HOLLYWOOD stars can afford to splash out big bucks on lavish nuptials — but when they want a quickie wedding, they have a favorite Las Vegas spot.
A Little Wedding Chapel has been the go-to venue for speedy celebrity marriages and its president is spilling behind-the-scenes details, including how they still honor Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s whirlwind event.
Founded in the 1950s, A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada has been the site of celebrity “I do’s” for decades.
Frank Sinatra got hitched to Mia Farrow there in 1969, and Bruce Willis and Demi Moore tied the knot there in 1987.
Britney Spears’ short-lived 2004 marriage to her first husband and childhood friend Jason Alexander also took place there and was annulled 55 hours later.
In May 2019, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner said their vows while livestreaming on Instagram and surrounded by friends and family.
Chapel President Melody Willis-Williams offered up behind-the-scene details and dished on some famous names who wed at the venue.
Bennifer, she said, nearly missed the chance for their July 2022 wedding but made it in the knick of time.
“We only got a small heads up that J.Lo was on her way because they came very late in the day,” Willis-Williams said in an exclusive interview for The U.S. Sun via Casino.org.
“They made it to the marriage license bureau before midnight.”
The on-site Chapel staff stayed open for them to get married and “pulled it all together last minute” with no more than a half-hour’s heads up.
“We had to find an Elvis and roll,” she added.
Willis-Williams admitted that they now have a bathroom “paying homage” to him, coined “Ben’s bathroom” because that’s where he got ready.
Although they were very definitely high-profile, one of the most heartwarming wedding moments she witnessed was when Ed Sheeran dropped in and surprised a couple.
“He walked in with his guitar and an entire gospel choir,” she recalled.
“They were set to go to his concert later that night, but they got their own personal show then and there. He also signed as their witness.”
Kim Kardashian also officiated her bestie Chris Appleton and actor Lukas Gage’s wedding at the venue.
The best part for Willis-Williams had to be both Appleton and Gage’s moms who she called “the sweetest ladies in the room” with fabulous dresses and the best hair.
They’ve since split up — as have Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas — but that doesn’t faze Willis-Williams.
“We specialize in love and that’s the part we care about. We want to make that as nice, special, fun, and funky as possible. Whatever happens after is up to them,” she said.
Since opening its doors, the chapel has hosted weddings for around 800,000 couples.
It employs ten ministers with a hot pink Cadillac parked outside for pictures.
On a normal day, there are four Elvis impersonators at A Little White and two each at their other locations, Viva Las Vegas and Vegas Wedding.
“They’ll go back-to-back the entire day. Of course, not every Elvis is created equally. We’ve designed different suits with different Elvis personalities. And you can’t forget about Shelvis,” Willis-Williams explained.
Shelvis is a “drop-dead gorgeous drag queen Elvis,” whose costume comes with a cape.
“Don’t tell anyone, but she’s my favorite,” the love expert joked.
While the start-studded wedding are certainly memorable, other couples can last in her mind, too.
She remembered the “The Boho Lambo” affair, which took place at one of their drive-thrus, Love in the Fast Lane.
People have hundred-thousand-dollar weddings and still end in divorce within a year.
“This couple drove in from Southern California. She’s textbook, classic hippie- flower crown, flower everything, long hair, barefoot,” she explained.
“He comes into the procession with seven different colored Lamborghinis with the wedding party. It was such a mash-up of a couple, Definitely one for the books.”
Willis-Williams also said that many brides and grooms love to get hitched on specific days of the year, even after she warns against it.
A popular day was February 24, 2024, which is a “super fun” palindrome date where you say it backward and forward.
“People especially love to get married on palindrome days and with this year being a leap year, love and superstition go hand in hand,” she added.
“On those number dates, you cannot talk them out of it. You could give them the sun, the moon, and the stars the very next day, but they will not compromise on those number days.”
If there is any holiday that is good for business, it is Valentine’s Day, no matter if it’s a weekday or a weekend.
If you think that bridezillas run the show at A Little White Wedding Chapel, think again.
Over the last couple of years, Willis-Williams said that it’s been the grooms who are getting over-involved, more meticulous, and bordering on “groom-zilla” behavior.
“Their expectations are changing, which has been a unique shift in the industry. Grooms are more hands-on than they used to be,” she added.
“We’re seeing more and more comments like, ‘She cannot have daisies that must be roses,” or ‘We must have the song that I proposed to her to.'”
“Trends are showing that women are taking a back seat.”
Most people don’t realize that their license is valid outside of Las Vegas too.
“We only do legal ceremonies, so you’re either getting married for real or are already married and doing a vow renewal. It’s 100% legit,” Willis-Williams said.
When it comes to stereotypes of Vegas weddings, the chapel owner doesn’t buy into it at all.
“I think people need to expand their horizons. You can stay together, be in love, and have a Vegas wedding,” she said.
