Illkirch-Graffenstaden. At the Elsass Rock & Jive festival, we get married like in Vegas!

No, it’s not the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, but the white ivy-covered garden in the garden of the Illiad is a nice evocation of the little chapel where Paul Newman and Joann got married. Woodward, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Along with thousands of other couples, famous or not, but they are endowed with humor and enough love – and a little grain of madness – to pass a ring on their finger, at midnight, in a pink Cadillac or facing the same look of Elvis.

“Everything is at your fingertips: Elvis, the atmosphere and friends! »

Laurent, 41, is dressed in a crisp white shirt, trousers held up by suspenders and a neatly trimmed beard. Chantal, 42, looked radiant in her white mini dress and tulle jacket. Passionate about rock’n’roll, classic mechanics and America, this couple from Soultz-les-Bains dreams of a trip to Las Vegas. “Since we are powerless, we decided, in a secret way, to renew our vows here”, says the bride. “There is everything at your fingertips: Elvis, atmosphere and friends! And even the ball faces the concert stage: rock and boogie dancers, Chantal and Laurent are happy.

Their real wedding ceremony took place in 2006 and “there were 300 people at the aperitif! At the Elsass Rock & Jive festival, several friends witnessed this “friendly, warm and exciting” moment – the children did not want to come. They would hear Rick Cavan – flower necklace, white jumpsuit with rhinestones and sunglasses – welcoming the bride and groom to “I Can’t Help Loving You”, the last romantic song from Elvis Presley. says the singer to the guests.

Rick Cavan, who loves the music of the 1950s, has been performing the hits of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Ray Charles and… Elvis Presley for 26 years. “100 to 150 shows a year” – he is scheduled on the Elsass Rock & Jive festival stage. A few years ago, this artist from Douai had the idea to propose (illegal) marriages like in Las Vegas. In Illkirch-Graffenstaden, his schedule was quickly filled, he even had to turn down “several requests”. His motto? “If you don’t go to Las Vegas, Las Vegas will come to you!” »

“In the name of rock’n’roll and Elvis Presley, you can kiss him!”

He himself has never set foot there, or even anywhere else in America, the country of his idols. There were many opportunities, “but I’m too scared to fly,” he admits. To improve his show, he was inspired by the ceremonies recorded at A Little White Chapel, in Las Vegas, and published on YouTube. Each wedding is personal thanks to small anecdotes about the couple, to the words of the witnesses, to the declarations of the “married”. And, between the two parties, Rick Cavan trades in his hand-stitched dress for another dress he designed and assembled himself.

He is in red to welcome the second couple of the afternoon: Johan and Audrey, from Bischheim, met “about two years ago” at the coffee machine at work. They got each other well: he plays rock, he sings in a group of seven billion enemies. “I feel the desire to spend the rest of my life with him,” says the former. “We didn’t expect much, it’s stronger than expected”, admits the second. “In the name of rock’n’roll and Elvis Presley, you can kiss him! launches the celebrant. Before the presentation of the certificate and frenzied “All Shook up”. Dress rehearsal before the “real” wedding? “Maybe, there is a little,” they say the couple, between two moving figures.

Sunday May 21. The festival takes place from 11 am to 6 pm at Illiade, allée François-Mitterrand in Illkirch-Graffenstaden. A free day. Pin parade, antique market, tattoo shop, barber shop, etc. Concerts: 12:30 pm, Elvis and Rick Cavan; at 3 am and 4:15 pm, Rockabilly Trends (old rockabilly). Catering on site.