Charlotte Richards, founder of Little White Church in Las Vegas, dies
Charlotte Richards, the "Queen of Western Weddings," has died, according to a statement from the Little White Wedding Chapel. Richards, 89, founded the most famous wedding dress factory in Las Vegas and ran it for 71 years.
"She was focused on love and wanted couples to enjoy an affordable wedding in a beautiful location that was as simple and uncomplicated as possible," a statement from the church said.
Richards, who died on December 13, officiated the weddings of Britney Spears and Joan Collins, and Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. She also designed a drive-in wedding chapel because one of her clients was unable to fit a wheelchair in through the front door.
Altar Plan
Richards came to Las Vegas in the late 1950s as a jilted bride. She drove from Kentucky with her three young children to meet the man she married when she was 17. He tells her he's new to Stardust.
He is not. But a gentleman who owned a nearby flower shop noticed that Richards would walk each day from the Stardust Hotel back to the motel she rented across the street, where she would repeatedly ask about her husband. Concerned strangers started talking. Richards was down to his last $4. He gave her a job.
As fate would have it, that job was at the Little Church of the West. There Richards booked wedding services and learned about the business.
True Love Lasts
Richards estimates she has attended nearly a million weddings since her church opened. These include some very well-known names:
Joan Collins and Peter Holm (November 3, 1985) Bruce Willis and Demi Moore (November 21, 1987) Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy (September 2, 1989) Britney Spears and Jason Alexander (January 3, 2004) Pamela Anderson and Rick Solomon (October 6, 2007)
Richards once told reporters that her favorite wedding was Bruce and Demi's.
"I've never felt so strongly loved by someone else," she said. "And I don't even know who they are. I don't follow movie stars."
While most of the church's celebrity clients have already tied the knot, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck joined the list on July 16, 2022, and are still going strong more than a year later. (That’s far more than Britney Spears’ 55 hours of marital bliss with Jason Alexander — and no, not that Jason Alexander.)
According to TMZ, "Bennifer" wanted an Elvis impersonator to do it. But they arrived at the church very late - just as it was closing - and there were no seats available. The couple originally planned to marry in September 2003, but later separated.
Richards sold the church in late 2022 to Cliff Evarts, owner of downtown wedding chapel Viva Las Vegas and Vegas Weddings.
After Charolette's retirement, the church's "Tunnel of Love" driveway was renamed "Charolette's Way."
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Source: www.casino.org
