We were sitting on our deck with friends enjoying
a wine and talking about our forthcoming trip to Vegas.
"What are you two going to do there if you don't like gambling?" our friend
Wade asked.
We'll get re-married by Elvis", I said in a throw-away sort of voice. Before
we knew it, another bottle of wine was opened and we were on the web trying to locate
Elvis. It wasn't hard - he hangs out at the Gracelands Wedding Chapel on the 'Strip'
and we had promised our friends we would do it!
In the Cold Light of Day
For several days we just enjoyed the 'hard
core tack' experience of Vegas - especially the music (Natalie Cole, James Brown,
Earth Wind & Fire) but the Elvis thing didn't really appeal very must at all
in the cold light of day.
But, a promise is a promise so we rang up the Wedding Chapel and made our appointment
with Elvis for 11am the next morning. An early wedding would also have the advantage
of having the rest of the day for a honeymoon before getting back to the serious
business of checking out even more fabulous music that night!
Dressed in white, Liz and I taxied to the Gracelands Wedding Chapel and were ever
so impressed with the sign that proclaimed that Bon Jovi was married there.
On the love bridge outside we met a very serious young American couple who had just
had the deluxe wedding - stretch limo and all. The problem was that the limo had
run out of petrol somewhere on the strip and Bob, the owner was throwing a can of
gas onto the back of the pick-up truck to rescue the limo so their honeymoon could
commence.
A young English couple were waiting for Elvis in the reception area. 'My mum will
kill me for this if she ever finds out", said the nervous groom. "You'll
be after this lovely couple - Elvis is running a bit behind time"', said the
receptionist.
Was it too late to run we wondered - " Oh what the hell, let's do it', said
Liz.
Bob, fresh from the limo rescue, showed us into the Chapel and called Elvis from
the little room at the side where he was watching the Red Socks playing the San Francisco
Giants on a large screen.
Just for a moment we thought that Elvis didn't want to leave his room, and did we
imagine it, or did Bob call him Norm? |
It's Him All Right!
 Then we saw him, or
rather, heard him, as the hundreds of tassles on his sequined suit rattled and jiggled
as he glided across the floor with outstretched hand towards us.
Yes, it really was Elvis, the Elvis in the latter stages of his career - a little
heavy in stature and feature, but it was him all right!
What a charmer - he made it so easy for us sensing our nervousness (or was it reluctance)
and then he finished off the ceremony singing a brilliant rendition of the moving
'I can't help falling in love
with you'. Elvis even played his own accompaniment
on a clapped out old Yamaha keyboard. What talent!
We posed for pictures with Elvis - essential for skeptical friends back home, thanked
Elvis for the ceremony, and clutching our Elvis marriage certificate we beat a hasty
retreat back to the nearest bar on the strip while Elvis went back to his little
room to watch the 7th innings!
Perhaps in our next visit to Vegas we can have a quickie divorce - it will be fun
to 'live in sin again' after 26 years of marriage.
Click on the picture to visit Gracelands Wedding Chapel and see what you've missed
out on!
 Russell
Shaw
Let us know about your Vegas experiences, recommendations
and tips. |
We find Elvis - alive and
well and living in Las Vegas