Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapels

Casinos aren’t the only draw in this gambling town. Many who feel lucky head to chapels on The Strip.

One couple says “I do” behind closed doors, three sign marriage licenses in the office, and four others wait their turn to exchange vows.

Meanwhile, a pair of young lovers from Tempe, Ariz., sits in a Ford Mustang at the drive-through, where Charolette Richards performs $30 ceremonies.

It’s Saturday. It’s spring. It’s busy at A Little White Wedding Chapel. And, yes, Elvis is here.

This chapel--squeezed between hotel-casinos Riviera and Circus Circus--is one of 26 in Las Vegas, self-proclaimed wedding capital of the world.

“I do so many weddings, I lost count of the numbers,” says Richards. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

The city’s convention bureau provides the numbers: Some 100,800 couples tied the knot last year, 3,021 on Valentine’s Day alone.

“Spring and summer are definitely our busiest times,” says Judy Kerness, proprietor of Cupid’s Wedding Chapel. Scanning live-feed video from the adjoining chapel, she smiles. “And Saturdays, well, Saturdays can be crazy.”

Couples come from across the country and around the world. “Sometimes,” Kerness says, “it’s just two people who thought, ‘Hey, this seems like a good idea.’ ”

Londoners Lisa Michalski and Graham Potter thought longer. Michalski is formal, with a full-length white gown and a bouquet of red roses and babies’ breath. Potter wears a black suit with a neon blue dress shirt and matching suede shoes.

Michalski walks down the aisle with Richards and Jason Garon in attendance. Garon, the Elvis impersonator, sings “Love Me Tender.” Knot tied, bride kissed, Garon tugs his gold jacket, swivels hips and bursts into “Viva Las Vegas.” The newlyweds dance and sing along.

“We love Elvis, and we love rock ‘n’ roll,” says Potter. “And this just seemed like the thing to do. It’s too boring to marry at home.”

As Elvis, er, Garon leaves the building to pose with bride and groom near his pink Cadillac, he nods at the chapel’s photo Wall of Fame: Joan Collins, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Dan Aykroyd, Michael Jordan, plus Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

Down the Strip, at San Francisco Sally’s wedding chapel and rent-all, Nandina Dutta and Partha Dutta try on gowns and tuxedos. Arriving on the red-eye flight from New York City, they have only a few hours to rent clothes, get married, return the rentals, check into the New York-New York Hotel and Casino and catch the early-bird flight home.

They will be married at a nearby chapel in one hour. “It’s just one of those crazy things,” the groom says. “We wanted to do something out of the ordinary. So here we are.” And the parents? “They don’t even know we’re here. I think they’ll be shocked, but I think they’ll accept it.”

Michelle Emro and John Raybon share a mirror. The couple, residents of Las Vegas, are shopping early. Their wedding isn’t for several weeks. They are also relaxed, and for good reason. “We’re actually already married,” says Raybon. “We’re only doing this for effect, for my mother.”

At Cupid’s, manager Linda James chats on the phone with soon-to-be-marrieds. For $549, the “Unforgettable” top-of-the-line package includes photos, a video, music, cake, the garter, etched champagne flutes, plus a flood of flowers. For $139, the “You Send Me” economy package is limited to one photo, music, a short service, and flowers for the bride--but not her mother.

Regardless of price, James promises a memory. “I don’t believe couples come here because they want a cheesy wedding,” she says. “So we try to make our weddings romantic and special.”

And, she says, she makes every bride Cinderella for a day.