|
WHO
IS RALPH GRIGGS?
I am a
non-denominational minister (serving local churches full-time for the past
29 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.
Now, in
addition to helping couples with their weddings, I have put together
an At-Home
Marriage Preparation Course. I also speak at various churches
helping them evaluate their ministries to married couples and
families.
My wife, Mary,
and I have been married 30 years and we have four children.
See me & my bride
the day we married, us today, & our family>>>
Education background
includes a B.A., Masters of Theology, & doctoral course work in biblical studies & counseling.
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.
A few years ago, Tennessee Attorney General Knox Walkup ruled that such ministers are not qualified to perform weddings. The
Tennessean reported recently that
such a minister was apprehended in Tennessee & charged with
impersonating a minister. 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! Dead people, death row inmates,
& Saddam Hussein have
also been "ordained" by such groups. In addition to
"ordaining," these groups issue Masters & Doctor degrees
(PhD for PhonyDiploma) on demand.
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.
DO YOU REQUIRE PREMARITAL COUNSELING?
No, but it's always a good idea to do some kind of premarital preparation. For time-pressured couples, I've
written the "At-Home" Marriage Preparation Course.
You can do the
whole thing at home, at your own convenience. It is designed
to be fun, while at the same time helping your relationship grow. It will help you
get your marriage started off right, and save
you $60 on a Tennessee marriage license.
Couples who have used the
course say it's fun, it improves their communication, and helps them
uncover & discuss areas they had overlooked (even if they believed
they had already talked about everything).
WHAT KIND OF CEREMONIES DO YOU DO?
The kind you want...in length, style, & content. You can use my Ceremony
to Remember! Ceremony Planner which contains a number of
options for personalizing your ceremony.
Do you want a
religious or romantic emphasis, or a mixture of the two? Do you want
traditional or contemporary worded vows? How long do you
want your ceremony to last? Are you of
different faiths and would like to combine elements of each?
These are some
of the questions we will go over to make your ceremony exactly what
you want it to be. Or, if you want,
you can scrap my ceremony & write your own. We can do your
ceremony planning in person or by phone/email if necessary.
WHERE DO YOU PERFORM WEDDINGS?
In churches, in living rooms, in backyards, at parks, wedding chapels & venues,
historical buildings, hotels, the state capitol building, the governor's mansion, on boats, on the radio & TV, at a shooting range...You get the idea!
WHAT IS YOUR HONORARIUM
AND HOW DO WE SCHEDULE OUR WEDDING?
For most scheduled & planned weddings, the
total honorarium is $200 (see note #4 below). 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) 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.
The Course (or Education Guide) is included
in the honorarium (it sells separately to couples for $20 who want
the TN completion certificate). 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 $25. 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.
Note 3:
Wedding directors tell me that ministers
only attend rehearsals about half the time. This is usually when it's
the "family minister" and he/she would be there regardless. Rehearsals are
primarily for the attendants & getting logistics down. We meet ahead
of time so that I know exactly what you want to happen in the
ceremony, and you know what to expect. No surprises. You don't have to
remember anything about the ceremony the day of your wedding (you
likely won't anyway). It's my job to tell you exactly what to do and
when. Like, turn and join hands, repeat after me, take the ring,
and kiss the bride! Sometimes I do attend rehearsals if the
couple really wants me there, or for some reason the ceremony is
complicated & it would be good for me to be there. There is some
additional fee if I do come. The majority of couples decide it's not
that important and save the money & extra meal!
Note
4:
On occasion I do some weddings for less...if it's just the couple at
my home, or meeting them in a park for instance. If your wedding is on short notice
and you have something like that in mind, contact me and we can
discuss it.
Sorry for
writing so much, but I wanted you to have the details.
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.
|
