WHO IS RALPH GRIGGS?

I am a non-denominational minister (serving local churches full-time for the past 30 years) and most recently a minister for an 800 member non-denominational church in Nashville, Tennessee.

I do not try to sell people on my church. That's not the reason couples contact me & it would be taking unfair advantage of them for me to do so. Of course, I am always happy to discuss faith matters with people when they ask & show an interest.

Education background includes a B.A., Masters of Theology, & doctoral course work in biblical studies & counseling. Some messages from my teaching ministry can be found here.        See me & my bride the day we married, us today & our family>>>

Occasionally, I am asked if I am a real minister. This usually comes from a concern raised due to the Internet / mail-in ordination of ministers. (To show how easy it is to get "ordained," one preacher sent in an application in the name of his dog. Yes, the dog got ordained)! I am the real thing. My seminary undergraduate & graduate degree (90 credit hrs.) plus my doctoral course work was completed over a 9 year period while involved in full-time ministry. Full-time ministry is the only thing I've done since I was 20 years old.

WHAT IS YOUR HONORARIUM

AND HOW DO WE SCHEDULE OUR WEDDING?

For most scheduled & planned weddings, the total honorarium is $200. The couple mails a check for $35 to confirm their wedding date/time. This $35 retainer is non-refundable & is meant to protect the couple...this gets it set so they know they can depend on me.

The couple sends the rest ($165) by check at least two weeks before the ceremony, or in cash at the wedding.

Couples often tell me this is the most reasonable of their wedding expenses. I've tried to add enough value to what I do so that you will feel the same way.

Here are the things I do for you to save you time, money, and frustration.

♦ Email you my Ceremony Planner & then discuss your ceremony preferences. If you are able to come out to my home in the Bellevue area, we can discuss your preferences face to face. If you can't make it out, we can work out the ceremony details by phone/email.  The Ceremony Planner gets rave reviews. Couples find it very helpful in planning & personalizing their ceremonies.

♦ Offer my At-Home Marriage Preparation Course which saves you $60 on your marriage license. There's no charge for the Course. It's included in the honorarium. You don't have to use it, but most do and have a blast with it. Plus, it saves you $60 (not counting the few hundred dollars it would cost to see a licensed counselor or attend a program somewhere). I now have the complete course online so you can now see it in it's entirety. Even if I don't perform your wedding or you do other premarital preparation, you can use the Course and benefit from it.. Click here to see the Course right now.

♦ A free download of my Name Change Guide for Tennessee Brides. Other people sell these online for around $20. There are also several free resources for everyone that are now posted at the bottom of all the web pages on this site. Scroll down and take a look.

♦ Prompt registration of your marriage license following the wedding. Your signed license goes right back to the county clerk's office where you got it. Then you are able to request from them in writing or by phone a certified copy (check with the county clerk's office where you get your license - policies vary from county to county).

Note 1: I've never missed a wedding, and never cancelled with a couple that reserved their wedding with me. I've probably gotten two dozen calls from frantic brides, grooms or mothers of the bride who said their minister had backed out on them at the last minute.

Note 2: The schedule fills fast especially on popular dates and I'm cutting back some on my commitments. So if you think you would like for me to help, please contact me as soon as you can.

Let me know if you have questions about anything. 

For contact information, click on the text below:

Phone numbers & email - Ralph Griggs, minister - Performing wedding ceremonies in Nashville, Tennessee - Murfreesboro, Dickson, Lebanon, and throughout Middle Tennessee

"Good afternoon. My fiancé had contacted you previously about our wedding date, and you were already booked. The problem is that everyone we ask without fail mentions you. I even asked a family member that married five years ago, and once again it was you . . . if you have a cancellation, please keep us in mind." -Christy S.

"Ralph - Thank you for taking care of the certificate so quickly [marriage prep completion certificate] and for your prompt and professional responses over the past few days. You have a good reputation on theknot.com tennessee local boards and I look forward to being another of your happy brides." -Jessica.

Nashville Wedding Information:

Reviews of Nashville Wedding Locations                          Topics on Video Below:

Nashville Wedding Service Providers                                Getting Your Tennessee Marriage License

Free Bride's Name Change Guide                                      Considerations in Choosing a Nashville Wedding Minister

How to Get Your Tennessee Marriage License                 

Nashville Wedding Elopement

Other Wedding Resources:

Wedding Favors at Beau-Coup - See The Best Sellers and a free video on how to assemble a favor box.

My Wedding Favors -  high quality, unique wedding favors  

Nashville Wedding Locations Reviews:

Riverwood Mansion                                         C.J.'s Off the Square                               

Springhaven Mansion                                      Top O'Woodland Bed and Breakfast 

Union Station Hotel                                          Old Natchez Country Club 

Cedarvine Mansion                                          Centennial Park Sunken Garden 

Two Rivers Mansion                                         Opryland Hotel Weddings 

Buchanan Log House                                       Nashville Wedding Chapel 

Historic Cedarwood Mansion

Other locations not yet reviewed: Blackhaven Gardens,  Cheekwood Gardens,  Hermitage Hotel, Belle Meade Plantation, Belmont Mansion, Two Rivers Mansion, Cannonsburg Village, Shadowbrook, Carnton Plantation, The Cool Springs House                  

Updates:

◊ Nashville wedding planner Angela Proffitt now has a new website with videos to help couples plan their weddings. Check it out at www.elegantweddings.tv

◊ Historic Cedarwood Mansion has announced a special Nashville wedding elopement package. If you don't have time to plan, want something a little smaller and don't want to spend a fortune, this could be the deal for you. It includes a lot of extras to make the wedding truly special.

◊ The wedding venue C.J.'s Off the Square in Franklin has reopened! I was privileged to help with a wedding there that recently made it on theKnot you can get to here. Also associated with CJ's is the Williamson County Weddings Boutique. They have periodic special "shows" with treats and prizes.

◊ I officiated the wedding for Jessica Harp (of the female country duo The Wreckers) and Jason Mowery. There's a story about the wedding in the summer edition of In Style Magazine

Thank-You Notes:

<sub>◊ Hi Ralph, I wanted to write to let you know how thankful Sam and I are for you! The ceremony was perfect in every way. We received so many compliments afterwards about how wonderful it all was. The wording of the ceremony especially. It would not have been possible without you. Thank you...from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly blessed to have found you. I also wanted to give thanks to you for the promptness of our marriage certificate. When we got back from our honeymoon on Monday 10/12 it had come in the mail that day and was waiting for us. I was able to go the next day and get my name changed on my license before going back to work on Wednesday. Thank you again SO MUCH for everything!!! Sincerely, Audra & Sam

◊ Ralph, We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being the minister at our ceremony! We loved how fun and easy the marriage counseling was. I really enjoyed being able to write our own ceremony online with you as well. I loved your style, and it wasn't your typical cookie cutter ceremony! The sand art turned out great and my favorite was when TJ and I read our vows. That was a very important day for us, and you made it so special to be the presenter of our love! God Bless you and your family. Keep up the great work in all you do for the future. You have shared a special time in our lives, and we appreciate it! We will definitely refer you to anyone we know getting married in the future! Thanks! TJ and Selina

◊ Ralph, We are running off to our honeymoon, but wanted to send you a quick photo of our BEAUTIFUL wedding. You did such a great job - we received so many compliments about your service. Literally, everyone was moved to tears by the service. And, you made the whole process easy and FUN! Thank you so much. You have a true gift and we are so pleased you could share it with us! Thanks, Nicole

◊ Just a note this morning to thank you so much for your wonderful addition to our daughter's wedding. Everyone there felt your warmth and kindness throughout the ceremony - it felt as if you had always been our pastor!  We are so happy we found you, and now you are forever a part of our cherished memories of the day... -Matt & Regina

◊ Mr. Griggs, I just want to tell you how thankful we are to have had you as a part of our special day. Everything was so easy and went smoothly. We are certainly going to tell everyone of you fantastic service. It was a pleasure to meet you. We wish you all the best in the upcoming holiday season!
Thanks a bunch, Jacqueline and Philip

◊ Dear Ralph....we cannot thank you enough for playing such an important role in our most special day. Without us knowing you very well, you really seemed to fit us as a minister. The ceremony was more than we could've ever asked for. I felt a calm spirit come over me that I'd never felt before...you didn't just marry us, you allowed our family & friends the genuine opportunity to experience what we feel in our hearts....and we thank you for that." -Bethany & Josh</sub>

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_{Ralph Griggs has been a member in good standing with the Tennessee Weddings and Events Specialist Association (TWESA) since 2001 and was voted best of Nashville Weddings. Click the picture below for the details.}

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