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Young and Beautiful: Elvis Presley Marries Priscilla Beaulieu
The eight-year courtship of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu culminated in an eight-minute wedding ceremony on May 1, 1967. The nuptials that broke millions of bouffanted hearts took place in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel.
The service was conducted in front of a small group of family and friends, followed by a reception attended by 100 guests. The couple wanted to keep it small, which inevitably caused hurt feelings among members of the Memphis Mafia not chosen to attend. It ain't easy being E.
Elvis and Priscilla first met in Bad Nauheim, Germany in late 1959. One of Presley’s buddies offered to introduce the teenager to the superstar-turned-Army private. Priscilla was a 14-year-old Air Force brat, and Elvis was living off-base during his stint in the Army when her parents allowed her to accompany Elvis’ friend to his home for a visit.
“People have said, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe your parents let you go with this stranger.’’ But it was a very innocent time,” Presley remembers.
They continued to see each other during his remaining time in Germany, and later when they both returned to the United States. Today it would probably warrant a call to Child Protective Services, but Priscilla was quick to point out:
“We cannot compare it to today. We still had morals, high standards,” she added, “There was a lot of care.”
Priscilla eventually moved into Graceland in early 1963 to finish high school (her parents fought her a lot harder on that one, and Elvis had to jump through quite a few hoops.) Priscilla insists it wasn’t the sexual free-for-all everyone assumed it was. Elvis enrolled her in a local all-girl Catholic School, and Priscilla was expected to live a bizarre double life under the supervision of Elvis’ family during his frequent absences.
Right before Christmas 1966, Elvis got down on one knee in the bedroom at Graceland and finally popped the question. He presented the overjoyed, bathrobe-clad Priscilla with a 3 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring. The 21-year-old bride-to-be began designing…
