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Smashburger hosts Vegas marriage on 11-12-13

November 12, 2013

At the stroke of midnight, the first couple to marry in Las Vegas on the iconic date of 11/12/13 said "I do" with Elvis officiating and a six-tier, piping hot wedding cake made entirely of Smashburgers, according to a company press release. The wedding kicked off the nation's busiest wedding date of the year — 11/12/13 with more than 2,500 couples around the country expected to marry throughout the day.

Elvis, a.k.a. Brendan Paul of the Graceland Wedding Chapel, walked the bride, Darlene Hielscher, down the aisle, to her groom, Bryan Porter. As he presided over the wedding, Elvis worked in song titles of his classic songs, making the couple vow to always "love each other tender" and to never have "Suspicious Minds."

Finally, once Elvis pronounced the Ormond Beach, Fla, couple "husband and wife," they sliced into the wedding cake that included layers of Smashburger's signature Classic Smash; Bacon Cheeseburger; Spicy Baja and the Sin City Burger, a one-of-kind burger created specifically for Las Vegas. Nearly 100 hamburgers were needed to make this unique creation come to life. Bryan, an avid Elvis fan, wore shorts and a blue Hawaiian shirt with guitars. The bride donned a white lace-top, jeans and her favorite pair of boots.

"This was the most exciting thing we've ever done," said the new Mrs. Porter. "We've always wanted to get married in Las Vegas. When we were talking about when to get married, Bryan thought it would be fun to get married on 11/12/13."

Darlene, 43, sales assistant, and Bryan, 46, IBEW electrician, have been engaged since winter 2012. They dated in high school and reconnected two years ago. This trip also marks their first trip to Las Vegas and for Darlene, her first time to the West coast.

The couple was selected from a national campaign Smashburger executed earlier this year. With hundreds of interested couples from around the country, lovebirds were asked to submit a video via social media, explaining their love for one another and, of course, burgers. To see Darlene and Bryan's winning entry, click here.

"Smashburger is a young and vibrant brand. As such, we love adding a modern twist to traditions, that's why we wanted to have this unique wedding. What says new and trendy more than getting married by Elvis on a unique date like 11/12/13 with burgers?" said Stacie Lange, senior vice president of communications, Smashburger.

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