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100 couples to tie the knot as part of Centennial's "Once Upon 100 Weddings"

Las Vegas, Nev.-The Las Vegas Centennial has partnered with Southwest Airlines to pay tribute to the "Wedding Capital of the World" by marrying 100 couples, two from Las Vegas and 98 from around the world, in a joint ceremony under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience on Thursday, June 9. In addition to the wedding nuptials, the couples will receive a four-day wedding package (June 6 - June 9) that includes roundtrip airfare, bachelor and bachelorette parties and a host of wedding gifts provided by local retailers.

"This is more than just a wedding, it's an entire wedding extravaganza" said Mayor Oscar Goodman, Chairman of the Centennial Committee. "There's a reason Las Vegas is known as the 'Wedding Capital of the World.' These couples are going to have the time of their lives and they will never forget they said their 'I do's' in Las Vegas."

The wedding experience commemorating the Las Vegas Centennial will begin on Monday, June 6 when the couples arrive at McCarran International Airport. National couples will arrive via Southwest Airlines. Mayor Goodman will officially kick off the festivities during a welcome and briefing at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, where the couples will stay during their time in Las Vegas.

The wedding festivities will continue on June 7, as the couples register for their marriage licenses at the Clark County Courthouse then head to the Fremont Street Experience for a wedding rehearsal. A special screening of New Line Cinema's Wedding Crashers will follow at Crown Theater's Neonopolis. The couples will party the night away that evening with bachelor and bachelorette parties provided by MGM Grand's Studio 54 and New York - New York's Coyote Ugly respectively.

On Thursday, June 9, the twosomes will test their skills at a poker tournament at the Golden Nugget, then prep for their nuptials with hairstyling and make-up application for the brides. As part of the promotion, the Las Vegas brides will each receive $599 gift certificates from David's Bridal for the dress of their dreams, while out of state brides will receive a $100 gift certificate toward the purchase of a dress or bridal accessories.

The wedding ceremony will take place near the 1st Street Stage under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience, with traditional wedding highlights such as the first kiss, first dance and cake cutting near the 3rd Street Stage to follow.

The two lucky Las Vegas Valley couples were selected by the Centennial Committee through an online contest. The winners were chosen from more than 80 local couples who submitted essays describing their personal love story, why they are compatible and their secret for a long-lasting marriage. A jury comprised of a local marriage counselor, a divorce attorney and a couple who has been married for 25 years judged the essays and selected the winners. The Las Vegas Valley couples were announced during a June 2 press conference at A Special Memory Wedding Chapel in downtown Las Vegas.

As part of the national promotion, 95 couples were selected from Southwest Airlines/Las Vegas feeder markets including Seattle, Los Angeles, Oakland/ San Francisco, Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, Manchester and Houston through a variety of television and radio promotions in those markets. They will be flown to Las Vegas courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

Three additional couples were chosen by promotions in Las Vegas' top international markets, including Germany, the United Kingdom and Korea. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) managed those promotions.