There still might be some "hunka hunka," but you'll have to go for your "Burning Love" somewhere else.
Wedding chapels in Las Vegas have been ordered to stop offering Elvis-themed weddings after they were sent cease-and-desist letters from the licensing company that handles Elvis Presley's estate.
Kayla Collins, who operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts with her husband, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "We are a family-run business, and now we're hanging with the big dogs. That's our bread and butter. I don't get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens."
Not only are these chapels bouncing back from Covid, this news comes on the heels of the upcoming release of the Baz Luhrmann biopic of the King, Elvis.
Las Vegas' wedding industry generates $2 billion a year, and officials say Elvis-themed weddings represent a significant number of the ceremonies performed. Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya said, "It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry. A number of people might lose their livelihood."
Authentic Brand Groups oversees the estates of Elvis, along with many other entities including Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and 50 consumer brands.
In the cease-and-desist letter, the company said it will halt unauthorized use of "Presley's name, likeness, voice image, and other elements of Elvis Presley's persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise."
The letter also said "Elvis," "Elvis Presley," "and "The King of Rock and Roll" are protected trademarks.
Kent Ripley, runs Elvis Weddings, and says he has never run into this issue in 25 years of performing as Elvis.
He asked, "They want to protect the Elvis brand. But what are they protecting by taking Elvis away from the public?"
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