We came, We played, They wed! - Vegas Style

Our holiday in Las Vegas was great. We left the sub-zero, snow-covered Columbus landscape at 7am Thursday and arrived in “sin city” around 8:30am. Gennie and Eric were due in at 1pm, although they left Columbia SC the same time we left Columbus, a 2 hour layover in Philly delayed their arrival.

We hadn’t seen each other since New Years Eve last year. Our excitement and enthusiasm couldn’t be tempered; it was going to be a fantastic 5 days.


The basis for this Vegas jaunt centered on Gennie and Eric renewing their wedding vows. Saturday the 17th was their 15th wedding anniversary and would be the day they were remarried.

Once we secured rooms next to one another and had our bags taken up, we headed off to grab a late lunch. Before the wedding on Saturday the couple had to venture downtown and apply for and receive a marriage license.

Reservations at Graceland Chapel were made last month and Elvis was going to give Gennie away. Hair, make-up and nails consumed most the morning and early afternoon. Although I did not partake in the “$500.00 day of beauty” your humble blogger sat patiently with the bride while a flurry of activity swirled about my anxious friend. I’m still not sure if it was the impending tab or the wedding that made her nervous. By the end of the 5 hour ordeal she was transformed and looked great.

We met for cocktails at 4:30, the limo arrived at 4:50, the ceremony began at 5:15 and we were out of the chapel by 6pm. Eric made an 8:30 dinner reservation for the 4 of us at “Joes Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab” in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Very good......

The official Graceland photographer was in charge of capturing the special event; rendering my Olympus EVOLT E-410 useless. I wasn’t able to take any photos of the actual wedding or of Elvis.

After dinner, Eric was a bit tipsy and really in no condition to gamble or celebrate. About an hour later I received a call from Gennie asking if I wanted to go downstairs. I told to give me 10 minutes to change clothes and freshen up. We then proceeded to gamble (and win) for the next 36 hours. It was by far the best time we’ve ever spent together in Vegas.

Our Monday departure came way too soon.