An elegant Vegas wedding?
When you hear the words “wedding in Vegas,” what do you think of? I am guessing it is of the waking-up-married tradition, made all the more notorious by Britney Spears’ 55 hours of wedded not-quite-bliss with a friend in 2004. But the weddings that Vegas tourism promoters want you to think about look very different. And in truth, there are far more elegant, high-end chapels tucked into exclusive resorts than there are drive-through weddings presided over by an Elvis impersonator.
On Saturday, a wedding at the MGM Grand looked like a made-for-television commercial, featuring the elegant side of Vegas matrimonial options. Indeed, it was a wedding literally made by television — or more specifically, the creators of the CBS daytime soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” Television cameras and more than a dozen photographers were on hand to record the nuptials, thanks to a news release that had invited coverage of an event that was also in part public relations for the recession-scarred host town. In fact, the wedding was partially sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the room-tax-financed organization charged with creating events to promote Vegas. (Two other activities by the authority that attracted a lot of attention were bringing an entire small town to Vegas for a vacation last year, and implementing the city’s best-known advertising campaign: "What happens here, stays here.”)
This wedding was indeed a perfect example of that special way Vegas has of creating what seems a custom-made fantasy, yet in reality is a product that is meant to have mass appeal. The betrothed in this case were a very real couple, New York City policeman Willie Williams and Charlene Lee, a medical secretary. They had made a video and posted it on the soap opera’s website, telling of how her battle with breast cancer built their love. She has been cancer-free since February. The short video led to viewers ultimately choosing the couple for this special wedding. But, as it turns out, they were not the only couple in love with this particular dream. The day before, two finalists who were not fortunate enough to win the grand prize also decided they wanted their dream wedding in Vegas anyway. They were married in the same spot on Friday, this according to the MGM Grand’s wedding chapel supervisor. They had reconstructed "The Young and the Restless" dream wedding prize as best they could.
The ceremony was a perfect example of the way Vegas can get the details exactly right. For example, the poolside location the resort PR department had picked was a precious bit of outdoor real estate because it was set in shade from the summer heat at that particular time of day. Two specially made rows of grass led to the spot where the ceremony took place. The setting’s vegetation gave a feeling of seclusion — never mind that, should anyone look up, all sat nestled amid the visual splendor of the Strip. Christian LeBlanc and Tracey E. Bregman, who play a married couple on the soap opera, served as witnesses to the wedding. The 42-year-old Lee has watched the soap opera for decades and was thrilled to have them at her wedding in a way that only fellow fans could understand.
As the bride and groom entered, two cast members from the show “O” at the Bellagio sang joyfully, accompanied by a kora, a kind of West African lute. From hair and makeup to dresses and tuxedos, and even the wedding cake and $1,000 spending money, nothing had been left to chance to ensure the couple the wedding of their dreams. And this was not an easy task, according to Lee: “He wanted it small and elegant, and I wanted more. This was still small but managed to make us both happy.”
The nondenominational Rev. Eddie Peak, one of the three ministers used by MGM Grand, presided over the services and thanked the LVCVA during the actual ceremony. He knows the area’s tourism, and his own niche in weddings, could stand this boost. Though Peak could not look more different from an Elvis impersonator now, he says he was a comic/piano player on the Strip decades ago when he arrived in Vegas. His own workload clearly reflects the economic downturn of recent times — he estimates that during his six years at the MGM Grand, he has presided over between 6,500 and 7,000 weddings.
“We used to do about five a day. Monday through Thursday would be the European weddings, maybe two or three, something like that. Friday, you’d start into American weddings, and you could have six, seven or eight. On Saturday, 10 to 12. Sunday would be another two or three.”
Peak said his record for the most ceremonies came on July 7, 2007, when he presided over 26 weddings. On July 11 of this year, by contrast, he did only 16.
“As soon as I pronounce them [husband and wife], Las Vegas and I are with that couple for life,” said Peak, who hopes the “Young and Restless” wedding will help remind visitors that the city can hold a place in their hearts — for more than 55 hours at a time. “People need to know Las Vegas is the perfect destination for love.”
And in the case of Las Vegas tourism officials, the hope is that this couple and the many like them will live happily ever after and have many happy returns (to Las Vegas for romance, anniversaries and fun).
Photo credit: Sarah Gerke
