Can’t go to Las Vegas for a shotgun wedding because of COVID-19 restrictions? Worry no more. An Edmonton dinner theatre has created its own wedding chapel to offer Sin City-themed unions this summer.
The Little Vegas Wedding Chapel at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre offers couples the Las Vegas feel, minus the bright lights of the strip and the sounds of the casino floor.
There’s everything from a “Tunnel of Love” to cardboard cutouts of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. There’s even a chance for couples to include a special guest appearance by Elvis.
“Knowing that we wouldn’t be opening our regular show schedule until fall, it was a really great opportunity for us to give our Edmontonians couples an opportunity to have a unique, fun venue to have their special day if that’s what they’re looking for this summer,” said Holly O’Neill, director of sales and marketing at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel West Edmonton.
“Traditionally, many couples want a romantic, traditional feel. But we also know there are couples who want something a little edgier, who want something a little bit more unique. So this is our opportunity to utilize the Mayfield Dinner Theatre… all of our talented team to put together something really fun that may appeal to couples looking for a Sin City vibe.
“We wanted to recreate that little Vegas wedding chapel for our couples.”
Current public health measures in Alberta limit wedding ceremonies to 10 people, including the officiant, the couple getting married, witnesses and photographers/videographers. Wedding receptions remain prohibited.
O’Neill said due to the public health restrictions, the dinner theatre is just offering the ceremony at this time. There is an option for couples to book a private dinner in one of the hotel’s suites, but larger dinners and beverages are not allowed.
“Once things open up, we can certainly provide full dinners, full food and beverage opportunities for all guests, but that will be based on restrictions.”
The basic ceremony package starts at $750, with the private dinner and Elvis options available for an additional fee. The King of Rock and Roll is not able to perform, but is available for pictures.
O’Neill stressed masking and other public health restrictions will be maintained.
“Creating a special day for 10 guests can be quite pricey when you’re looking at having to source out the venue, source out the décor. So we really wanted to create an opportunity to have a stand-alone venue where they come for a really reasonable price and not have to worry about taking on those costs themselves.”
So far, the organization has had a lot of interest and one wedding is booked. Dates are available through August.
“We’ve had such an overwhelming interest from the community… a lot of people just really like the idea and are having a lot of fun with it.”