Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Married By Elvis - Confessions of a Las Vegas Wedding Chapel Owner Brendan Paul

Episode Date: January 28, 2022

Brendan Paul is an Elvis Presley impersonator and the owner of Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas (@gracelandweddingchapellv) which hosts Elvis themed weddings. He joins Chris Van Vliet at the Blue Wire Studios at the Wynn Las Vegas to talk about how he got started, officiating weddings for celebrities like Jon Bon Jovi, Shawn Michaels, Billy Ray Cyrus, Aaron Neville and members of popular groups such as Def Lepard, KISS and Deep Purple. He also shares some absolutely crazy stories that he's seen from some of his customers. As they say: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! For more information about the Graceland Wedding Chapel visit: https://gracelandchapel.com/ This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. Get a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D and 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at: http://athleticgreens.com/insight If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. For more information about CVV and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Bleas! Greetings and salutations, my friends. Hope it's been an amazing week for you. Welcome back to another audio adventure here on Insight. I'm CVV, Chris Van Fleet, and this is definitely a first today. I know you can't see it because this is just audio, but picture our guest today, Brendan Paul,

inside the Blue Wire Studios at the Wind Las Vegas in a full Elvis costume from head to show. Brendan is one of the top Elvis impersonators in the world. He's also the owner of the Graceland Wedding Chapel, the place in Las Vegas where you can have an Elvis-themed wedding. You can get married by Elvis. So many celebrities have been married there like John Bon Jovi, Sean Michaels, so many others.

He talks about it here. It's an amazing, amazing story here. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Right? Well, you know, in this episode, we get a little taste of some of that stuff that happens in Vegas. And trust me, Brendan Paul has seen everything. On Instagram, you can check out the Graceland Wedding Chapel at Graceland Wedding Chapel LV. You can find me at Chris Van Fleet. And if it's your first time here, don't forget to hit subscribe or follow so you don't miss out on everything that we have coming up.

Our fan of the week is Canusu. Canusu? It's just spelled so weird. Who says, five-star podcast. I've been listening to your show for years, and I would have wrote this review earlier, but I'll be honest. I'm lazy. Hands down, though, the best podcast. Well, thank you for not being lazy for the minute that you took to write this review here. I appreciate that. We read a review on every single episode from Apple Podcast. So if you have an iPhone, if you have that purple app, I guess it's kind of pink, that's purple. The podcast app, if you have that app and you listen on there, please. Take a second to leave five stars, leave a review, and we'll shout you out on the show for free. Also, if you listen on Spotify, they have a rating system now.

So go in there, super quick, click those five stars. It'd be so appreciated. All right, this is such a good one. Ladies and gentlemen, Brendan Paul. is in the building. This is definitely a first for us here. Thank you so much. Yes. Thank you so much for coming by. Thanks for having me. Very cool. You look so much like Elvis. It's all that surgery. The surgery, yeah, right. It's the hair. Look at this hair. My goodness. Yeah, for people who aren't watching this and they're just listening right now, you are authentically dressed like Elvis right now.

It's a living. Are you like the Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas? Someone asked me one time, they go, or do you consider you the best Elvis? I said, no. And they go, you don't? I said, no. I said, I'm probably the most successful. And they said, well, what makes you know, successful? I said, because I'm the best.

But, you know, I'm very lucky. There's a lot of guys doing it for a lot of years. And I've managed to find my niche and run with it all the way to the bank and back. How do you decide which version of Elvis are you going to be? It depends on how much weight I've put on. I go back and forth. I mean, when I do all different phases, but what I realize in this town is people want Vegas Elvis,

jumpsuit, the glasses, the rhinestones, the flash. I mean, because Elvis did have different looks throughout his career, but it's what people think of. But they go, well, where's the jumpsuit? You know, when I first did, I never wore the glasses. And people always go, where's the glasses? So I'm like, okay, you know, it's the whole thing. Yeah.

Is this every day for you? Pretty much for 26 years, yeah. Okay, so let's take it back 26 years. Who was Brendan before? I grew up in Los Angeles and born in San Francisco and then raised in L.A., but I was a musician since I was a kid. At 13, I think I started playing guitar. I'd seen Kiss in the 70s as a kid. My parents took me to see Kiss and makeup, and I just said, this is great.

So I got into the music business playing in bands when I was 19, 20, 21. We would play around Hollywood with like Guns and Roses when they were in the clubs. So we'd go see him to Trubador. I remember we saw them one night on a Saturday, and they said, hey, tomorrow we're filming our first music video, welcome to the jungle if you want to come out and support us. So we went down on a Sunday afternoon

and just were in the crowd cheering, you know. But it's kind of cool, and you look back and you go, that's kind of neat, you know. That's really cool. Another local band with our first video now. Massive. Yeah, I'm an iconic.

I'm going to go wrong. What happened? What did all go wrong? So how does playing music lead to being Elvis? Yeah, it's crazy, right? because so my hair is naturally as a kid, I was blonde hair. So, yeah, so when I was playing guitar in the bands in L.A., I died. I would have, I played in punk bands, so I had orange hair, green hair, spiked hair.

And then I died it black, and I just kept it black since I was, I think, 19. And then I was going to UCLA as an art major. So while I was there, I got sick. I cut my hair. My old girlfriend was a hairdresser. So I said, let's cut my hair. So we cut it short. and I had little sideburns.

And my hair had been long and all thrash and dried and black and tons of hairspray. So on the way home, I'm at a red light and a guy honed. He goes, Elvis, I'm like, what? I look over, where? Then I roll that in a way and it was like, Elvis, you look great. And I'm like, Elvis. I'm like, so I call my hair dress through the next day. I said, we either have to change my hair color or I got to do something because if not,

this is a, I'm not sure I want to be called Elvis. And then the next day at UCLA, a girl came up and goes, Are you an office in person? I said, no, I just kind of cut my hair, and I play guitar. She goes, oh, because my roommate's a big Elvis fan, and her birthday's tomorrow, I was going to give you 100 bucks if you'd come. I said, what's your going number? I'll be there.

100 bucks to sing happy birthday. So I brought my guitar saying happy birthday. And at the dorm, another girl came up and goes, my dad is the producer in Beverly Hills. He's looking for Elvis at a rap party for Grace Under Fire or sitcom. So she goes, you have any cards, and I'm like, oh, I'm all out. I didn't have cards. You know what I mean? You got to think on your feet.

Take it so you make, right? So I just go. And when I was there, singing at this rap party in Beverly Hills, people were coming up going, do you have a card? So it was kind of like, I came home and I told my hairdresser called the next week. She was, you want to come in? We'll do something with your hair. I said, you know what? For now, let's just leave it, Elvicey because I made $800 this week.

So I remember thinking, like, while I'm in school, this is kind of cool, right? It's like being a waiter on the weekends or something. I'm going, if I could just do a thing here and there, $500. Here every weekend, while I'm in school, it would be great. So it kind of, it was like I fell into it in a way, you know. And then once I did that, I graduated UCLA with a degree in fine art and the future didn't look bright because it's hard to make a living, you know, painting and stuff, whatever. Guys were graduating UCLA coming back to next year. I said, are you painting?

No, I'm working for dominoes. I'm delivering pizza. I'm like, what? You have a degree from UCLA? The guy goes, bro, we're art majors. You know, I go, okay. So once I graduated, I thought maybe I can move here and. This is the entertainment capital of the world.

I've seen Elvis is on TV, so I thought maybe I could move here and see what happens. So I just didn't know anyone. Drove up, stayed at Circus, Circus. Started back then going to the Yellow Pagers every day under entertainment. I do Elvis. Oh, we have enough. Thank you. I mean, it was rough for the first six months, you know, not knowing anyone.

I didn't have a connection. I didn't have anything. But your story of becoming an Elvis impersonator probably so different from everybody else's. Correct. Everybody else loves Elvis. Who wants to pay tribute to Alice. Right. They're into it.

They, they, if you talk back. about Elvis. They're like, they get defensive. He wasn't on drugs. I'm like, I'm a realist. I actually used Elvis in my art at UCLA. I would use him incorporating gluttony and rags of riches and all that money and still he had no taste. I'd be looking crazy on which I love. Elvis was like, I mean, the music was great and all that and he had charisma, but his whole arc from so poor to so big and then squander it and be dead at 42. It's like fantastic. I love that kind of stuff. Like he went out like burning.

Yeah, correct. I mean, it was all out. I mean, yeah. Sometimes I think when you're that big, you burn like that bright that you can. The longevity is never, like Michael Jackson, you're never going to be 80 years old. I mean, Sinatra did it, but he was a guy in a tuxedo, you know, fly me to the moon. You could do that for 50 years, but these other guys, they live hard. They get caught up in their own hype and myth, and I think, and they, um, something.

Everything always goes wrong. But that's what makes it fantastic. Yeah. To me, as an artist, the way I look at people like that, I love that because it's like, it's always, people go, oh, don't you wish you could be Elvis? And I said, no. I mean, doing it's 26 years, I said, I get enough attention. I don't need it.

I have a real life. I go home. I'm not, you know what I mean? I separate the two. When you walked from the front door of the wind, over to our studio here, how many people stopped you or want a photo or whatever? Even when you're wearing the mask. Right.

Right. I just kind of look down when I'm walking because otherwise you'll stop and next thing, you know, there's a, and I never turn down. If someone goes, I get a photo, I go, of course, because first of all, I'm not famous. And when I was a kid, I loved a $6 million man. And I went to meet Lee Majors. And every week, I found out where he played touch football in North Hollywood. So I had my $6 million man doll. My mom would take me down.

I'd be sitting there. And a half hour later, I would run over it. I don't think Lee's coming tonight. He's filming. So I'd say, okay, so I'd go home. Next week, my mom, you want to go? Me with my doll, all my $6,000 man stuff, lunchbox. And one time the guy came over and he goes, hey, kid, just so you know, he's not here again.

He goes, but he doesn't sign autographs. And I was crushed. Crushed. I just remember thinking, like, I belong to the $6 million man fan club. I know how to do his autograph. I know all about him where he was born. Like, I'm a 9-year-old kid. And I remember thinking, like, and so my mom goes, we're not coming back.

I don't want you to meet him because it would have crushed me at that age. So when I do Elvis, anytime anyone's ever, I've asked him. for a photo. I've never in 26 years I said, I don't have time. I go, come here. I see people trying to sneak a photo at a restaurant. I go, let's take one together. They'll make your trip, you know. I go, tell the kids get up real quick, well, I'll pose. They love it.

Right? They're in Vegas. We met all of us. So it takes a little time and it makes someone's a day, maybe. And I think of me as a nine-year-old just crushed by Lee Major. So you keep that with you. You know? When you first moved out to Las Vegas, what made you believe that it was going to work?

I wasn't sure it would, to be honest. I even debated, I couldn't get a job. So I literally went to the Hard Rock, and a guy goes, I walked in. He goes, oh, are you performing here today at the Hard Rock restaurant over by in front of the hotel? And I go, no, I'm actually looking for a job. So he said, I'll tell you what, for $10 an hour, you can seat people be a host. I said, okay, I needed a job. So I said, well, I got to go back next week to graduate from UCLA and I'll come back.

He goes, okay, call me in two weeks and you can start. And in those two weeks, something happened. A producer saw me, legends in concert, asked me for an audition, went in. Next thing you know, like, I didn't have to get to, but I mean, I was literally two weeks away from seating people at the hard rock restaurant for $10 an hour. But you, with a UCLA degree, but I don't care because you have to live.

You have to survive. You can't just sit there and go, that's, nothing was ever beneath me. Yeah. And that's, I tell my kids to, to this day, I say, if you think like that, you'll be fine because you, you just go, well, okay, whatever, you know. I mean, I've done things. I've been on a Schwinn bike and a parade in a jumpsuit, like feeling like a buffoon,

but they hand you to check for 500 bucks. You ride two blocks on a bike. I'm like, it's a living. You know what I mean? With what you're doing with the Graceland Wedding Chapel, well, this is like two occupations, right? So it's like you're Elvis performer, but you're also like marrying people all day. Correct. And I kind of fell into that.

When I moved here, I went into the chapel because it said John Bon Jobe. He'd been married there. I walked in. And the guy goes, hey, you look great. Are you Elvis? I said, yeah, but I can't get a job. I'm trying. I just moved here.

So he goes, we have an Elvis here. He was an older, heavier Elvis. He's like, the guy's working seven days a week. He needs a guy to maybe help him, maybe on a Sunday just so he can have a day off. I said, sure, I got nothing to do today tomorrow. Were they hiring? No. You just walked in?

I just walked in. He just walked in. He goes, come back here. I want the owner to meet you. So I came in a couple days later. And the Elvis that was there was a much older, heavier, older Elvis. So he goes, yeah, we love to have you here. So I started working there one day a week for a number of years.

So if I was in town, then I started traveling and I got busy. But it was about eight years later that he, six or seven years later, he said, the owner said, I'm thinking of selling his chapel, would you be interested in buying it? And I was like buying it, you know. And I said, well, how much is a chapel? He's like, I want a million dollars. And I said, well, but I had worked my ass off and saved my money. money and I was able to put down like three or four hundred thousand that I'd saved.

So right place, right time. And he goes, you're the only guy I know that saves this money. You know, because I don't gamble. I moved here to succeed. If you will not hand it back to the, you can see the casinos are doing fine with my money. You know, I mean, it's awesome, but I don't, I realize I'm not a good gambler. So I have to be like head down and just work.

I will say, though, you bet on yourself. Like, that's true. Maybe you're not spending the money in the casino, but the biggest bet you've made on yourself. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's, and then when I showed up, when I started getting jobs with the agencies in town, they go, we love hiring you because you come in, whatever the client wants, you do, even if you don't agree. These other guys go, Elvis wouldn't do it that way. And they go, you don't, I go, well, guess what? I'm not Elvis. So, what do I care? You're paying me. Tell me what you want me to say. You know, I walk down front of a

crowd once, 7,000 people at the MGM. And they go, there's a birthday. I said, yeah, I'll sing a birthday to one of the guys. No, we want you to walk out first. I said, well, to be honest, let me do a couple songs, get the crowd going, then I'll sing happy birthday to the guy. And the CEO goes, no, I want you to walk out just. And I mean, I wouldn't have done it that way, but they're paying me. So you walk out and 7,000 people. I want Elvis. I'm like, Tom, where's Tom Wilson? Tom stand up, you know, and I'm going, this sucks. It's like anti-comaric, but they're paying me. So you do what you, and the agents like that because I was easy and not, I had no ego about it. You know what I mean? And that's what I think got me, the work

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Follow and listen on your favorite platform. So the Graceland Wedding Chapel is, it's iconic, right? Yeah. I'm really curious to know what it looked like when you were taking it over And what does it look like now that you're the owner? Yeah, it really was, it's an older chapel. It's built in 1927. So for Las Vegas, that's like ancient history.

Damn, that's 100 years. Everything else has been, like this hotel was the desert end for years. Everything gets demolished and rebuilt. So to have a building that has been there almost 100 years, I think the first record on book was 1939. So, I mean, it was a house, and then they started doing weddings. They lived in the back. And when we bought the chapel, there was a bathtub even still in the bathroom.

From when it was a house, and I said, we don't need a bathtub. And people come in your business. That's for the king, man. Yeah, it's ridiculous. That's where I sleep. So we got rid of the bathtub. But it was like, we really put a lot of money into keeping the integrity of a little quaint chapel on Las Vegas Boulevard that's been there forever, but making it updating it, if you will, because it was kind of let go. And so we made it just a lot of little changes, but keeping the structure the same.

And people still come back and they go, oh, my God, we got married here 40 years ago, 50 years ago. And we had a woman that came in that was married there in 1940. She was like almost 100. Her husband had passed away and the family brought her back to see it. She hadn't been there since like the late 40s. It was cool, you know. And some pretty big names have been married there. Can you list off a few of the big celebrities?

Yeah, of course, John Bon Jovi is our biggest groom. And his brother got married there. and I ran into his brother at one of the shows and I said, hey, you got married to Grayson Ryan. He goes, I got divorced, man. Oh, sorry to hear that. He's like, yeah, I should have left your chapel to my brother, John.

He's still married. He's like, for me, it was a curse or something. I said, you should have picked your own place. But, of course, he's the biggest groom. And people will actually pick Grayson because he got married there. The big Bon Jovi fans will say we've come in here because of John.

But I renewed the vows of Rob Zombie, of Billy Ray Cyrus came in. I renewed his vows. A lot of wrestling fans are watching us. Sean Michaels. Sean Michaels. Yeah. Matter of fact,

the wrestling fans, I, W. Monday Night Raw, I was called at the Thomas and Mac. I came out, got in the ring

and saying, happy birthday to Vince McMahon, which is cool. Wow, yeah. These are cool things. Yeah. So, like,

my friends, some people call me up, dude, I just see you live on TV, like in the ring. I gave Vince my glasses and then a scarf and I sang

with a bunch of showgirls. I remember, yeah. And Sean Michaels was in the ring at the time, but I didn't have a chance to say, hey, you got married at my chapel.

Yeah, it's cool. How did that all, like, come together? Did WWE just reach out to you? Yeah, they reached out and an agency call and said, look, Vince's daughter, who runs things, I guess. Stephanie wants to surprise her dad. So I got to Thomas and Mac, and they kept me hidden. It was a big surprise. So we're down this hall with, you can't go the bathroom.

You have to stay here and go out. We'll escort you if you have to go. We don't want them to see anything. And they brought them in the ring. And then the showgirls, I think 10 showgirls got in the ring with them. And it was awesome because when I walked in, they're playing Elvis music. and I've been hidden in this room. I go down the corridor,

and it was like a rock concert. I didn't realize wrestling was like on that level. The Money Night Raw. I mean, it was the arena. It was packed. And to this day, people will come up. Sometimes they go, Elvis, can I get a picture? They go, you weren't a Monday Night Raw.

And I go, yeah. They go, dude, they high five. They want to hug me. The wrestling fans love that. You get recognized by certain things. So that was fantastic. The cool thing was too, they go, so I walk out, I'm like, oh, my gosh,

people are going crazy. They go, now when you get in a ring, it's a little soft. And the showgirls like they're, were sinking into the, it was like a mattress. Oh, no, it just kind of bounces a little bit. That's why I mean,

especially when you have that many people in there. Right, right. I was like, and it was awesome now. And to this day, yeah, when I meet people and they'll say that, they go, Monday night, I go, that's me.

I knew it, I knew it, man. Bonnie, this is a guy that was in the ring with Vince. And I gave him my glasses and he took him off and he threw it down and stepped on him. But I was like, that's kind of cool. You know, Vince McMahon does. It's like your show. So that was cute that Stephanie arranged out for a dad and kept it a surprise.

And he was, when I got the ring, he's like, looking gone. He was embarrassed because it's too late to back. There was a very famous wrestling angle where Stephanie McMahon got married to Triple H at a drive-th at a drive-th wedding chapel. Oh, my gosh. That's great. It should have been at your chapel. It should have been, yeah.

That would have been so much better. And that's John Michaels, though, it's, remember honky-talk man? Of course. Yeah. It was like the Elbow wrestling. How often do people ask you, are these real weddings? Every day. Or they say how many of these weddings last?

And I go, I like to believe every single one of them. Because when they like to be pessimistic about it, I mean, we've seen women come in and her 35, and it's her seventh husband at 35. But guess what? When I look in her eyes and she looks at that guy, she looks like she thinks this is the guy. She finally got the right guy, number seven, but he is the right guy. And, you know, and this is a true story. We used to have pictures in the lobby of couples. So a guy walks in, he goes, oh, she looked great.

I said, thanks. And he goes, oh, my God, we're on the wall behind you. And I said, I just kind of glanced. I said, oh, my God, you're here for a renewal. He goes, no, no, dude, that was my first wife. I said, wait a minute, sir, you came to the Grayson Chapel with your first wife, and this is a new bride. He goes, yeah.

And she looked at me and shrugged. She goes, I know this is ridiculous. She goes, he loves this place. So on the way out, we married him. they had a ball and on the way out I said dude you come back a third time it's on us and he goes you know what I might be back with you no yes on his wedding day and she grabbed him and like they went out to door and then I saw her in his face outside and I'm going dude don't be funny like that in front of the new wife when you've already been married here before to the first wife and you're

talking about bringing a third wife but if he does come back we will give it compass wedding so if someone wants to get married what is it what does it look like what a package just start at we We start at $1.99 and go up to a mall. $199. And, you know, they're quick. I mean, we're doing for an hour. All day? All day.

Yeah. Well, I mean, I've sang, at the most I've ever sang in a day, I think it's 46 weddings in a day. 46 weddings. So we're hustling, you know. But we have it down. We've done it for so long and we have a way that we don't, you can't make people feel rushed.

Although for $199, they're lucky to him and get to sit. Please, folks, don't sit. We're going to be. Stay standing. How many songs do you sing for $199? Two songs. Two songs. And I do some cute Elvis and pals where I know.

It's a picture that I'm standing across from my future wife right here. What does it look like? We have some serious things that I sing and then I tell you to look her in the eyes and tell her you always love her tender. You'll say, I'll always love you, love you, love you tender. And never leave you at Heartbreak Hotel. Never leave you at Heartbreak Hotel. I will never have a suspicious mind. I will never have a suspicious mind.

And from this day forward. From this day forward. I promise to be. I promise to be. Your hunk a hunk of burning. With the hips and everything. This is great. And the girl's like,

come on, honey, shake it like, oh. And the guy's like, oh, for Christ's sake. Oh, my God. But afterwards, because people say afterwards, this was so cool. We didn't know what to expect. We thought it was going to be cheesy, but they go, everyone, the staff is great.

Your limo drivers. I mean, we're picking them up in a limo, bringing them in, marrying them, and taking them back. Some people would never have been in a limo, you know. And for $19. To be in a limo, picked up at me. It's a nice service

what we're offering. People love it. As a percentage, what do you think of how many of these weddings are pre-planned? Most of them now. But we do get the occasional you know, we're waiting for a minister one time. I was sitting there and I go, how long have you guys known each other? He looks at his watch. I'm going, oh no. He goes, what do you say, honey? About two and a half hours? I said two and a half hours? You never? He goes, he had to pull at the

Marage today. And then he goes, you care if I take off my shirt and just go back to my bathing suit, my flip flops the way I met her. I said, sir, you paid for you. You paid her $199, whatever you want to wear. So he took it off and got in her bikini and high heels and we married him. And I said, I remember, she lived in Seattle and he lived like somewhere near Chicago. So I said, where are you going to live? And they go, we really haven't thought about that. I said, you know what? That's the small details. The main thing is, you're married. That stuff comes later. So does Elvis do divorces too? Jay Little once came to the chapel and did a skit, and he had a fake divorce chapel right next to work. It was very cute because this was like the divorce chapel in this way. I mean, some of the stuff I've seen is like, you know, with... Oh, you've seen it all. I mean, I'm waiting for that.

It was a big bridal party, and I'm with the groom in the back, and he hasn't seen his bride. I said, you ready to go in? We're about to get started. Yeah, because I got everything taken care of. I said, oh, good, what does that mean? Well, I have the annulment papers already filled out. I said, annulment papers, sir, we haven't even married you. And you get this?

He goes, just in case. I said, look, I own the chapel. If you want, I'll give you your money back. We don't, we didn't, we didn't do enough weddings. We don't need, I don't want to force you. He goes, no, no, no. He goes, they're in the fax machine. I'm going like, sir, what do you mean?

Back home in my apartment, I fill out the in-notapers. and if the shit hits the fan this weekend, I call my buddy, go to my place, you have a key, you go and you hit send, and he goes, and this thing will be unraveling this as, and I'm going like, are you sure you want to get married? You already have the ennable paper spilled out, and he goes, and then right then he goes, let's go, and he just opened a door, walked in, and everyone's cheering, and he's crying during the vows.

And I'm, oh, that right before he went in, I said, who knows about this? He goes, my buddy at home that has to keep you my apartment, me, and now you. And he's having me on the shore, he goes, go. And I'm like, what do we? And then he walked in. I couldn't say anything. So I walked in and everyone's crying, the mother of the bride, big wedding, 40 guests, flew in from around the country. I'm going like, I felt bad. I almost want to wish he didn't tell me because it was depressing that, like, you know, I can't tell her it. Good luck. Yeah, but you think it. You think.

Do you ever say no to people? Um, yeah, the credit card doesn't go through. We say, you know what? We can't, we can't go forward with this. No. We, we, we, we, we, we, we, here's the thing. People go, do you marry people if they're drunk? If they show up drunk, that's fine. We have rails down the aisle to help to understand. But they got the marriage license. They had to be sober to get it. So you can get it. It's good for a year. So let's say you arrive on a Thursday, you go get your marriage license. Well, now Saturday night, by the time you come to the chapel, you've had a dinner with your friends, you're feeling tipsy. But to get that marriage license, you were, they will not issue one if you're drunk. So they have to arrive when

they come to see you with a wedding license. Oh, a wedding license. And some people, we have a, we'll even take them to the courthouse. It's just around the corner from our chapel. But most people have their paperwork. And that means when they got that, they were sober. So now if you're feeling good, that's okay. Because you, you know, they will not give you that license if you're drunk.

And I do make a joke. Sometimes a woman looks at me like she's standing like a deer in headlights. And I was during the ceremony. Sometimes I say, honey, blink twice if you want me to call the police. It gets a laugh, but it's like, because I see this look of like, like, she doesn't really want to be there. And I make a joke. I said, I'm kidding, sir. I'll be fine.

You know, and these people, the guests are like laughing. But, I mean, you can get away with jokes because you're in a polyester onesy. You know, I mean, you're not exactly. Well, it's you. Yeah, yeah. They're like, hey. But I think we've all seen those scenes in a movie where someone wakes up. I mean, the hangover is obviously the classic one.

And you go, what have I done? Yeah. Where Stu wakes up and realizes he's married. Yeah. This is a funny one. I forgot about this one. I haven't thought about this one in years. Guy arrives at Grayson.

They go to get the marriage license with the wife. And at the courthouse, they say, sir, you're already married. And he's like, what? And the fiancé is like, what do you mean he's already married? Sir, we have you on record like two years ago. You were married in Las Vegas. So he comes in Grayson. He goes, I was here with some buddies a couple years ago.

We met these girls. He goes, we were drunk. We went. He goes, I thought it was. fake. He thought it was fake, but he'd been married for two years of someone that he never saw again. Her family's freaking out going, who's this guy you're married? He has explained to the family. They won't give us a marriage license because I'm technically married to someone I met here a couple years ago. He had to go on Facebook, find her. He remembered like one of her friends.

She didn't think they were married either. They don't even know where the marriage license is, but they're on record they were married. So they had to get an null to get a lawyer. and she had never married either. So had she done that, it would have come up maybe that. She would have said, oh, my God, what he went on? Wow. Yeah, it was wild, you know. And he told me, he goes, my in-laws already hate me.

And I said, sir. They've got good, right. He said, what? I mean, it was bizarre. That's a real life hangover. And I go, what chapel did you get married at? He goes, to be honest, I don't know. Shit, it could be this one.

And I said, wow. So, yeah, like, you know, it was like on a Friday, and they were getting married, like, on Sunday. like 40 hours to track her down and say, we need to get this like an old. And she goes, of course. She goes, I don't even barely remember you. It was something weird, right? So that's kind of the most bizarre, like hangoverish horror story, if you will.

And her whole family's going like, the guy's a creep. What's the most ridiculous request that you've had? The coroner kept going, can you call this woman? She's upset. She won't listen to me, and maybe she'll listen to you. So I call. I go, this is Elvis. Is this the ordained Elvis?

I said, that's me. Okay, Elvis, let me explain what's going on, because the girl at the front desk won't help me, and I think you can. I said, what is it you want? My husband and I are coming to Vegas, and we're bringing a third person into our marriage. I said, okay. I want to be the best to give him away. I said, give who away?

The new guy that we're marrying. They were trying to have a three-way, two men. She had a husband. They were marrying a third guy, and she was going to be the best man. And I said, that's against the law. I said, it turns me on, but it's against the law. So she was all upset. I said, look, we can do a fun ceremony, a commitment of sorts.

I can dance around still, and you can have vows, and you can bring them down on a leash for all we care. But we can't legally marry. And she was all upset. This is bullshit. This is Vegas. I'm like, ma'am, we do have, the bar is low, but we do have rules, a few. The state of Nevada, it's not vague.

I said we're not, this is like polygamy, if you will, but like it was a weird thing. She was so upset. She goes, I'm going to find another chapel, but I want to get married with you. I've seen you online. I really like you. She was, as she's yelling, I mean, I said, all right, let me know. We never heard from her again. I mean, I just said, you can't go get a marriage license for the third guy.

She's like, we love him. I'm sure you do. So that was, you know, these things. I got to write a book at some point because some of these stories. I mean, I married a guy that wasn't even there. He was passed away. I was to stop at a reality show. I know.

I'm serious. I know. We've been approached by some people and I'm always just thinking like, I just like go to work and do my thing. But when I tell these people, they go, you've got to write a book because these are like, who else? This is your job. This is what you're dealing with. We had a woman that came in and said, can I bring my husband?

And I were looking forward to getting married. We'd see anyone on a show. And we were really looking forward to when he got killed. He was a police officer in Arizona. So can I come in with my daughters and my husband's a picture of him? Because he died. So I said, okay, so the day comes. I'm like, you know, I have a whole thing where they talk to each other.

So I went in, I said, normally I would have you and your husband renew your vows. But how do you? Yeah, I would like to say something to George. So George was on a pedestal, an 8 by 10 of him, and she's doing vows to the, husband and the daughters are crying and it's emotional and but the hair was standing up on the back of my neck as well because I'm going George is even here she's picking up the picture and kissing it and crying and I mean and she but it was sweet because she wanted to fulfill the promise to him to redo the ceremony you know wow but it was and then she's doing pictures afterwards and we had to

get Kleenex because her lipstick was all over the glass and we're like do you mind if we clean up the picture so it looks back I'm going and their daughter's are crying. I mean, they'd been married like 25 years. The kids were in college. It was sad. I mean, it was sweet, though, right? So that's when you see that. You think for all the jokes of people going, oh, you're marrying people all day, you're making fun of marriage. There's things like this where it's sweet and touching, you know? People think you're making fun of marriage? Some people do. Just because of how many you do? Or just, they go, you know, people went on our Facebook page of this, sacrilegious,

marriage is sanctioned by God and not a guy in a polished or jumpsuit. But I'm like, people have a sense of humor and want to, especially nowadays with COVID, you want to have fun and lift up and celebrate in whatever that means. I mean, who are you to judge someone's wedding or what they believe? It's like, you know. Also, you do do traditional weddings there too. Correct. And it's, some people walk in and the next wedding is traditional.

I come walking out and I see the bride, what's he doing here? And I said, you're ready to go in, honey? And she's like, and I said, I'm kidding. We have a minister in the back. I'm leaving. You know, I see them. Okay. They're like, you know, so I try to stay out of the way because, yeah, some people are like,

what's that guy? Who's the freak? One of the other biggest misconceptions must be that it's 24-7, that people can roll in at three in the morning after they've left one of the clubs. Correct. And it used to be, well, if they had their marriage license, they could, we used to be open until two and three, and we got, that's when we got some interesting between midnight and 3 a.m. It was a little bit more.

The thing was the courthouse was open. So you could meet someone at midnight at one, go get a marriage license in and find a chapel that was open. The courthouse was still open at that time? The 24 hours it used to be. And now they close at like 11 or 12. So now it's kind of, it put that to, that's when Britney Spears got married at like 3am, 4 a.m.

You could just go get a marriage license in and find a chapel. And, you know, 10 minutes later you're married. Wow. And then you're trying to get that unraveled or whatever. You know, that's when the shenanigans happened. So I'm sure by the marriage license, the marriage bureau being closed now by midnight. That's when, you also then closed at midnight. Yeah, we started closing.

We saw that clientele drop off them. But we sometimes, between midnight and three, we pick up sometimes four or five weddings, walk in, just two people. Hey, we have a marriage license. Can we get married real quick? You know, one time they go, oh, is how long is your ceremony? I said, about six minutes. Can you make it quicker? I said, sure.

Yeah, just can you like, I do, I do? Sure. I mean, I go, you're paying for it. I start singing, they go, that's good. One guy, that's good. Wise, man. Perfect. I said, okay, we're gathered here.

He's looking at whatever. Whatever he wants, sir. He wants to consummate that marriage. That's what he wants to do. You know, again, we don't judge. I mean, that's a fun thing. I just look at it like, I think it's great. I mean, I love people.

I love hearing stories. I ask people where have you met. And lately, we get a lot of people who say they meet on these dating sites, Tinder? Yeah, Tinder. We married the guy that started Tinder. Do you now say, Love Me Tinder? He should.

The guy did come in and he had two addresses. Wait, you married the guy who started Tinder? His address was Beverly Hills, and then he goes, I also have a place I live at City Center. I said, you live in City Center on the strip? He goes, yeah, but on Beverly Hills. So I said, I grew up, grew up in L.A., the Valley. I go, so I know you see, Beverly Hills.

I go, what do you do for a living? It's like, oh, I started an app. And I go, what happened? He goes, Tinder? And I go, I heard of that way. I think I said to him, is that the site people hook up just to have sex? He goes, we like to think that we're connecting people. I said, whatever you tell yourself, whatever makes you sleep at night.

But, you know, but we do get people that go, we met on Tinder and they're getting married now. So whatever happens with COVID especially, you know, we've got a lot of people have met. I go, how long have you got a couple? And they go, about a year and a half. And I said, oh, you met during COVID? They go, yeah. I said, and they go, we've been together every day for years. I said, that's like seven years of dating.

You know, you're not rushing into things because if you live through COVID and you're both like at home, they literally will say we've been together every day. You know what I mean? Yeah. So March 2020, how much did COVID change your business? Quite a bit. I mean, we shut down for a couple months. So did most of Vegas. Correct.

Yeah. It was sad to see. I wrote my bike down the strip. And I remember seeing Ablajo had the doors board boards over. the doors. I'm going like, those doors never shut. These casinos are 24-7. I mean, the Riviera had an air wall, which means there were no doors. I mean, they never had even shut doors for like 40, 50 years, you know. So to see the strip like that was like, it was sad. I mean, you see other places in the country, but when you see a city like this where normally Blasio's,

fountains are going off and people are everywhere and you see doors with boards over them look like a, literally like a ghost town. I mean, and it hurt the economy. I mean, we're based on tourism. So those cities, New York,

you know, L.A., Hollywood, Disneyland, these are things where everyone from bartenders to ballets, the guys bring your luggage up,

everyone is making a living on tourism. And that went away like that, and people were just going like, hello, you know. I mean, it's so sad, but I keep thinking we're turned the corner

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I'm subscribed to the fit and wholesome box and, man, that crispy Parmesan chicken that my girlfriend, Rachel and I whipped up, so good. Also, the pecan-crusted chicken. Also, do you say pecan or pecan? Pecan-crusted chicken, pecan-crusted chicken. Either way, amazing. And it saved a ton of money for something that tasted just as good as

going to a restaurant and we did it in about 30 minutes, sometimes less. Go to hellofresh.com slash Insight 16 and use the code Insight 16 for up to 16 free meals and three free gifts. That's hellofresh.com slash insight 16. Use that code Insight 16 for up to 16 free meals and three free gifts. Hello Fresh, America's number one meal kit. So before COVID, what would you say was an average weekend day for weddings? Well, in 2019, I sang at 4,500 weddings that year. Stop! Oh, my God.

And then on top of that, there's the traditional weddings. Correct. So how many is the chapel doing any new year? So I think we're doing about that year, I think we did like a little over 8,000 weddings. But half, 4,500 of when I was doing. And I was given a lot of weight. I never even did a math of what 40s. $3,500 weddings a year.

So I divided it by $360. That's 12 weddings a day every day of the year. Right. But I'm sure you're doing the most of the weekends. And because, yeah, and I traveled usually for a month. I'll take off just to travel, which means I was averaging way more than 12 a day. I was probably averaging, you know, 23 a day. That's not a bad business you've got.

Yeah, I know. And that's why, I mean, I have, someone goes, why are you still doing this all that and working this hard 26 years later? I said, because I don't know. it's all I know now too. And I think you have to, you don't know when it's all going to end. I mean, I saw my hair. If I lose my hair, it's over.

I guess I can get a wig. But, you know what I mean? There's certain things where I just think, like it could be all, I'm in an accident. I lose my hand. Hold them, Mike, what? I'm the one.

You know, these things end it. It's like an athlete. They think, oh, this is great. I can't, but six months later, they're injured, they're done. And you're like, wait a minute, my crew, gone. Don't go out by car.

Save your money. Get that nest egg. Put it away because when you're injured and it's over, it's over. And now what do you have no skills? I mean, I always, I tell my wife that, I go, I have no skills. If I didn't do this, I don't know what I would do. She's like, you'd be fine. I said, on my iPad, I'm typing like a third grader.

I don't know how to, I don't fill out paperwork. I don't know how to, I just sing and dance around in a monkey suit. And she's like, you don't quite well. But I always. It's your life's work now. Correct. It's amazing. I know I'm going to try to go a few more years away, 30 years.

And then I'll think about maybe retiring because at some point you just go, enough's enough, you know. Well, who's going to fill your shoes? I mean, sorry, your blue sway shoes. Wow. That's a good question. Who would be eldest at the chapel? That's a good question.

We do have other guys right now that we, that I use and they love it. But sometimes when I go on vacation, I'll come back and they go, I don't know how you do this, man. And I go, I go, well, it's the combination for me, the ADD, which, because the Samoers, and cocaine. So when you put the two together, you can crank them out all weekend. It's easy.

You know, we're in Vegas. Everyone's going to think you're serious. Oh, I am. But it's true. It's like I have this, I do have kind of ADD, so it's real easy to, I don't have to,

it's real quick, right? Every ceremony is like, I'm in there like seven, eight, nine minutes, and then it starts over again. It's like groundhogs day. But for me, it works with my brain. But yeah, some of the Elvis has come back

and they go, dude, I did like 15 wedding. on Saturday, I was exhausting. They go, I see you on the books doing that every day. I go, we build up to it, maybe, but, you know, but it's always the fear of, like I said, I played in a punk band when I was a kid and made no money. So even the guys from my old punk band,

when they come to Vegas, we go out and they go, dude, this is awesome what you're doing. Because I was honest, I go, I can't believe I'm doing this. They go, look at you, man. You're like, we were playing in a punk band making no money. We all had to go out eventually get jobs. We're playing bands on the weekend now. And you're like, you're jumping around.

entertaining people 25 years later. So I think about that. I think, yeah, why am I going to see, see, I told you people, yeah. People outside can see and hear us. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah, the king is a, it's like being Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, you know, when you come out, the kids go, there he is. Of course. And in this town, I mean, it's like an icon, you know, he's almost like that. Elvis has been elevated to a, oh, yeah, like, people don't even know about him anymore. It's almost like, well, like the Vegas, Elvis wedding has become a thing. We were the first to do it at Graceland, but now people go, oh, I always said, I want to go to Vegas, get married by the king. That's like a thing now, which is great because that's what we do.

But are you the only Elvis Chapel, Vegas? Other ones I've tried to duplicate it in little ways, but I know God I worked at a chapel. He goes, I do at one of those other chapels. I go, how many weddings you do? He goes, like, one or two a week. I said, oh, one or two a week, you know, when I'm doing for an hour. You're the guy. Yeah, we've kind of, that's our thing.

And I think other people have tried to duplicate it, but they realize it's, you know, they have to find their, I said everyone has to have their thing, you know. And like I said, with me, it works perfect what I do. I love to meet people. And I'm, and I've even hired entertainers that have been in, done Elvis on the strip. And I'll bring them in.

They go, hey, I don't have worked. Can you use me? I said, yeah, this month I'll put you in. They go, it's so weird. I'm on stage for years and I don't see the audience. And now I'm like singing right up in a bright and groom's face. They go, I'm very uncomfortable. I said, yeah, it's a different beast.

Then being on a stage where you can barely see the front row and the lights are in your, and you're performing to literally you hear clapping, but you can't see everyone. I go, here, the people are right there. You know, I'm dance around and making the guy sing. I'm holding the mic and it's, but you're making, it's making it fun. And that's what people want. They want to have fun and celebrate their love. And that's what we've done.

We've combined the entertainment capital of the world with the wedding cap of the world. What better, right? What a story you have. This has been such a pleasure being able to hear this. Yeah, it's awesome. Maybe I'll get married. I don't know. Yeah, we do same sex now, so let us know.

It's all legal now. It's all legal. Before we, I see your guitar's here, so we're going to pick that up in a second, but before we do that, I end every interview with the same question. Yeah. I'm all about gratitude, and I start every day saying out loud three things that I'm grateful for. What are three things that you're grateful for? Three things I'm grateful for.

I would say, number one, the support of a great family growing up. my mom and dad, like when I moved here to pursue this, they said, when I moved here, I said, they called, how's it going? I said, it's tough. My dad, I'm going to send you a gas card. You just, you use it to fill up your car. And one day, you pay me, you know, you don't worry about it. And I mean, I was with a college degree, but to have that support, to go out in the world with a family that says, just say, keep going, it will get better. And then, and I was able to do that. And then in turn, I was able to take my family years later on my brother, his kids, my wife, my kids, my mom, my dad had passed away. But like on a to Botswana for a safari.

And the trip cost me $60,000 in a everyone's airfare. But to be able to do that was when my parents, my dad gave me the gas card when I moved here. And then to say to my mom and my brother who could never afford a safari with his kids all the way to Botswana, right? To be able to do that was like, that's the best. But that's family. It goes like this. You gave me a gas card. Let me see what I can do for you.

So I'd say family support is the best. And the love of my family now, my kids, my wife, my mom, everyone like that is still there, right? Never left. My cousins, everyone's close in my family. And then I'd say my health, right, to be just, I always think I see people. I've worked with all this is so long in this town that three of the guys I started with have passed away from different things. but I just go, ooh, my peers now are, some of them are passing away. So I just think, okay, I'm still intact, right?

I've had problems. I've had hip replacements. I've got titanium now from too much swiveling, but whatever. So I think your health is something every day. I just wake up and go, okay. And then I think when I always am something in a future to look forward to, I always think about that. I never look back because someone goes,

you don't talk about your past. I said, oh, my God, I have a million stories. But I always, I look forward to what's around that corner. And it's that, not knowing, and that's fine. And if it all ended tomorrow, I always told my wife, I said, this all ended, if I woke up tomorrow and the voice was gone and I couldn't do it, I am nothing but like, I can't believe I got to do that for 26 years. And to be part of people's lives, in something as simple as a quick little wedding.

I was walking down the street in Maui, a guy came up. Do you live in Vegas? I said, yeah. Do you ever sing in a chapel? I said, well, I own the Grizzanwine chapel. Dude, about 10 years ago, you renewed my parents' vows, and my parents passed away. But they talked about that for years after.

And so, you know, you're walking down the street in Maui, and a guy comes up and says, you don't believe my parents had a picture of you. That's why he goes, I knew it was you, because in their house was a picture of you with them smiling. And he goes, that was like, at their funeral, we put that picture up because it was like the 50th wedding. So things like this, you just go, how awesome is that, you know,

to be what you. you go and you think, oh, I'm tired. And then you meet someone and they go, yeah, Grayson, right? I was there and it was awesome. Yeah, so how cool is that? So cool. Let's grab the guitar. Will you play us out?

Yeah, sure. What are you going to play for us, Elvis? Oh, let's see. Do one of the only three songs I know. We do them all, but let's see. Oh, wow. Elvis played Metallica. See you.

You're prayers. No, we'll do a song. This is one of my favorites to this day. Could you sing Metallica like Elvis? I saw your prayers. Say your prayers. During the wedding sometimes, when there's a minister, I'll be in the corner, and I'll just be like, and I'll see, like, some of the guests will be, like, watching him, and they'll go,

and I see him whisper to, like, the girlfriend. Is Elvis playing Ozzy? And I'll be real quiet. Aye. But I'll do this is one of the most requested one to this day. Actually, when I was going to college in Hawaii, the first of a song I ever sang at a contest was this song, and I won $100. And I remember thinking, hey, maybe that was so. That was 27 years ago.

And I never got sick of singing. And when it's the most requested song, we get at the chapel from the movie Blue Hawaii. Wise men say to you. I feel like I'm falling in line. up with you here. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Wow. That was amazing. Man, those are some stories. I feel like he's seen it all at the iconic Graceland Wedding Chapel. Jeez. I'm sure you know an Elvis fan or two, so make sure to share this episode with them and take a screenshot.

Share it on social media and tag us so we can reshare it. It's Graceland Wedding Chapel LV on Instagram. Tag me. I'm at Chris Van Vleet. And we'll leave you with a quote from the man himself, Elvis Presley, who said, Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away. Be great. Be grateful. Have an amazing weekend. We'll see you on the next one for some more insight.

The Hammer Alley podcast, an 80s flashback mockumentary. Back in the 80s, there were a thousand bands trying to make it. in the world of rock. But there was one band that had it all. Hammer Alley. Whatever happened to Hammer Alley? How did they go from top of the rock?

I'm looking for a music video. They're a band from 1987. Hammer Alley. Ever heard of them? To Rock Bottom. Dude, I was born in 1987. I can't believe he's doing this. Hammer Alley.

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