Gambling and wedding -- these are the two
things for which Las Vegas is infamous. Whether you want to try
your luck at the slot machines or get hitched, you will not find
Las Vegas wedding chapels and casinos in shortage.
Las Vegas wedding chapels line the street, and
celebrity or not, you can have a Las Vegas wedding with all the
glitz and glamor -- you can even have Elvis stand in as a witness
or officiate your wedding! You could say that Las Vegas, aside
from having the moniker "Sin City", is "Elvis Land". Las Vegas has
hundreds of Elvis impersonators. In fact, many Las Vegas wedding
chapels have their own Elvis impersonators. Getting married in one
of these Las Vegas wedding chapels is sure fodder for future
grandkids. ("The great Elvis Presley married your Grandpa and me,"
or so how you would begin the story as your grandchildren sit by
your feet.)
Not into Elvis? There are Las Vegas wedding
chapels that can host planned, elegant and sophisticated wedding
ceremonies -- minus Elvis. Contrary to what many people think, Las
Vegas wedding chapels are not exclusively for those who want
quickie, informal weddings where grooms wear trucker hats and the
brides are in blue jeans.
While most of the weddings that happen in
Las Vegas wedding chapels are couples who have eloped, there is a
growing trend of couples getting married in Las Vegas wedding
chapels who bring their wedding entourage with them -- the
parents, maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids and groomsmen. For
these couples, the occasion has been planned, combining the
wedding ceremony with vacation with close friends and family.
Compared with the traditional wedding ceremony and reception that
involve renting venues, hiring caterers, entertainers and wedding
planners, having the wedding at any one of the Las Vegas wedding
chapels is considerably cheaper. For entertainment, couples can
send their guests to the casino with a few bucks. You can also
find out more about getting married in Las Vegas at http://www.planningaweddinginlasvegas.com
Aside from Las Vegas wedding chapels, a
number of hotels can host wedding ceremonies and do have the
facilities to host such. And those hotels that can't host weddings
most often have package deals that include hotel rooms, champagne
and free transportation to any of the more known Las Vegas wedding
chapels.
Every wedding is special. If you are after a
memorable wedding in style, consider having it in Las Vegas,
either in one of the Las Vegas wedding chapels or one of the
famous hotels. After the ceremony and the honeymoon, venture out
to see a few Las Vegas shows and try your hand at the slots and
card tables.
Elvis. The king of rock and roll. He's been
long gone as a human being, but his music and his spirit still
lives in our hearts. His clothes, his accent, and the way he sang
and moved are all memorable. What better way to pay tribute to the
King than to wear Elvis costumes whenever the opportunity
presents?You can find the costumes
online and in costume shops. They come complete with sequined
outfits and you can even wear a wig to make the transformation
complete. But it is one thing to simply wear Elvis costumes for a
party or for Halloween. It is quite another to get into the spirit
of things.
There are a lot of Elvis impersonators. And
there are a lot of contests. So for some, it isn't enough to just
dress in the Elvis Costumes. They need to perform. Show others
that they've mastered the essence of The King's personality. We
look at these people and we acknowledge how similar they are and
for a while we feel as if the King is still with us.
Do you want to wear Elvis costumes and catch
the spirit of his personality at the same time? Maybe you would
like to become an impersonator. Or perhaps you just want to learn
some tricks for your next costume party. Either way, here is some
advice on how to get into character.
Watch the Movies
When you watch his movies, you have the
opportunity to watch Elvis act. You can memorize his mannerisms
and impersonate them. How does he move when singing? If you want
to perform as an Elvis look-alike it is important to be as
thorough as possible. If you just want to wear the Elvis costumes
to a party then you just need to learn some of his mannerisms.
Watch him when he sings, talks, walks and practice what you learn
in front of a mirror. You may also want to record yourself
speaking like Elvis. This will help you understand if your
delivery is sound.
The Look
Elvis had a certain style and it was more
than just sequined outfits. Take some time to get it right. Grow
your hair or buy a wig. Paste on sideburns or grow your own. Wear
the Elvis costumes while you practice. Then, when it is time to
put it all together, you will be as believable as possible.
Happy Birthday
Elvis - From a Local Elvis Presley Fan Club!
By Jonathon Bates
On January 8, 2007, Elvis Presley would have
been 72 years old.
Although Turner Classic Movies had a film
festival marathon of Elvis movies for viewers and fans to enjoy,
not much else was said about Elvis' birthday, except brief
reportings on some local news stations.
However, it was a different story for Elvis
Presley fans in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The local Elvis
Presley Fan Club of Sterling Heights Michigan hosted an Elvis
Presley birthday party on January 8, 2007.
I had the privilege of being invited to the
birthday party. Although I didn't know what to expect at first, it
turned out to be a very festive occasion. When I got off the
plane, I was greeted by local fan club spokesperson, Gloria
Norton. Ms. Norton was wearing her fan club hat and coat, and
provided me with a hat, and windbreaker jacket, with fan club
logos all over it.
The small group of people who greeted me for
this festive occasion created a little commotion from quite a bit
of people at the airport, not to mention a little attention from
airport officials. It was all in good fun. I was chauffeured to
the airport hotel and settled in for the afternoon and prepared
for the evening's occasion.
When I arrived at the local Lions Club
Recreation Hall, I was surprised to find how elaborately the
celebration was decorated. Not to mention the great crowd of
people present to celebrate Elvis Presley's birthday. Wow. They
didn't even know Elvis personally, and they went to all this
trouble.
There were several tasty birthday cakes and
finger foods available. There was a large-screen television
showing highlights of Elvis movies, and live performances recorded
in the 1950s, in 1970s. The people played games and shared their
personal Elvis belongings to include photo albums, knickknacks,
and small Elvis trinkets.
There was also a contest drawing, were the
winner received a very nice Elvis painting along with a double CD
set of Elvis songs from RCA records.
Although I did not win the contest drawing,
I enjoyed the reaction from the couple who won the painting and CD
set.
The highlight of the evening was a local
Elvis impersonator who sang about a dozen songs, which included
Heartbreak Hotel, Treat Me Nice, Can't Help Falling In Love, Love
Me Tender, Blue Hawaii, and many more. The entertainer had a very
impressive set up. He had a karaoke machine and PA system that
sounded surprisingly good. He wore a white jumpsuit, reminiscent
of the performances Elvis gave at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas
back in the early 1970s.
The Elvis impersonator also sounded
surprisingly good. I enjoyed watching him give away several
scarves to the women in the audience. But the highlight of the
evening was when he provided three senior citizen women with
scarves. He sang songs to these ladies, gave them scarves, and
brought tears to their eyes as he sang songs to them and spoke
some kind words to them. Needless to say, it made their night, and
mine as well.
The performance lasted about an hour, and
the birthday party continued until a little after midnight. I was
a little embarrassed to be called up to the front of the
recreation hall and introduced to all of the Elvis fans as a
reporter documenting the event. Oh well, it's all in the day's
work. I enjoyed the cake, and snacks, and drinks provided by the
festive occasion.
I was then given more gifts then I could
squeeze in my suitcase to remind me of this occasion and new
friends I had made this evening.
I had some trouble squeezing in all of the
Elvis trinkets, memorabilia, and good luck charms that I was
provided with from the good people of Sterling Heights. When I
checked through security at the airport to go back home, an
interesting thing happened.
One of my carry-on bags got some attention
from the Department Of Home Security people. They asked me to step
aside an open up my bag. One of the Elvis memorabilia gifts given
to me was a small container of shampoo shaped like Elvis. The
security people informed me that I was not allowed to carry this
piece of memorabilia on the plane as it was against regulations. I
had to leave my small Elvis shampoo holder at the airport. I
wonder what would become of it?
If the airport security people are Elvis
fans, no doubt it's probably sitting in their bathroom today.
