How Little White Wedding Chapel Became the Starriest Wedding Venue

Minutes from the raucous nightlife on Las Vegas’s neon-soaked Strip sits the world-famous Little White Wedding Chapel, a quaint venue that, by Sin City standards, could even be called unassuming. Still, the 1951-built spot, where a bright pink Cadillac and an Elvis Presley billboard (complete with gyrating hips) seems to call out to lovebirds in search of the opposite of a fussy, over-the-top way to say “I do.” As its signage announces out front, Joan Collins and Michael Jordan are two of the many celebrities to have exchanged vows at the venue (to now exes Peter Holm and Juanita Vanoy, respectively), but the list of high-profile brides and grooms abounds. The spot has also been incorporated into TV shows such as Friends and films like Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning comedy-drama Anora, out this month.

“Ben Affleck [got] dressed in our bathroom,” owner Melody Willis-Williams tells AD of the time the Oscar winner eloped with superstar Jennifer Lopez in July 2022. “We’ve since dubbed it Ben’s Bathroom.” While Bennifer 2.0 ultimately did not last, their big day at Little White Wedding Chapel was still something special, Willis-Williams believes. Perhaps a purposefully retro spot felt particularly fitting for the briefly rekindled old flames.

When the sky’s the limit for your average A-lister, financially speaking, it may seem odd to view a 20-seat venue on Las Vegas Boulevard as the ideal spot to tie the knot. But Little White Wedding Chapel’s enduring charm is what keeps celebs coming. “It’s a cute, little kitschy room,” Willis-Williams says of the flagship chapel, with its pink stained-glass windows.

Getting hitched at the venue can make a famously arduous and tear-filled process easy-breezy, with ceremonies typically clocking it at 10 minutes or less. “LA is a hop, skip and a jump,” Willis-Williams notes of the draw for celebrity clientele. “Come in at midnight. Nobody’s the wiser. Low paparazzi.”

To say that the venue streamlines a notoriously complex life event would be an understatement, considering couples have the option to wed without even exiting their cars at Little White Wedding Chapel. “[Previous owner Charolette Richards] had one of her sons put in a drive-through window,” says Willis-Williams of the famed Tunnel of Love’s genesis. “The tunnel came later, but I mean, it’s brilliant.” The idea occurred to Richards, the late “Wedding Queen of the West,” after she witnessed one couple to be married struggling to get out of their vehicle and into the space. She debuted the offering on Valentine’s Day 1991 and is often credited with having crafted the world’s first wedding drive-through.

In the ’90s, Richards grew the footprint of the Little White Wedding Chapel with the addition of a two-story building. Aside from the namesake chapel and Tunnel of Love, partners can tie the knot in the ethereal outdoor gazebo; the spacious red-velvet-lined Amore Chapel (which suits up to 60 guests); and the ultra-intimate MJ Chapel (named after Michael Jordan), a very small space that only fits four to five people.

“We’re going to introduce another chapel because there’s such high demand,” Willis-Williams says. “But right now, we’re too busy doing weddings.”

Which celebrities got married at Little White Wedding Chapel?

While the list of celebrities who wed at Little White Wedding Chapel is long, notable ceremonies include Judy Garland to fourth husband Mark Herron in 1965; Frank Sinatra to third wife Mia Farrow in 1966; Bruce Willis to Demi Moore in 1987; Britney Spears to first husband Jason Alexander in 2004 (it was annulled 55 hours later); Joe Jonas to Sophie Turner in 2019; Jennifer Lopez to Ben Affleck in 2022; and White Lotus actor Lukas Gage to Chris Appleton, officiated by Kim Kardashian, in 2023. All of the aforementioned couples split; however, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Little White Wedding Chapel-sealed 2002 union remains intact.

What is the seating capacity of Little White Wedding Chapel?

Each venue within the space holds a different number of people, but wedding packages typically offer up to 10 guests. The main Little White Wedding Chapel venue can hold up to 20 guests, while the Amore Chapel has a capacity of 60.

Does Little White Wedding Chapel take walk-ins?

Walk-ins are welcome, but due to the high demand, it is advised to book your wedding in advance. On busy days, walk-ins are typically offered the MJ Chapel.

What do you need to get married at Little White Wedding Chapel?

A marriage license must be obtained from the Clark County Marriage License Bureau prior to any ceremony, but brides and grooms are welcome to wear whatever they’d like—as long as they are fully clothed at all times. Little White Wedding Chapel offers bouquets and flowers to purchase as well as Elvis impersonators to celebrate your burning love.

Willis-Williams issues an important disclaimer, considering the city’s status as a hotspot for debauchery and Dionysian antics: “We can’t marry you if you’re inebriated,” she warns. “It is a legally binding contract.”