美国赌城掀“枪支婚礼”风潮

Shotgun-themed weddings continue to boom in the US – despite the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school that saw a gunman pick off 26 people.

The Las Vegas ceremonies are still a hit and organisers The Gun Store insist no weddings have been cancelled in the wake of the incident and bookings are still flooding in.

Couples travel from all over the world, including the UK, to tie the knot at the Gun Store in full bridal wear before firing semi-automatics as well as pistols, UZIs and AK47s.

The £300 package includes an ordained minister, access to a private VIP shooting range and five shots on a shotgun for the bride and groom.

Another deal, called the Mr & Mrs Smith & Wesson, offers even more guns, ammunition and targets.

Emily Miller, an ordained minister at the Gun Store, said: “We’re here because people love each other and guns.

“Guns don’t have to be about anger and hate. This is a fun and energetic way to get out their aggressions and emotions.”

Since February last year, ten Shotgun Weddings have been conducted each month.

One couple travelled from their home in Ottawa, Canada, where gun laws are much stricter than Nevada.

The chapel room, normally used for cleaning guns, had been scattered with red rose petals.

And an UZI and Tommy gun had been mounted on a flowered trellis on the stage.

As the couple said their vows, the loud sound of an assault weapon being fired could be heard from the nearby shooting range.

They later moved to the special marble-floored VIP shooting range to seal their vows by blowing away their Nazi zombie targets.

Aaron Dickson, also an ordained minister at the Gun Store, said: “One thing I like to do is to have you guys share a lane together so you can enjoy watching each other shoot.

“To start off the marriage appropriately you guys get to start sharing right away - that’s the whole idea.”

尽管刚刚发生了桑迪霍克小学枪击悲剧事件，26人被持枪者杀害，但以枪为主题的婚礼在美国还是很盛行。

拉斯维加斯“枪支婚礼”依然很受欢迎，组织者“枪支商店”坚称没有因该事件而取消任何一场婚礼，而且现在还源源不断地接到这种婚礼的订单。

来“枪支商店”举行婚礼的新人来自世界各地，也包括英国。新娘穿上婚纱举行仪式后，用手枪、乌兹冲锋枪、AK47式突击步枪和半自动步枪进行射击。

定价300英镑的枪支婚礼套系包括由一名正式任命的牧师来主持婚礼，然后新郎和新娘前往私人贵宾射击场一同发射5发子弹。

另一个名为“史密斯和维森夫妇”的套系能让新人尝试更多枪、用更多子弹、射击更多目标。

“枪支商店”的一位名叫艾米丽•米勒的受命牧师说：“我们举行这种婚礼是因为人们彼此相爱，又都很喜欢枪。

“枪不一定与怒火和仇恨相关。射击是发泄攻击性和情绪的一种好玩又充满活力的方式。”

自从去年二月份以来，每个月都会举行10场“枪支婚礼”。

一对新人专程从加拿大渥太华的家乡来到拉斯维加斯举行枪支婚礼，因为家乡那里的枪支法律比美国内华达州要严格得多。

平日里用于清洁枪支的小礼拜堂如今已经撒上了红色的玫瑰花瓣。

舞台中央的花门上悬挂着一把乌兹冲锋枪和一把汤米冲锋枪。

在这对新人宣读结婚誓言时，可以听到枪支发射的巨响从附近的射击场传来。

稍后他们前往铺有大理石地板的贵宾射击场，向画着纳粹僵尸图案的靶子射击，以此来给他们的婚姻誓约盖上印记。

亚伦•迪克森也是“枪支商店”的一名受命牧师，他说：“我喜欢做的一件事就是让新郎和新娘共用一条射击靶道，这样他们就可以看见彼此射击时的模样。

“开始一段婚姻的最恰当方式，就是让夫妇双方立即开始分享做同一件事，这也是整个婚礼的主旨。”