Authentic Brands sent out Cease and Desist letters to several chapels in Las Vegas and surrounding areas to stop Weddings performed by Elvis Impersonators. Authentic Brands owns the rights to Elvis and his likeness, and they are now enforcing their ownership for the first time towards the Wedding industry.
Las Vegas brings in roughly 2 Billion Dollars a year from Weddings, and a large chunk of those are Elvis themed. The terms “Elvis”, “Elvis Presley”, and “The King of Rock and Roll” are all covered by this Cease And Desist, as well as his likeness, his voice, and other things that make Elvis unique, like dance moves and the curled lip. Chapels in Las Vegas are bracing for some shock as they transition to other wedding concepts.
It may not be the very end to the Elvis Wedding. Authentic Brands will be reaching out to some chapels and offering licensing agreements, so they can continue as usual. And of course, Authentic Brands will be getting paid as well, so you can expect the price of an Elvis wedding to go up. Other brands under the Authentic Brands umbrella include Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Izod, Lucky Brand, Muhammad Ali, Sports Illustrated, Tapout, Volcom, and a ton more. According to Nevada’s Right of Publicity Law, Elvis Themed entertainment shows will be able to continue as normal. The law allows anyone to dress up as anyone else to perform and make money.
Elvis was married to Priscilla in Vegas at the Gretna Green Wedding Chapel in 1967. After his death in 1977, it was renamed the Graceland Wedding Chapel, and over the years many famous couples have gotten married, or have had their vows renewed like Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Ray Cyrus, Rob Zombie, Meat Loaf, Aaron Neville, Johnny Depp, Jay Leno, Andie MacDowel, Salma Hayek, Robin Leach, Leslie Mann, David Harbour, and members of Def Leppard, The Beastie Boys, The Moody Blues, and KISS.
If you would like to get Married by Elvis in Colorado, try Elvis4you.com No word on whether he was served a Cease and Desist yet.
