It’s a staple at Las Vegas weddings. Every year, thousands of couples are married by an Elvis Presley doppelganger in the gambling metropolis. But now a company with a court order wants to make sure that the ‘king’ can no longer say ‘yes’.
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) acquired the naming rights from Elvis Presley in 2013. But it wasn’t until May this year that several wedding bands received threatening letters banning Elvis from continuing to escort couples to the wedding haven.
The reaction of the band owners and Elvis doubles had nothing to do with “Love Me Tender”. They attack ABG as scammers looking to make money because Elvis is on everyone’s lips again thanks to a new movie.
Public shit storm
Jason Whaley, president of the Las Vegas Wedding Board: “For Elvis Presley, Las Vegas was his home for a long time. And his name has become synonymous with Las Vegas weddings. After the difficult two years of Covid, bands and Elvis doubles in the city must now worry that they are on the brink of extinction.”
The public shit storm has meanwhile made ABG back off a bit. According to Kayla Collins, co-owner of the Las Vegas Elvis Wedding Chapel, an annual license is on the way: “It’s about us paying a $20,000 fee and then just carry on as before.” However, no one knows whether this will actually happen.
Elvis weddings have been big business in Sin City since the late 1970s. Couples pay big bucks for the honor of having Elvis as their registrar—and even get a wedding serenade. The bride and groom must pay $1,600 for the “Elvis Pink Caddy Luxury Model Wedding Package”. Among other things, they are taken to the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel in a pink 1964 Cadillac convertible.
Elvis doppelgänger Harry Shahoian fears for his future. He told the Review-Journal that he makes a living because “people like to marry Elvis.” He performs up to 100 Elvis weddings a week at Graceland Chapel on the world famous Las Vegas Strip by saying, “If that’s suddenly banned, I’ll be on the street”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
