fun. We’ve got a Vegas backdrop. We’ve got a faux cake and cake cutter. We’ve got ‘Just Married’ signs,” she said.

“We’ve got a beautiful baby grand piano, an archway, and a runner (aisle) down the middle.”

Despite the humble scale of Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, its ceremonies are completely legitimate: Foto has been an officiant under Windsor Weddings since 2017, and also offers her services at Platinum Room Banquet Hall on Central Avenue.

Foto said she can also arrange non-binding “commitment ceremonies,” renewal of vows, or anniversary ceremonies for couples who want an event for symbolic or sentimental reasons.

“It might give people a little peace of mind until next year or the year when they’re able to have their big event,” Foto explained.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its necessary restrictions have been putting a major dent in Ontario’s billion-dollar-a-year wedding industry.

But Foto feels the demand for her services hasn’t actually diminished: “It’s just different. I still get the same amount of inquiries. I just have to tell them what we can do right now. A lot of people have been postponing.”

That’s why Foto believes there’s an untapped Windsor market for Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel: Even out of lockdown, there are those who might want a “nice, cost-effective alternative to having a large ceremony.”

Foto said “Vegas-style” weddings are also ideal for couples who want to make their union meaningful — but discreet. “People have actually done this in secret. They’ve come and gotten married and not told a soul. It’s just something for the couple to keep between themselves.”

Find out more about Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel at myvegaswedding.ca or call 519-990-4307.