Original owner of A Little White Chapel selling Las Vegas landmark for $12 million
Wedding parties gather at the Little White Wedding Chapel July 7, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(FOX NEWS) - It’s a fixture of Vegas. A landmark on the Strip. It’s been immortalized in countless TV series and films, but it was also the real-life site of (one of) Frank Sinatra’s wedding(s), as well as (one of) Judy Garland’s and (one of) Britney Spears’, too.
And now, it’s selling for $12 million.
A Little White Chapel, which first opened its doors in 1951 and later expanded to include a drive-thru “Tunnel of Love” wedding chapel (among other on-site wedding services), has hit the Las Vegas real estate market, as the original owner is finally ready to hand over the reins.
“It’s been a wonderful time but it's someone else’s turn,” said Charlotte Richards, who has owned and operated the chapel for 68 years, in a statement to Fox 5 Vegas.
Richards first bought the chapel, which originally consisted of only one room, for $50,000, but soon invested in additional amenities, like on-site gown and tux rentals, florist services, songs from Elvis impersonators, as well as the aforementioned drive-thru chapel. The building now contains five chapels in total, some of which have served as the site of famous — and infamous — wedding ceremonies.
In addition to Frankie, Jude and Britney, notable celebrities who married at A Little White Chapel – also commonly referred to as "A Little White Wedding Chapel" – include Patty Duke, James Caan, Rita Hayworth, Mickey Rooney (twice), Michael Jordan, Mary Tyler Moore, and even Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, among many others.
Richards herself presided over several of those, she says, and in total, the officiants at her chapel have overseen the marriages of more than 1 million happy (at least momentarily) couples. She also once told "Property Man" Bob Massi that she has never charged a military member for marriage services at the chapel.
Now, however, she’s ready for another enthusiastic, hopeless romantic to continue the chapel’s legacy.
“I need to slow down and let someone else take over,” Richards told Fox 5 Vegas.
The property, which sits on 1 acre of land on S. Las Vegas Boulevard, is represented by Steve Khalilzadegan of Savi Realty — and he says the $12 million asking price is a steal.
Today there is land nearby on Las Vegas Blvd that is currently listed at $30,000,000 an acre. At list price with an established business and global name recognition, I feel this is an amazing value,” Khalilzadegan said in a press release.
“It is a rarity to have such a truly iconic Las Vegas landmark come to market,” he added. “Interested parties have already reached out to me directly from around the world on this unique listing.”
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