A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada has been the site of many quick celebrity weddings. It is noted for its Drive-Thru Tunnel of Vows.[1][2] The chapel was built and opened in 1954 by Arvid and Neva Barnhart.[3]
Charolette Richards bought the chapel in 1981.[3] She came into the wedding business through marriage with Merle Richards, owner of Little Church of the West.[3] Merle and Charolette Richards together opened Algiers' Little Church of the West in 1968.[4] The couple later divorced, and Charolette went into business on her own with Little White Chapel. She has presided over the marriages of Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Michael Jordan, Dame Joan Collins, Britney Spears, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.[5] Mrs. Richards sold the chapel in 2022 to Cliff Evarts and Melody Willis-Williams.[6]
The chapel has been featured on such TV shows as WWERaw, Supernatural, Friends and Good Morning America.[7] Michael Ross and Naomi Defensor, two cast members on the 2011 season of The Real World: Las Vegas, participated in a mock wedding at the Chapel during the June 1, 2011 season finale of that series.[8]
Similarly named Las Vegas wedding chapels, such as The Little Church of the West, The Little Chapel by the Courthouse, and the Chapel of the Flowers are often confused with A Little White Wedding Chapel. The Little Chapel by the Courthouse was also owned by We've Only Just Begun Inc. (Charolette Richards).
^Mansfield, Susan (December 1, 2004). "Elvis, Sinatra and Britney were all married there. Now the Little White Wedding Chapel is coming to Scotland", The Scotsman, p. 36.
^Hall, Michelle (October 18, 1998). "Hit the jackpot! Movie-set ambience, natural attractions prove gold is not all that glitters in Las Vegas", Boston Herald, p. 61.