When it comes to true love, all you need is an Elvis impersonator. At least, that was the case for Bette Midler and her husband.
Certainly, Bette Midler is known for her bravado, acting chops, and over-the-top performances. However, when it came to her wedding day, Midler opted for the least showy, yet still unconventional, option. She and her husband tied the knot where 72,000 couples marry each year – in a chapel in Las Vegas.
“My wedding was two people. My husband and me…and the Elvis impersonator who married us,” laughed Midler.
Bette Midler and her husband, Martin von Haselberg, were married by an Elvis impersonator at the Starlight Chapel in 1984. During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Midler described the day, including the fact that she proposed to her husband.
“I asked him,” said Midler. “He got all dressed up in this suit. And I said ‘I’m not marrying you in that suit.’ So he had to change his suit. We went to one of those little churches and we had to get a license. And when we got to the civil ceremony, there was a girl there and a whole other family. There was the boy and his family. She didn’t have anybody and she was sobbing her eyes out, she was miserable. And she looked like she didn’t want to get married at all. We turned right around and walked out the door because we didn’t want to be a part of that. So went to the starlight chapel and we walked down the aisle and the Elvis impersonator did the ceremony and then we walked out.”
Bette And Her Husband Received Their Wedding Photos Almost 25 Years Later
Midler said it was a wonderful day. However, there was one thing missing. They didn’t have anyone with them, so they never got any wedding photos.
“There were no cellphones in 1984 and we didn’t have any pictures. But we didn’t realize that there was a photographer there. So, when the chapel closed down, they sent us the pictures. We had never seen the pictures before,” said Midler.
Almost 25 years after their wedding, Bette Midler and her husband now have wedding photos to remember the day with.
Bette Midler’s Daughter Wouldn’t Let Her Sing At Her Wedding
The pandemic has thrown everyone for a loop this past year. However, there was one good thing that happened this year in Bette Midler’s family. Her daughter got married. During the same interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Midler compared her wedding with her daughter’s.
“I think they were both wonderful weddings and she was over the moon,” said Midler.
Midler then joked about how extravagant weddings are these days and how her daughter didn’t want to do that. In fact, there were only 11 people at her daughter’s wedding.
“And that’s the thing with these kids. They make these plans and the get married on the water or they get married on an airplane and they jump out the window, and she didn’t want to do that,” said Midler.
When Kimmel asked Midler if she sang at her daughter’s wedding, Midler laughed and said, “Oh she wouldn’t have me sing at her wedding.”
She added, “Oh my god, she spent the first five years of her life saying, ‘Mommy, don’t sing.'”
In conclusion, Bette Midler may go all out during her performances onstage but when it comes to intimate family gatherings, she takes a step back and lets her loved ones shine.
