Elvis and Priscilla Presley's wedding night was the first time the couple had sex. Priscilla got pregnant right away, and their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born on February 1, 1968, nine months after their wedding.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Date of Wedding | May 1, 1967 |
Location | Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas |
Attendees | 14 guests at the ceremony, 100 at the breakfast reception |
Officiant | Nevada Supreme Court Judge David Zenoff |
Best Men | Joe Esposito and Marty Lacker |
Maid of Honour | Michelle Beaulieu |
Honeymoon Location | Palm Springs, California |
Honeymoon Duration | 4 days |
Honeymoon Property | House of Tomorrow |
Wedding Cake Cost | $3,200 ($22,000 in 2017 dollars, $28,000 in 2022 dollars) |
What You'll Learn
- Priscilla's parents were reluctant about Elvis' advances, but eventually gave their blessing
- Priscilla and Elvis's wedding was arranged by Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker
- The ceremony lasted eight minutes
- The couple's first dance was to Love Me Tender
- Priscilla and Elvis honeymooned in Palm Springs, California
Priscilla's parents were reluctant about Elvis' advances, but eventually gave their blessing
Priscilla's parents were initially reluctant about Elvis's advances. After their first meeting, they insisted that Priscilla never see Elvis again. However, they eventually gave their blessing for the relationship, albeit with some strict conditions.
Elvis and Priscilla first met on September 13, 1959, when she was just 14 years old and he was 24. Priscilla's presence is said to have made Elvis seem "awkward" and "embarrassed", but he soon composed himself. Priscilla's late return home upset her parents, who were also concerned about the age gap between the two. However, Elvis's eagerness for another meeting and his promise to bring her home on time led Priscilla's parents to relent.
In 1962, Priscilla's parents agreed to let her visit Elvis in Los Angeles for two weeks, but only on the condition that Elvis pay for a first-class round-trip ticket and that Priscilla be chaperoned at all times. They also expected her to write to them every day. Elvis agreed to these demands.
In March 1963, Priscilla's parents allowed her to move to Memphis permanently, with the understanding that Elvis and Priscilla would eventually marry. They also agreed that she would finish her senior year at an all-girls Catholic school and live with Elvis's father and stepmother. However, according to Priscilla, she gradually moved her belongings to Graceland and had her permanent residence there as early as May 1963. Her parents eventually agreed to this living arrangement, on the condition that Elvis promise to marry Priscilla.
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Priscilla and Elvis's wedding was arranged by Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker
Priscilla and Elvis Presley's wedding was arranged by Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to maximise publicity. The couple married on the 1st of May, 1967, at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The wedding featured very few guests and was over in just eight minutes. It was followed by a quick press conference and a $10,000 breakfast reception attended by friends, family, and business associates.
The wedding was held in a private suite at the Aladdin Hotel, with the ceremony lasting only eight minutes—just enough time to play "Heartbreak Hotel" four straight times! The co-best men were Marty Lacker and Joe Esposito, two members of the Memphis Mafia (Elvis's ever-present entourage), and the maid of honour was Priscilla's sister, Michelle Beaulieu. Notably, the only celebrity on the guest list was comedian Redd Foxx.
The wedding was the first marriage for both Priscilla and Elvis and was arranged by Colonel Parker, who was worried about the potential fallout if they didn't marry. Parker had a significant influence on Elvis's personal life, including his decision to accept military service and his marriage to Priscilla. The manager received more than half of the income from Elvis's enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager.
The wedding caused rifts between Elvis and several of his closest friends, including Red West, who were not invited to the ceremony. Although the blame mainly fell on Parker, resentment was held for years to follow. Despite the tension, Priscilla and Elvis remained close after their divorce in 1973, and she was devastated by his death in 1977.
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The ceremony lasted eight minutes
The wedding ceremony of Elvis and Priscilla Presley lasted eight minutes. The couple tied the knot in a small, intimate ceremony in a private suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The guest list was limited to about 14 people, including Elvis' best men, Joe Esposito and Marty Lacker, and Priscilla's maid of honour, her sister Michelle Beaulieu. The ceremony was officiated by Nevada Supreme Court Judge David Zenoff and took place in a suite filled with flowers and candles.
The wedding was arranged by Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who had a significant influence on the event. Parker invited members of the press to a press conference between the ceremony and the subsequent breakfast reception. He also arranged for two MGM photographers to document the ceremony, but when one attempted to reposition himself, Parker hit him over the head with a cane.
The eight-minute ceremony was long enough to play "Heartbreak Hotel" four straight times. Following the wedding, the newlyweds jetted off to Palm Springs for a mini-honeymoon before returning to Graceland, where they held a second reception for those unable to attend the Las Vegas celebration.
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The couple's first dance was to Love Me Tender
The first dance between Elvis and Priscilla was to the song "Love Me Tender", performed by Elvis himself. The newlyweds' dance was part of an over-the-top celebration, including a $10,000 breakfast reception with 100 guests and a towering six-tiered wedding cake. The couple's wedding ceremony and festivities took place in the early morning and were kept private and secretive, away from fans and the media.
The wedding ceremony was held at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, with only 14 guests in attendance, including Priscilla's 13-year-old sister Michelle as her maid of honour. The couple's vows were short and sweet, lasting just eight minutes, with Elvis requesting that the traditional vow "to obey" be removed from Priscilla's vows.
The reception was a lavish affair, with a menu featuring roast suckling pig, oysters Rockefeller, lobster, and Southern fried chicken, all washed down with champagne. The newlyweds even held a press conference in the middle of the festivities, ensuring maximum publicity for the event.
The wedding was the culmination of a controversial and dramatic courtship. Elvis and Priscilla first met in 1959 when he was 24 and she was only 14. Their relationship caused a scandal due to their age difference, and they faced challenges along the road to the altar, including Priscilla's parents' initial disapproval and Elvis's infidelity. Despite the drama, the couple's wedding was a memorable and unique event, capturing the mystique and excess associated with the famous rock 'n' roll star.
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Priscilla and Elvis honeymooned in Palm Springs, California
After their wedding, Priscilla and Elvis Presley honeymooned in Palm Springs, California, at a property known as the "House of Tomorrow". The mid-century modern home was built in 1960 for Bob Alexander, who owned a construction company that developed thousands of homes in Palm Springs and the nearby Vista Las Palmas. The house was heralded as a landmark representing the future of home design, with its electronic temperature controls and outdoor lighting and sprinkler systems considered cutting-edge for the era.
The Presleys stayed in the five-bedroom, five-bathroom house for a month. The property was later turned into an Elvis museum and was most recently listed for sale for $5.65 million.
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Frequently asked questions
Elvis was 32 and Priscilla was 21.
They got married in a private suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.
There were only 14 people at the ceremony, including Elvis's best men, Joe Esposito and Marty Lacker, and Priscilla's maid of honour, her sister Michelle. The only celebrity guest was comedian Redd Foxx.
Elvis wore a black brocade silk tuxedo and Western boots. Priscilla wore a beaded chiffon gown, which she designed herself, and a three-foot veil secured by a rhinestone crown.
They had a press conference, followed by a $10,000 breakfast reception with 100 guests.