No dice on LV reservation for Bennifer
THE management of Villa Azur at The Venetian wants to make it clear, “We didn’t tell them no. They asked for a private dining room, and we don’t have one, so they went elsewhere. I would love to have hosted them.”
That’s from restaurant GM Jason Gordon, in reference to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s truncated New Year’s Eve dinner plans.
The superstar power couple attempted the nearly impossible — reserving a table for 10 with 2½ hours’ notice on NYE. They opted out when informed there was no private VIP dining room in the restaurant.
How this unspooled:
A rep for the couple contacted a hotel F&B exec at about 5 p.m., asking for a 7:30 p.m. reservation for 10. The request was forwarded to Gordon, who was on-site at Villa Azur during the evening. So was yours truly, much of the night, taking in Steph Payne’s performance with our own group that included “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” hitmaker Deniece Williams, among family and friends.
Gordon, a veteran hospitality professional, knew enough about these VIPS to anticipate they wanted a private dining room. He was right, but no chance of that. The wide-open Villa Azur dining room is not a private experience.
As Gordon responded when the request came down, “I need some movable walls.” He actually had that option in his days at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio, in The Venetian’s St. Mark’s Square.
If they ever redesign the Villa Aaur space, title it The Bennifer Room and invite the whole crew back.
They do
The resort known as Planet Hollywood, formerly Aladdin, has once more made international matrimonial news.
First off, pop superstar and guest-of-honor-at-the-ready 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 the theater, which was once the Aladdin Theatre for Performing Arts.
A Youtube video shows Clarkson halting at two gentlemen, identified as Brian and Marcelo.
The man identifying himself 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 ( with 4,000 other audience members) to their wedding.
Clarkson then turned to a third gentleman 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. The aforementioned Affleck and Lopez topped the lineup with 99,755 searches last year.
The celebrated couple 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 news-makers 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.”
The weekend of privates
Gwen Stefani played the NYE VIP party at “The Party” at Wynn Las Vegas’ Cristal Ballroom. Stefani unwittingly created confusion-slash-excitement by posting about the event, but not noting it was closed to the public. Looked like a blast.
Stefani’s Planet Hollywood residency show from 20182021 was especially inspired. The show was designed by Baz Halpin (co-producer of “Awakening” at the Wynn) with its signature opening “Hollaback Girl” tribute to Vegas showgirl productions, with a dual staircase, fleet of tubas and dancing bananas.
Vegas fave David Perrico’s Pop Strings entertained VIPS at MGM Grand, leading to Rick Springfield’s 10:30 p.m. appearance. And recurring Vegas headliner Brian Newman popped in and out, barely noticed (for him, a rarity) to entertain at Nomad Library. We expect big ’24s in Vegas for all these acts and cats.
Cool Hang Alert
Meet the Beatles, through the great tribute band The Fab, as they play all of “Meet The Beatles” from 8 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday at Coverall Lounge at Arizona Charlies Decatur. Next month marks the 60th anniversary of that breakthrough album. The band will also play other Beatles hits from ’64. No cover; twisting and shouting permitted.