N.Y. couple wins free wedding at Taco Bell Cantina on Strip

People get married in a lot of unusual places in Las Vegas, from a drive-thru lane to an Elvis chapel to a party bus on the Strip. The latest novelty nuptial? Taco Bell.

Or, more specifically, the Taco Bell Cantina at 3717 Las Vegas Blvd. South near Harmon Avenue.

Of course this is not your average Taco Bell. The Cantina, which opened late last year, is two stories high, has a VIP lounge, a DJ booth, extensive artwork and serves beer, Twisted Freezes and shared appetizer plates, along with the usual taco, burrito, chalupa fare.

As part of the opening fanfare, the company announced a Love and Tacos Contest, with the grand prize being an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas for the wedding. On Friday, Dan Ryckert and Bianca Monda of New York City were declared the winners.

Nine other finalist couples will get free Taco Bell weddings if they finance their own trips from their homes. Normally it costs $600 to get married at Taco Bell; you don’t think a sauce-packet bouquet comes cheap, do you? Add to that a Cinnabon Delights Wedding Cake, Taco 12 Packs and Twisted Freeze toasts.

Ryckert and Monda’s late-June wedding will mark the official opening of Taco Bell wedding season. While the taco-loving lovebirds were not immediately available for comment, a company spokesperson says they are lifelong fans. For his 32nd birthday, Monda treated Ryckert to an oceanfront dinner at a Taco Bell on the beach at Pacifica, California.

Sounds like a match made in taco heaven.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.

Congratulations to the winners of our #LoveAndTacosContest, Bianca & @DanRyckert. https://t.co/EU4jb8ParT

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) April 12, 2017