Las Vegas wedding chapels are hoping Elvis won’t be leaving the building

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - People come to Las Vegas from all over the world to experience an Elvis themed wedding. Now a letter sent to several Elvis themed wedding chapels could put that in jeopardy.

“If it weren’t for the Las Vegas chapels the new generation wouldn’t even know who Elvis was,” co-owner of Las Vegas Elvis Wedding Chapel Kayla Collins said. “The timing of the letter is kind of suspicious to us. After all these years why now?”

Collins said she received a letter by mail and email earlier in May from the company that licenses Elvis related merchandise. It turns out at least four other Elvis themed wedding venues received the cease-and-desist. The letter accuses the businesses of infringement of intellectual property rights. It was sent by Authentic Brands Group, which oversees Elvis Presley Enterprises that owns Elvis’ name, image and likeness.

“The letter basically told us to stop using the word Elvis on our website, stop using the term Elvis Presley, and stop using the term the King of Rock and Roll. They basically told us they had to give them our domain name, which we purchased,” Collins said.

“You can speak any language and you know who Elvis is. You can sing along, and they come here to do that,” Elvis impersonator and co-owner of Elvis Chapel Kent Ripley said.

Ripley said he tried to contact the company after they received the letter May 19. He said he hasn’t heard back from ABG. The letter demanded the changes by May 26.

In 25 years in the industry Ripley said he hasn’t ran into this before. He’s hoping this won’t change his livelihood.

“I love what I do and I do what I love [and I had that taken away]. I experienced that, a lot of us did, two years ago,” Ripley said of the pandemic.

Down Las Vegas Boulevard at Vegas Elvis Wedding Chapel, Collins’ concern is what comes next. About 95% of their weddings include the Elvis theme.

Collins said her attorney told them not to worry until they hear any follow up.

“We’re a family-owned business. We can’t do a long-drawn-out court proceeding. It would drain us financially,” Collins said.

“Allow us to do what we love to do, which is keep the memory alive. Long live the King,” Ripley said.

Ripley said people from all over the world will book weddings with Elvis several years in advance. Some come back every year to renew their vows.

Authentic Brands Group released the following statement:

As the guardians of the Elvis Presley estate, it is our responsibility to safeguard his legacy. This includes ensuring that all products, services and advertisements utilizing Elvis’ name, image or likeness are officially licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

The estate has strong relationships with official Elvis tribute artists, fan clubs and festivals, as well as a robust global network of licensed merchandise partners. There is no intention to shut down chapels that offer Elvis packages in Las Vegas. We are seeking to partner with each of these small businesses to ensure that their use of Elvis’ name, image and likeness are officially licensed and authorized by the estate, so they can continue their operations.

Elvis is embedded into the fabric of Las Vegas history, and we are committed to protecting and expanding his legacy for generations to come.