Las Vegas is a quintessential place where a fool and his money are easily parted. There is so much on offer and one’s choices are limitless.But we had come to glitzyland with two things on our minds, either a quickie divorce or to renew our wedding vowsOur children had clubbed together to buy us a two-night stay at Bellagios so the tendency was towards renewal. The penthouse was the size of a ballroom and we were able to hide from each other with little difficulty. After a celebratory pre-renewal party, we retired to bed in the knowledge that we would be stars the next day in our very own show.The following morning we went in search of a suitable wedding venue. Six of us piled into our rented RUV and headed up the strip to old Vegas, looking for a not too ostentatious establishment.story_article_left1The first one we came to was The World Famous Chapel of the Bells, a typical '50s place with an inviting entrance. What are the odds on the first chapel that we encountered being world famous?The friendly receptionist welcomed us and serious negotiations ensued. The groom took control. We would require this world-famous chapel for a three-minute quickie so let's skip the negotiations and move on. The cost of that would be, wait for it, the princely sum of $70, a bit heavy for three minutes but, alright, we could stretch the budget.Next we would need a justice of the peace to officiate. No, no, this is a renewal, not a wedding. Bad luck big spender, this is mandatory and at a further cost of $50. Then there's the question of artificial flowers and photographs.Okay, this is gonna cost like altogether a sum around $250. The best man kept reminding the groom that this wasn't just any place, it was world famous and for fame one has to pay one's dues. Imagine what a wedding would have cost Mickey Rooney and Ernest Borgnine, both alumni of this renowned establishment.Forty years of marriage flashed past faster than the rolling barrels of a slot machine, with birthday parties, school fees, family holidays, first cars, designer clothes, etc, being agonisingly recounted, all that reduces one to an impecunious state later in life. The groom pleaded that as pensioners maybe desk lady could circumvent all these punitive requirements, but no, she dug in saying nothing was negotiable.Alright, just forget it, we'll buy some Californian sparkling and sip it straight from the bottle in the parking lot. Realising that we were not about to liquidate our pension fund, she came up with a brilliant idea. We could use the gazebo and park benches outside the world-famous chapel for our economy-driven ceremony at a cost that could well suit our pockets. And, what may that cost be? We could use it at zero cost. What? In Las Vegas? Something for nothing? Lady Luck was looking down on us, we'd hit green on the roulette wheel.story_article_right2Before desk lady's medication wore off, we quickly assembled outside, best man, groomsman and bridesmaids then walked down the aisle followed by a hobbling couple who took up their places under the gazebo. In less than 60 seconds some endearments were exchanged, followed by some snapshots so we could be reminded of this special day.But before departing, some Japanese tourists insisted they take some real photographs to show folk back home what happens in Vegas. We hoped it would stay in Vegas. Oh well.With that behind us, the next pursuit was to find an item of jewellery incorporating a ruby of minimal proportions with concomitant price tag. We found a pawn shop with an entrance fronting onto a parking lot. Out came trays of assorted sparkling stuff but only one piece, a bangle, had a small ruby set in it. The groom was in luck, his bride approved and, after some protracted bargaining, an unsatisfactory price was reached and money reluctantly changed hands.All that remained was to celebrate this milestone in style by way of a wedding breakfast. Up the road a Denny's Diner beckoned and there bride and groom shared the pensioners' special, a dire concoction served by hungover waiters trying not too hard to recover from the previous night's fun. No point in chilling after celebrating, the boys hit the closest casino and the girls went shopping.A bow-tied fella manning a blackjack table succeeded in recovering the wedding chapel's lost turnover in a matter of minutes. Seems like our luck had run out and it was time to saddle up and get out of town.• Do you have a funny or quirky story about your travels ? Send 600 words to travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za..