By Katanya Royster
What’s the first thing you think of when someone says Sin City? Okay, after legalized prostitution. That’s right: quickie Vegas weddings in chapels illuminated with neon lights. The fact is, Las Vegas issues approximately 100,000 marriage licenses each year and boasts almost as many wedding chapels as it does casinos. For famous couples, those quickie celebrity weddings are typically followed by quickie divorces and embarrassing publicity. Vegas’ abundance of 24-hour bars makes us wonder if some of our favorite celebs were under the influence of something other than love when they tied the knot, Vegas-style. Here are a few examples:
Famous Couples That Married in Vegas
1. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos: In 1996, former soap star and current television host Kelly Ripa married actor Mark Consuelos at the Chapel of the Bells in Las Vegas. Sixteen years and three children later, this happy married celebrity couple proves Vegas weddings can sometimes stick!
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2. Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton: In 2000, actress Angelina Jolie and actor/writer Billy Bob Thornton wed at The Little Church of the West on the Las Vegas Strip. The famous couple called it quits after two years of marriage with Jolie petitioning for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.” It was Jolie’s second marriage and Thornton’s fifth.
3. Britney Spears and Jason Alexander: In 2004, pop star Britney Spears wed longtime friend Jason Alexander at a 24-hour wedding chapel. Apparently, Spears forgot to grab a pre-nup on the way to the chapel. meaning that this stunt could have cost her a lot more than a little public backlash. 55 hours later, Alexander signed annulment papers and took an economy class flight home. During a subsequent interview with MTV’s Total Request Live, Spears said Vegas “took her over” and admitted that “things got out of hand.”
Related Link: 5 Celebrity Couple We Want to Reunite
4. Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon: In 2007, Rick Salomon, who famously co-starred in the leaked Paris Hilton sex tape One Night in Paris, and actress Pamela Anderson tied the proverbial knot at Las Vegas’ Mirage Hotel, making this the third celebrity marriage for both Salomon and Anderson. However, Salomon and Anderson’s 15-year friendship did not translate into a successful union. Two months later, the famous couple’s marriage was annulled in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Celebrity Love Has No Age Limit
5. Doug Hutchison and Courtney Stodden: In 2011, actor Doug Hutchison married aspiring singer Courtney Stodden at Las Vegas’ Little Chapel of Flowers. The groom was 51 years old, and, at only 16, the bride was probably still learning to operate a motor vehicle. Despite Stodden’s age, the celebrity marriage is legal. Under Nevada law, a person who is at least 16 years of age but is not yet 18 years old can marry with parental consent — and Stodden’s parents consented to the marriage. “We all need a good man in our lives,” her mom Krista told Fox411.com. “True love can be ageless,” Hutchinson told E! News in response to the controversy surrounding the celebrity couples’ age difference.
Would you get married in Vegas? Share your comments below.
