Las Vegas may be known as Sin City but it’s also the perfect place if you’re in a hurry to tie the knot — and want the ceremony to be officiated by an Elvis impersonator! Thanks to the city’s fast turnaround for marriage certificates, you can even say “I do” while in your car at a drive-thru!
Each year, more than 100,000 couples get married in Vegas and along the way, there are plenty of famous faces who make things official at one of the city’s many chapels. On top of being a unique experience, Vegas weddings have proven to be a great way to keep things under the radar if you’re trying to avoid the paparazzi! And while these stars may keep their Nevada nuptials on the down-low at first, sometimes the details are simply too good not to share!
Find out who said “I do” in Sin City…
1. Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker recently tied the knot in a late-night ceremony in Las Vegas — except it was only a practice run! The duo headed to a chapel in the early hours of the morning following the Grammys and said “I do” in front of an Elvis impersonator. Although it made for a great photo op, the wedding didn’t actually count because the couple didn’t sign a marriage license.
“Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no license). Practice makes perfect,” Kourtney wrote on Instagram.
2. Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner surprised family and friends when they decided to head to a Vegas chapel just a few months before they were actually set to tie the knot in an elaborate wedding in France. It all went down in the hours following the Billboard Music Awards in 2019, so, of course, the intimate affair was star-studded. Joe’s brothers Nick and Kevin were in attendance as well as Khalid and Dan + Shay, who performed while the couple walked down the aisle. Diplo even streamed some of it on Instagram Live.
“We had to do a legal marriage before we did a real big one. It was either the courthouse, or our version, and I preferred our version. Friends, Elvis, and Ring Pops,” Joe told Harper’s Bazaar.
3. David Harbour & Lily Allen
A year after David Harbour and Lily Allen sparked dating rumors, they made things official by tying the knot in a small Las Vegas ceremony. After saying “I do” in front of an Elvis impersonator, the couple headed to In-N-Out Burger for the afterparty.
“In a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people’s princess wed her devoted, low born, but kind credit card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic. Refreshments were served at a small reception following,” David wrote in an Instagram caption.
4. Nicolas Cage & Riko Shibata
Nicolas Cage has been married five times and two of them went down in Las Vegas! The actor most recently tied the knot with his now-wife Riko Shibata in early 2021 at the Wynn Hotel. The “very small and intimate” ceremony was held on February 16 “to honor the birthday of the groom’s late father.”
“I’m really happily married. I know five is a lot, but I think I got it right this time,” Nicolas told the Los Angeles Times.
5. Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos
Eloping in Vegas may not always lead to a long-lasting romance but Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have been together for over two decades after tying the knot in 1996. Kelly says that Mark surprisingly proposed one night when they were enjoying pizza and wine and the next day they headed to Sin City to make it official.
“I said, ‘Ask me when you’re serious.’ And he said, ‘I am serious. Let’s go to Vegas tomorrow and get married,'” Kelly said on “Live With Kelly and Ryan.”
6. Melanie Griffith & Don Johnson
Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson have gotten married twice but their first ceremony was held in Las Vegas. At the time, Melanie was just 18 and she says they decided to say “I do” in the hopes it would improve their relationship. Unfortunately, it didn’t work and the couple was only married for six months.
“We thought it might work better if we were married. It didn’t. I got married in order to end the relationship,” Melanie reportedly told People in 1989.
7. Jon Bon Jovi & Dorothea Hurley
Jon Bon Jovi and his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley decided to tie the knot on one of the musician’s only days off from touring in 1989. The couple flew to Vegas to make things official and didn’t tell anyone they knew. They didn’t even have rings! Although there was some backlash over their decision, it’s all worked out as the couple has been together for over 30 years.
“We did it for us and didn’t give a damn. I got a lot of heat from it, between the band, my parents, [manager] Doc [McGhee]. Everybody was pissed off. It took me a couple of days before I realized that I don’t give a shit what anybody thinks,” Bon Jovi reportedly told VH1.
8. Shia LaBeouf & Mia Goth
In 2016, Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth tied the knot at a chapel in Las Vegas. Although the couple turned down the package that included an option to live stream their ceremony, video from the event got leaked to the public. Shia later confirmed that it was all real and that it actually worked out because both of their dads weren’t in attendance and got to watch it all.
“I call them up and they said somebody pressed the wrong button that sends the video to TMZ. I said I understood. I checked with my girl and she said, ‘Hey, what are you gonna do?’ And you know, it’s love. We’re proud of it. It was love. [Our] dads couldn’t be there, so it was kind of nice to have them there watching in a way,” Shia said on “The Ellen Show.”
The couple eventually filed for divorce but later reconciled and recently welcomed their first child.
9. Angelina Jolie & Billy Bob Thornton
Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton got married at Little Church of the West after a whirlwind two-month romance. In fact, Billy Bob was still dating his then-fiancé Laura Dern when he tied the knot with Angelina. When Laura returned home from filming a project abroad, she discovered that Billy Bob had left her and married someone else.
10. Bruce Willis & Demi Moore
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore had only been dating for three months when they decided to get married at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas. Although it may have been fast, it was long-lasting as the couple ended up being married for eight years and welcomed three children along the way.
11. Cindy Crawford & Richard Gere
Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere made a last-minute decision to get married in Las Vegas. During one of Richard’s only nights off from filming “Mr. Jones,” the couple took a private jet to Sin City with some friends. Things were so spur of the moment that Cindy and Richard reportedly didn’t even have rings and Cindy wore a navy suit instead of a white wedding dress!
“It wasn’t the wedding I dreamed of. It was so last minute,” Cindy allegedly said.
Four years later, the couple split and when Cindy married Rande Gerber in 1998, she finally got the wedding of her dreams.
12. Britney Spears & Jason Alexander
Britney Spears made headlines when she sporadically tied the knot with her childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas. The duo was only married for 55 hours before getting the marriage annulled. Jason later claimed the couple was forced into signing the annulment while Britney says the whole thing was just her being a little wild.
“It was me being silly, being rebellious, and not really taking the responsibility of what I was doing, you know? And after partying, you know, you really don’t think about what you’re doing. So it was one of those things that were really silly,” Britney told E! News.
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