The wedding singer: Kelly Clarkson plays witness to New Year’s Eve nuptials

The resort currently known as Planet Hollywood, and formerly Aladdin, is once more the site of international matrimonial news.

First off, Kelly Clarkson proved “An Intimate Night” at Bakkt Theater can include wedding vows.

Clarkson aided a couple’s hasty matrimonial ceremony during her New Year’s Eve performance at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. A YouTube video shows Clarkson halting at two gentlemen, identified as Brian and Marcelo.

The man identifying himslf as Brian told the singer he and Marcelo had been together “for 14 years, going on 15 in January,” and the couple wanted Clarkson to serve as a witness (along with 4,000 other audience members) to their wedding.

Clarkson then turned to a third gentleman man in the party, apparently the assigned officiant, calling out, “Wait! Say something!”

The man complied, calling out the vows, “We gather here, today …” as the crowd cheered.

The two said “I do,” in what is believed to be the first such snap ceremony ever at the venue.

“That was beautiful, you guys,” Clarkson said. “That was so wonderful.”

Peripherally related, Las Vegas figured prominently in a report on the most-Googled weddings of 2023. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez topped the lineup with 99,755 searches last year. Affleck and Lopez were married in a quickie ceremony at A Little White Wedding Chapel in downtown Las Vegas on July 17, 2022.

The list was commissioned by Las Vegas’ Chapel of the Flowers, also downtown at 1717 Las Vegas Boulevard South. The Vegas business used such SEO tools as AHREFs and Google Keyword Planner. Researchers covered more than 100 of the most influential married newsmakers from 1923-2023.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s May 1967 wedding at the Aladdin (site of today’s Planet Hollywood, as it happens) remained an oft-searched event, checking in at No. 12 internationally with 18,200 searches.

The wedding energy to close ‘23 is on-brand for Las Vegas, as tourism reps continually remind of the city’s rich nuptial history. In September, Clark County officials staged an event laden with Vegas images and performers at Caesars Palace, as 300 couples renewed their vows.

Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who promotes the city’s wedding history, says, “I think that unexpected-ness of these weddings is part of Las Vegas’ charm, that anything can happen here.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.