After only six weeks of dating, a 39-year-old Bette Midler asked Martin von Haselberg for his hand in marriage.
Accepting her proposal, the Argentinian-born von Haselberg and the superstar, now 77, dashed to an altar in Las Vegas, paying $45 to be wed by an Elvis impersonator, who was also the only guest.
Serving as a reminder to enduring love and commitment, the beautiful couple reveals the past almost 40 years wasn’t effortless but they “stayed together until it got better, and it did.”
Keep reading to learn more about this amazing pair who have outlasted many other Hollywood marriages!
Bette Midler, known for her indelible voice and impressive acting skills, was already a Grammy, Golden Globe and Tony winner when she met the 35-year-old Martin von Haselberg in 1984.
Then 39, the star of The Rose locked down her relationship with the Argentinian man and popped the question after only six weeks of dating.
The pair eloped to Las Vegas and wed at the Starlight Chapel with Elvis officiating their nuptials. “My wedding was two people – my husband and me – and, of course, the Elvis impersonator that married us,” the Hocus Pocus star recalled about the 02:00 am wedding that cost only $45 and a wardrobe change for her husband-to-be.
“He got all dressed up in this suit that I was like, ‘I’m not getting married to you in that suit!’ So, he had to change his suit and then we went to one of the little churches and we went to get the license. We had a tape of Nino Rota music…and we walked down the aisle,” said the Beaches star, referring to Nino Rota, the composer of the music for The Godfather trilogy.
The “spur of the moment” wedding turned out to be a great decision. Only two years later, the couple welcomed their only daughter Sophie, now 36, an actor whose credits include Woody Allen’s 2015 film Irrational Man.
But up until a couple of years ago, the singer of “The Rose” and her artist husband, known for his roles in the 1980’s The Kipper Kids, had no photos to look back on their magical wedding event in Vegas.
