By Elaine Viets
South Florida has something you won’t find anywhere else on the East Coast:
A marrying Elvis.
Scott Ringersen, an Elvis impersonator in Delray Beach, became a notary. He now performs weddings.
"As far as I can find out, I’m the only marrying Elvis on the East Coast," Scott said.
Take that, New York, Boston and Philly.
"Until now, to get married by Elvis, you had to go to Hawaii or Las Vegas," he said.
I’m proud to live in an area with a marrying Elvis. It makes so much sense to get married by an Elvis impersonator. He’ll not only perform the wedding, he’ll sing during the ceremony. That beats a harpist or church organist any day. At least by me.
Scott says "Love Me Tender" is the top hit for the bridal set, but "I offer them songs from the young Elvis or his Las Vegas years. I’ll sing whatever the bride wants. It’s her day."
He is obviously the right Elvis impersonator for the job. He will be an inspiration to the entire wedding.
Scott dresses as the Las Vegas Elvis. It takes guts for a grown man to appear in public in a black jumpsuit with gold spangles and a belt buckle the size of a brick. Scott’s sartorial courage will be a comfort to the bridesmaids, who are forced to wear the dresses the bride picked out.
The marrying Elvis is also an example of fortitude for the bride and groom. He doesn’t have to preach how difficult it is to go on year in and year out, honoring your commitment. He can show it.
Almost every Thursday night, Scott performs at Elwood’s Dixie Bar-BQ in downtown Delray Beach. Elwood’s is a former gas station. Scott gets up on an outdoor stage the size of a matchbox. He wears the heavy long-sleeved Elvis regalia, despite the Florida heat.
Elwood’s is right next to the railroad tracks by the Dixie Highway. Scott puts on his "Las Vegas style show" with the freight trains roaring by. Sometimes, he sings over them. Sometimes, he waits for them to pass. He croons his tribute to the King despite bugs, heat, sweat and unmufflered motorcycles. He sings to smirking young women and swooning older ones, sneering boyfriends and embarrassed husbands. He sings to a crowd that’s chugging beer and chomping barbecue.
After awhile, the smirks and the sneers disappear, and the most sophisticated and standoffish are cheering for the King. The more time they spend with him, the more they love him.
And he does it week after week. Let that be a lesson, young lovers.
A marrying Elvis will save a couple money, too. Scott doubles as preacher and deejay. He’ll sing during the ceremony and work the reception, if the couple wants.
"I can’t say exactly how much it will cost, though. It will be different, depending on whether I have to drive to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and if I’ll need another person to haul the equipment, and how much I’ll be singing. It’s all customized."
There’s one more advantage to this marrying Elvis. Scott is a former Delray Beach police officer. He was also on a SWAT team.
Think how handy that will be when Uncle Chuck has a few too many beers and starts a fight on the parking lot.
***
(For a look at the East Coast’s marrying Elvis, check out www.elvisringersen.com.)
Thanks fo rhte tip about Elwoods, Elaine. If I were not so bogged down with the Fort Lauderdale International film Festival and the Florida Supercon, I would go this weekend. I could use some hunka...hunka...burning Love...
Posted by: Cinema Dave | October 18, 2006 at 07:03 AM
It's my dream to renew my marriage vows with a Marrying Elvis. I mean, we did the whole Presbyterian Church/off to the Country Club for a buffet wedding thing and it worked fine, but somehow, going to Vegas to spend some quality time with Elvis would be equally meaningful. My husband, however, is lukewarm on the idea. Spoilsport.
Posted by: Nancy | October 18, 2006 at 07:43 AM
Road Trip! Nancy - you must renew your vows at Delray Beach. We'll all be there, and can sing back-up for Elvis if you give us some lead time on the song choice.
I really, really wanted to fly to Vegas and get married by an Elvis, and was even making the plans, but LA Law did that story in an episode a month before our wedding date, and then it just seemed lame.
Maybe my next wedding - HAH! Like I'd ever get married again.
Posted by: Kathy Sweeney | October 18, 2006 at 08:15 AM
Elvis would be proud :o) Do I remember correctly that he was a big fan of law enforcement and might have had a few honorary badges? If so, how fitting that a former SWAT team member would choose to perform as him. Not sure I could keep a straight face at an Elvis wedding ceremony but I know someone who would love to do that, and she and her husband live in Florida part of the year. The impersonation of choice in my next of the woods is either Elwood or Jake (especially at home games for Da Bears).
Posted by: Maryann | October 18, 2006 at 09:17 AM
You're right, Maryann. Elvis was a law & order man, and actually stopped a few speeders and gave them warnings.
What a cool observation, and one I'd never thought of before.
I went through the big wedding and six bridesmaids in orange chiffon (hey, it was the 70s, what can I say?) but I think an Elvis wedding is the way to go.
Elaine Viets
Posted by: Elaine Viets | October 18, 2006 at 09:22 AM
Most of us are not Britney Spears. I can't imagine a young woman's dream wedding involving an Elvis impersonator. Maybe for a second wedding or a renewal of vows, but for a first wedding, which both participants most likely want to be a memorable and solemn occasion (and not a joke), Elvis-lite is out.
Call me a traditionalist, or a stick-in-the-mud.
Posted by: Josh | October 18, 2006 at 09:31 AM
Josh, you -- you -- TRADITIONALIST! Hey, I got married in an old stone castle decorated with Christmas trees in late November, at night, and it was beautiful, but for back-up, in case my beloved and I got too stressed, we had Vegas (and perhaps Elvis). I'm not kidding.
Oh, wait. You're right, it was a second wedding for me. Okay.
Nancy, I'm in there. We'll work on the hubby and get him excited about the idea. When's Renewal Day?
Posted by: Harley | October 18, 2006 at 11:20 AM
Hey Josh :o) I for one am glad we're not all Britney...and I see your point, having been married in that old traditional manner, but a friend's daughter just got married on the first hole of a golf course and the entire wedding was Hawaiian themed, down to the flip-flops on the feet. Not quirky? Well, the wedding was in the Ozarks. Different things are solemn to different people. Elvis? Maybe not for some, but you never know. Me? I wouldn't mind a second wedding in the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway! Now if I could just get Chuck on a plane...
Posted by: Maryann | October 18, 2006 at 11:29 AM
If my wife has a second wedding, the only thing invitation-sort of thing expect to get is a restraining order, assuming that I have not earlier had an unfortunate encounter with a toaster in the bathtub.
Posted by: Josh | October 18, 2006 at 11:41 AM
Hey Cinema Dave, speaking of burning love, did you know there's a book just out about people who met and fell in love at the library? It's called The Romance of Libraries (and no, I'm not the author shamelessly plugging here!) Hundreds of testimonials, ie "Only Good Things Happen at the Library" and "For the Love of Information." If it's any indication, you might be in the right place to find the future Mrs. Cinema Dave. (Okay, so I like to play matchmaker. Sue me.)
No mention of Elvis though...
Posted by: ramona | October 18, 2006 at 03:18 PM
My husband and I renewed our vows during the Las Vegas Bouchercon a couple years back. We had a choice of Blue Hawaii Elvis or White Pantsuit Elvis. We chose the latter and never regreted it.
To anyone who wants an Elvis wedding, go for it, man. It's an oddly touching thing.
Posted by: PJ Parrish | October 20, 2006 at 12:43 PM