It’s a long way from the bright lights of Las Vegas, but a little white chapel in outback Queensland has become the perfect backdrop for couples to rekindle their burning love in front of the King.
Elvis impersonator Steven Minhinnick has never ventured so far west, but his vocal cords worked overtime as he officiated over a mass ceremony for nine couples renewing their vows.
“To come down to a place like Dirranbandi, it is a real experience,” the Sunshine Coast-based performer said of the town, about 580 kilometers south-west of Brisbane.
“Not in a fit I would ever have dreamt I’d be down here.
“It was daunting but I absolutely loved it.”
Brisbane couple Ken and Dorene Ord have been married for 31 years but could not resist the opportunity to walk down the aisle again during their western Queensland road trip.
“We actually renew our vows any chance we get,” Mr Ord said.
“Sometimes when you’re on a cruise and the captain says he’ll do it, we line up, but we’d always wanted to be married by the King so we couldn’t pass up the chance.
“I thought the conga line through the confetti was the best part.”
The Ords said they couldn’t wait to tell the story to their children and grandchildren.
“They won’t be surprised. They’ll say: ‘You renewed your vows again?'” Mr Ord said.
“We’re lucky,” Mrs Ord said.
“We know it doesn’t happen for a lot of people [staying together] but it happened for us.”
a real laugh
Kelly Walters from the nearby town of Mungindi donned her original wedding dress to re-commit to her husband, Nathan.
It brought back many happy memories.
“I started working out at the feedlot and Nathan was already there and we were sort of looking at each other and got to know each other and it snowballed from there,” Ms Walters said.
“[Sunday was] actually our second wedding anniversary and we saw that this was on so we thought, well, alright we’ll go,” Mr Walters said.
“It has been a real laugh.”
Dirranbandi caravan park and chapel owner Nikki Pulfer said the mass ceremony was more than a celebration of love and music.
Ms Pulfer spent a lot of time during the pandemic restoring the chapel, only for floods to impact the region’s peak tourism season this year.
She then decided to do something different to draw in visitors.
“I honestly couldn’t think of a more fun way than to have a renewal ceremony.
“When the road closures happen, it does isolate us and it does cause this sense of fear for travellers; they don’t want to get stuck here.
“But maybe if we can show them how beautiful it is, and how we do have some quirky events like this one and that we do have fun — it’s not all doom and gloom, that’s what it’s about.”
Love in the air
Covered head to toe in rhinestones and with a backdrop Elvis soundtrack, Mr Minhinnick was hard to miss as he brought a spectacle to town.
“The outfits … I put on the suit and I just sort of get into character and morph into it and then know it’s showtime,” he said.
While Elvis has now left the building, Ms Pulfer is considering holding the event again to bring a little bit of Las Vegas glitz to Dirranbandi.
“Absolutely, if I’ve got anything to do with it,” she said.
“Love is definitely in the air.”
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