The iconic A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas has been sold.
Last Updated: November 16, 2022, 03:06h.
Mingle with us at Casino Org, where we dish out expert insights on Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, and Las Vegas Myths. Today, we bid an emotional adieu to the heart and soul of Sin City's weddings, A Little White Wedding Chapel.
Corey Levitan
The Chapel's Historic Sale
After seven decades of love and marriage under the same roof, the alluring A Little White Wedding Chapel, located at 1301 Las Vegas Blvd. South, has been sold. The 89-year-old proprietress, Charlotte Richards, sealed the deal on the 115th anniversary of her birth.
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Charlotte, the beloved matriarch of the chapel, listed the property for sale in 2019, seeking $12 million. As the pandemic gnawed away at the tourism economy, she withdrew the listing. Fast forward to 2022, and the once-iconic chapel, a familiar fixture in the Vegas wedding scene, was relisted. Regrettably, the sale price remains undisclosed.
A New Era Sets In
Commercial Gaming,
The torch passes to the capable hands of Cliff Evarts, the proprietor of rival wedding chapels Viva Las Vegas and Vegas Weddings. With the acquisition, Evarts now ranks as one of the city's foremost wedding vendors.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Evarts voiced his intention to maintain the chapel's existing team, led by the revered Charlotte, who shaped an extraordinary legacy within the Las Vegas wedding industry. Evarts stated, "She's the icon of the industry. Everyone we ever hired had worked for Charolette. She basically taught everyone in the wedding industry in Las Vegas."
Entertainment,
The Queen of the West's Reign
Charlotte's serendipitous arrival in Sin City dates back to the late 1950s, shortly after she fled Kentucky with her three children following a broken marriage. It was in Vegas that her life took an unexpected turn.
Expert Insight,
Having spent her days searching for her husband at the Stardust, a kind-hearted florist offered her employment at his establishment where she learned the ins and outs of the wedding business. Just like the flickering neon lights of Vegas, her fate was illuminated at The Little Church of the West.
Silver Anniversaries Galore
Las Vegas,
Over the course of her stint as the Wedding Queen of the West, Charlotte, in her estimations, officiated at ongoing marital bliss for close to a million couples. Her alumni list includes some luminaries such as:
- Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow
- Joan Collins and Peter Holm
- Bruce Willis and Demi Moore
- Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy
- Britney Spears and Jason Alexander
- Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon
Restaurants,
Given the chapel's historical reputation for happy unions with several high-profile couples, it's only fair to speculate if the spark will continue to ignite under the new management. Stay tuned!
As Charlotte retires with her memories, the Tunnel of Love became rebranded as "Charolette's Way," and she'll remain a cherished honorary minister plying her art at the chapel from time to time.
Las Vegas Myths.
[1][2][3] - Sources referencing past operations and no mention of current ownership or business plans by the new proprietor.
Corey Levitan - A Casino.org expert from the bygone era with expertise in Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, and distinguished insight into the heart of Las Vegas.
$12 million in 2019 but pulled it off when the pandemic first hit. She relisted it last November. The current sale price wasn’t revealed.
The sale of the A Little White Wedding Chapel was announced in a figcaption, with the price remaining undisclosed due to regulatory requirements. Despite the sale, Charlotte Richards, the former proprietress, will continue to officiate weddings at the chapel occasionally, now renamed "Charolette's Way." Fortunately, the new owner, Cliff Evarts, intends to maintain the existing team, including Charlotte, who played a significant role in shaping Las Vegas' wedding industry.