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Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley's Marriage Had a Tough Start, 59 Years Ago

By Lucille Barilla Parade - Trending Stories

Updated May 1, 2026 8:02 AM

It's been 59 years since Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley tied the knot, and their wedding still captivates fans today.

After nearly eight years together, they tied the knot in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, according to a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Priscilla said the early days of their marriage were filled with unease.

"The beginning [of the marriage] was very difficult. But I knew what I was in for because I saw it at a very young age," she began.

She added that the "gossip" surrounding their union was the "hardest part." Subsequently, Priscilla pulled back from reading newspapers or gossip magazines.

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"I found out how vicious people could be. There were rumors I was pregnant, and that's why he got married, and I'm going, ‘Oh my God, this is not gonna be good for me.'"

Priscilla felt acceptance by the public would be difficult. However, she admitted Elvis was always on her side.

"It was hard to get accepted. But [Elvis] always told me, ‘Don't pay attention. Don't even listen and don't look at the tabloids. You know what the truth is, so just be cautious, but be aware.'"

Elvis and Priscilla's marriage was a top-secret affair. They kept the arrangements within a tight circle of family, friends, and trusted outsiders.

In fact, even her wedding dress shopping was kept under wraps. In a VOGUE interview, Priscilla revealed that she would go to bridal boutiques in disguise, bringing along Elvis' good friend, Charlie Hodge, as her "fiancé. "I'd go into the dressing room, and I'd come out with a wedding dress and ask Charlie, 'What do you think, darling, do you like it?' People [thought] that we were getting married," she says.

Priscilla called the wedding "the best kept secret" in a video interview for Elvis by the Presleys, per PEOPLE Magazine. "It all had to be properly planned. ... We didn't want this out, because we didn't want this to turn out to be a ... circus."

According to the official Graceland website, the couple's wedding took place at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The ceremony was held just before noon, with only 14 people in attendance. They had a larger late-morning reception afterward, where around 100 guests enjoyed a buffet-style meal.

Priscilla revealed that after such a secretive experience, she and Elvis were "happy to be married. We were most happy that we pulled it off, we were happy that our friends and family were there."

Elvis and Priscilla Presley were married for six years and welcomed one daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. They divorced in 1973.

MORE: Elvis Presley's Graceland as Never Seen Before in Rare Instagram Photo

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 6:45 AM.