In what appears to be a very petty move ABG, the company that controls ELVIS name and image, has ordered Las Vegas chapel operators to stop using Elvis in themed ceremonies, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Authentic Brands Group reportedly sent cease-and-desist letters in early May to multiple chapels, which are expected to be compliant by now. With Elvis so closely tied to Vegas' wedding industry, some say the move could decimate their businesses.
LasVegas-Elvis-Wedding-Chapel and the Little Chapel of Hearts operators noted, “We are a family-run business, and now we’re hanging with the big dogs. It is our bread and butter. I don’t get it. We were just hitting our stride again through Covid, then this happens.”
Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who led a marketing campaign promoting Las Vegas as a wedding destination, said the order for chapels to stop using Elvis couldn’t have come at a worse time for the sector.
The city’s wedding industry generates $2 billion a year, and officials say Elvis-themed weddings represent a significant number of the ceremonies performed. ABG did not respond to requests for comment.