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Step inside Graceland Wedding Chapel, the original Elvis-themed wedding chapel in Las Vegas, where couples from around the world come to tie the knot. With decades of history and thousands of ceremonies, discover what it takes to keep this legendary Las Vegas institution running.

Photos by Fernanda Silva–Graceland Wedding Chapel
Transcript
00:00I think I may have done 80,000 weddings.
00:01I've probably seen people in Las Vegas at least 80,000 times.
00:04It never gets old, because the people dig it.
00:07And if they dig it, it lifts me up.
00:19The Grace of Wedding Chapel is actually famous for being the first chapel in Las Vegas,
00:24possibly in the world, that had an Elvis impersonator wedding.
00:26So we're number one right there.
00:29It's an old building, it's an old chapel, so we have one little dressing room that we all use.
00:33So when I come in, the other Elvi, one of the other Elvi as it's known in the business, he's
00:38coming out.
00:39But I'll say, how's it going so far, you know, because he's there in the morning a lot of times,
00:42getting the day started, so we kind of pass the torch.
00:46It's a rhinestone torch, but it's a torch.
00:48In the morning, Rod, our general manager usually comes in and gives me a manifest of the day schedule,
00:53certain requests, and if it's someone's birthday or something like that.
00:56All right, we've got about 28 today.
00:5828?
00:59Yeah, okay, your first one's at 11.30.
01:01It's a ES-3.
01:03Three couples, not exchanging rings, but all of them want to exchange vowels.
01:08Good luck.
01:08Yeah, really.
01:09Yeah.
01:0912.30 has a lot of notes, too.
01:13Okay.
01:13Livestream back to UK.
01:15Their family's going to be watching, so we want to make sure that we're on time for that one.
01:18It should go pretty good.
01:19Good.
01:20Yeah.
01:21A couple foreign languages, just make note of those, okay?
01:23Okay.
01:24Yeah.
01:24All right.
01:25Cool.
01:25Have a good one, buddy.
01:27And at the chapel, we have such an international market that we actually offer ministers in
01:32different languages.
01:33If they're from Russia, Batsalui means kiss.
01:36Finland, Onexiolikon means congratulations.
01:39We get tons of people from Brazil.
01:40The whole country, you say Poterbanes, congratulations.
01:44Poterbanes, but in Rio, it's Poterbanes.
01:46That's the accent.
01:48So when they say that they're from Rio, I say Poterbanes.
01:51And they go, oh my gosh, you got the accent.
01:53But it's so cool, right?
01:58Well, here we are, guys, in the world-famous Grace of Wayne Chapel.
02:02We're here to celebrate two promises and made two promises of love.
02:06Marriage is a promise.
02:07It's also a commitment between a husband and a wife to be not only each other's lover,
02:12but above all and most importantly, Elvis' lover.
02:18No.
02:19Best friends, you never know.
02:21Face to face, you guys.
02:22Face each other.
02:23Face your spouse.
02:24And gentlemen, repeat.
02:26I take you.
02:27I take you.
02:28I take you.
02:29Just a minute, yeah?
02:30Once again.
02:31I take you.
02:32Once again.
02:34I take you.
02:34No, I mean, I take you.
02:37I take you once again.
02:39So you say, I take you once again.
02:41Okay.
02:42Look at me here all week.
02:43I take you once again.
02:47You know, I think I may have done 80,000 weddings.
02:50I'm probably saying people at Las Vegas at least 80,000 times.
02:52It never gets old, because the people dig it.
02:55And if they dig it, it lifts me up.
02:57Marriage is two hearts with one love and is treasured above all else.
03:03It's also a commitment to be not only each other's lover, but most importantly, Elvis' lover.
03:11No, no.
03:12Best friends through all of your years together.
03:14You two would turn face to face at this time.
03:17Hold hands.
03:18And I, and I, that's where I can, I think keep going all day because they, I feed off of
03:23their energy and it gives me energy and it makes me, it's so cool to do that.
03:28Tell each other.
03:29I promise.
03:30I promise.
03:31To always love you tender.
03:33Love you tender.
03:34For now and forever.
03:36Aww.
03:37And from this day.
03:38From this day.
03:39I promise to be.
03:40I promise to be.
03:41And let me see it winding up like this, Jeff.
03:43Your hunk of hunk of burning love.
03:45Hunk of hunk of burning love.
03:46Yeah.
03:54So on behalf of the grace of Windchapel, the suit that I wear.
03:58Thank you very much.
03:59I, once again, after 30 years pronounce you husband and wife, one thing left to do, my friend.
04:07Congratulations again, guys.
04:11Elvis is leaving the building.
04:15Awesome.
04:16Hey.
04:17And at Grayson, it's not just me.
04:19We have limo drivers, coordinators, florists, general manager.
04:23It's all these things.
04:25What do you think makes a great Elvis?
04:27What makes a great Elvis?
04:28You definitely have to have the look.
04:30And I feel like everybody here definitely has the look.
04:34First thing I said to Brennan when I met him, I was like, you are a really good looking Elvis.
04:38Because sometimes in Vegas, you'll be walking around and it's like, I don't know, you don't really look like an
04:43Elvis at all.
04:44Do I know when Brennan is performing?
04:46I think we all do.
04:52I'm mainly in this closet right here, but I can hear when he's going off in the chapel.
04:57Definitely.
05:04I tell the limo drivers, the first person they meet is you.
05:08Got Elvis music playing.
05:09Nothing but Elvis in my limousines.
05:12And it gets them going.
05:15And on the way, I'll put a pair of Elvis glasses on just to get them in the mood.
05:19They'll bust out laughing.
05:20They'll ask me if I'm Elvis.
05:22I'll say, no Elvis is in the building.
05:24If I was your Elvis, you would get a refund.
05:27With the success of Graceland, after all those years, we had owned a property out back and we rented it
05:33to a tuxedo and bridal.
05:35It was a rented dress.
05:36It was called for, you know, brides and grooms could come and get fitted for a tuxedo.
05:40And then we realized, why not make it another chapel?
05:44We're at our newest chapel, the Storybook Wedding Chapel, right behind Graceland.
05:47We have one little chapel.
05:48Graceland is very small.
05:49So we thought we get booked over there so much we can't fit people in.
05:54What about another chapel?
05:55And maybe do more traditional.
05:57Of course, you can add Elvis.
05:58Elvis will go anywhere.
05:59We got tiaras back there?
06:01Yeah.
06:03We got everything here.
06:04We got placeholder rings, not the real ones.
06:07They don't come and rob us.
06:08Don't forget the rings.
06:10People have them on order and they haven't purchased them as of yet.
06:14I mean, haven't received them as of yet.
06:16But they want something special to take home and it becomes something that they never want to get rid of.
06:21We had a famous hockey player who we can't name.
06:25Oh, from the Knights.
06:26From the Knights who came in here and had a wedding secretly.
06:29And his wife, now wife, purchased one of the rings for the wedding.
06:35And about a week later, he called me practically crying.
06:38Saying, you're not going to believe it.
06:39She lost the ring.
06:40And even though it's not real, it's a memory.
06:42Do you have another one?
06:44And of course, I made the joke.
06:45You know, at least it was a fake one.
06:48Come on in.
06:49Newest chapel in Las Vegas.
06:50Built inside one of the actual oldest buildings on this street.
06:55I think this is about almost a hundred year old building as well.
06:58It's kind of different, but it's very elegant.
07:01Can I get an amen?
07:05Well, stay as long as you want, but I got to go marry some people at Graceland.
07:08So I'll see you in a bit.
07:17I moved to this town with $400, a microwave, and a guitar.
07:21And I didn't know one person.
07:22And I was as happy on day one as I was when I bought a house for a million dollars.
07:28And they go, oh yeah, really.
07:29I go, I'm telling you the truth.
07:31The satisfaction is in all the other stuff.
07:34All the in-between, all that.
07:36Just the fun.
07:37I'm having a ball.
07:38I'm having more fun now for some reason than I have in 30 years.
07:42I don't know if it's because I know I'm kind of have to wrap this up in a few years
07:46because
07:47it's physically hard and no one wants to see an old beat up Elvis come out.
07:51So, but I'm just like going, this is every day.
07:53I just take it in more and go, this is completely a dream come true.
08:07You think back to me bagels.
08:08Here's how I got the heat.
08:08Just as if I machine Phytale, we should wrap up your choice.
08:09We'll take this short question.
08:09Which will never look like me, David and China?
08:09Or has to try myself in five to five days?
08:10I'm happy to be able to raise this part.
08:10Leave that for four days.
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