Sin City, also known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, has been a hot spot for celebrity 'quickie' nuptials thanks to its abundance of wedding chapels.
- Apr 17, 2022
AceShowbiz - While most A-listers pull out all the stops for their nuptials, others choose to have a smaller and more intimate ceremony. Sometimes, they just ditch the traditional wedding and decide to elope instead, whether it is for spontaneity or privacy reasons.
Over the years, a number of celebrities have eloped. Among places that became Hollywood stars' favorite spots to make their love official is Las Vegas. Stretching back to the 1980s, these are famous couples who had impromptu weddings in Sin City.
1. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony after attending the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in May. The "Game of Thrones" alum and the Jonas Brothers member exchanged vows at A Little White Wedding Chapel in front of an Elvis Presley impersonator, with Diplo, Khalid and Dan + Shay being the guests.
Sophie and Joe, who are currently expecting their second child together, reportedly obtained their marriage license earlier in the day. The couple later celebrated their wedding for the second time on June 29 at Chateau de Tourreau in Sarrians, France.
2. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker seemingly couldn't wait any longer to start a new life together. The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" alum and the Blink-182 drummer, who got engaged in October 2021, had an impromptu wedding at the One Love Wedding Chapel following their 2022 Grammy Awards appearances.
It took two days for "The Kardashians" star to finally give fans a look at their nuptials, which was also officiated by an Elvis Presley impersonator. Alongside PDA-filled photos from the ceremony, she detailed, "Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no license). Practice makes perfect."
3. Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman
Also eloping in Sin City were Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman. The "Baywatch" actress and the former professional basketball player got hitched at the Chapel of the Flowers in November 1998 after dating for several months, only to annul the marriage nine days later.
Despite the short-lived union, Carmen declared in January 2020 that she has "no regrets at all" about it. She further told the Los Angeles Times, "I saw all these different sides of Dennis. He would always say, 'No one understands me. No one gets me.' He was very emotional at times. Then there was the sweet romantic side and the fun, eccentric guy who loved to go out and drink and wear feathered boas. But on the court, he was a savage."
4. Nicolas Cage and Erika Koike
Nicolas Cage was another celebrity to have a short-lived marriage. In March 2019, the "Ghost Rider" actor tied the knot with Erika Koike at a chapel in Bellagio Hotel when they were "too drunk." He, however, filed for an annulment four days later, saying that he "reacted on impulse and without the ability to recognize or understand the full impact of his actions" when his ex-wife suggested that they should wed.
Although he was "pretty upset" about how things played out in their whirlwind romance, Nicolas has moved on. The "Prisoners of the Ghostland" star has been married to Riko Shibata since February 2021 and they are currently expecting their first child together.
5. Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander
Britney Spears and her longtime childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander were famously married for just 55 hours back in 2004. However, had Jason not fall into a trap set by Britney's family, their marriage could have stayed longer.
Last July, Jason divulged on the "Toxic: The Britney Spears Story" podcast, "They told me if I would sign the contracts - the annulment - they would let me and Britney continue our relationship, and if we felt the same way in six months they would give us a proper marriage." Unfortunately, he soon found himself completely cut off from the pop star and it was unveiled that it was actually Britney's mom Lynne Spears who disapproved of the marriage.
6. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Not all elopements ended up in divorce, though. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' marriage has remained strong since 1996. When recalling the moment before saying "I do" at the Chapel of the Bell, Mark said on "Live with Kelly!", "We went for a walk in the park. I convinced her to come back to my apartment... We had pizza and wine and I asked her to marry me."
Kelly then chimed in, "And I said, 'Ask me when you're serious?' And he said, 'I am serious. Let's go to Vegas tomorrow and get married.' … I said yes." The twome, who initially broke up right before tying the knot, has now been married for 26 years. They share three kids together, 24-year-old Michael Joseph, 20-year-old Lola and 19-year-old Joaquin Antonio.
7. David Harbour and Lily Allen
David Harbour and Lily Allen are another unbreakable couple who eloped in Las Vegas. After dating for more than a year, the "Stranger Things" star and the singer walked into the iconic Graceland Wedding Chapel to get married in front of an Elvis Presley impersonator.
"This was just like me, Lily, the kids, and we just like went and got married by Elvis and we went to In-N-Out Burger afterwards for our reception," the Golden Globe nominee recalled when speaking to Julia Cunningham on "The Jess Cagle Podcast". He added, "It was just so pure and joyous and what it was and I just loved it. I highly recommend it."
8. Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus simply couldn't wait to become a husband and wife so they decided to elope at Sin City's Graceland Wedding Chapel in December 1993. The marriage took place a year after the pair welcomed their superstar daughter, Miley Cyrus.
Unfortunately, Billy and Tish decided to call it quits after nearly three decades of marriage with the latter filing the divorce papers in Williamson County, Tennessee. "It is after 30 years, five amazing children and a lifetime of memories, we have decided to go our separate ways," so read a statement shared to PEOPLE on April 11. "Not with sadness, but with love in our hearts."
9. Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton
Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton surprised the world back in 2000 after they decided to get married two months since becoming an item. The duo, who met in a movie set, even didn't have enough preparation as they went very casual for their quick nuptials at the Little Church of the West Wedding Chapel.
The "Eternals" actress only wore a gray sleeveless top, jeans and brown shoes for the surprise ceremony. Her then-husband, in the meantime, wore a black shirt and matching jeans and shoes that he paired with a trucker hat. The marriage unsurprisingly didn't last very long as their divorce was finalized in 2003.
10. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were among Hollywood power couples who eloped in Las Vegas. The "Die Hard" leading man and the actress had an impromptu wedding ceremony at the Golden Nugget hotel back in 1987, just four months after they began dating.
"We were moving to the gambling tables when Bruce said, 'I think we should get married,' " Demi, who shares three daughters with Bruce, wrote in her 2019 memoir. "We'd been joking about it on the flight there, but suddenly it didn't seem like he was kidding." Although they got divorced in 2000, the exes remain amicable.
