This is no cramped space. The reception seating chart allows for about three hundred and fifty people. The wedding ceremony and reception can be held in the same space without having to move tables and chairs. The venue website has downloadable PDFs which shows a chart of various arrangements for a wedding ceremony/reception, or just reception. Because of its central location, if you just want to use it for your reception, then it is easy to get to from many wedding ceremony sites in and around Nashville.

If you visit you will be impressed with hardwood floors and the old brick that is exposed all around the room.

You can bring your own caterer if you want to and you don’t have pay for use of the kitchen or any other fees. They do insist that they have insurance and the proper license to operate. They do have a growing list of preferred provides listed on their website or will work with you face to face to help you line up all your wedding helpers.

The best thing to do is to call them and arrange a time visit. That first hand look is the best way to know if you have found the perfect spot for your celebration.

If you do have a definite wedding date set however, you will find at the site a calendar indicating which dates are still open. While this venue is just getting underway, the dates are likely to begin closing up in time, so better make your decision quickly if this sounds like it is what you are looking for.

IMPORTANT: Further details on using this Course as well as some some marriage preparation videos are available here.

About the TN Marriage License and the Marriage Course:

A Tennessee marriage license costs right around $100, depending on the county in which the couple gets their license.

With a 4 hour premarital preparation course, a couple can receive a notarized completion certificate from the provider which enables them to save $60 off the cost of the license.

The course you can download from this page above has been used by many couples across the state to help them get a good start on marriage, as well as save on their marriage license.

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The Information Below is Taken Directly Verbatim From the Davidson County Clerk’s Office With Information About the Tennessee Marriage License:

Marriage License Department

APPLICATION OF MARRIAGE FORM

You may complete the downloadable form or fill one out at the County Clerk’s Office.

Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. 36-3-104(a) (1997), “No county clerk nor deputy clerk shall issue a marriage license until the applicants make an application in writing, stating the names, ages, addresses and social security numbers of both the proposed male and female contracting parties and the names and addresses of the parents, guardian or next of kin of both parties.” The application must be sworn to by both parties. Id. The requirement of a social security number was added by legislative amendment, Acts 1997, ch. 551, 30, effective July 1, 1997.

REQUIREMENTS

Proof of date of birth (Government Issued Photo Identification or Certified Birth Certificate) AND…

Proof of Social Security Number (for individuals that have been issued one.)

Both parties must appear together at the 523 Mainstream Drive in the Riverview Business Center II at Metro Center (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F) and must have proof that they are 18 or older. If either party is under the age of 18, they must be accompanied by his/her parents. Tennessee law does not permit those under the age of 16 to marry without a court order.

The fee for a marriage license is $99.50. However, license applicants who have completed a premarital preparation course within a year prior to the date of application for the license are exempted from paying $60.00 of this fee. The couple must provide a Certificate of Completion form (download and print Certificate of Completion here) that has been completed and signed by the course provider. (Course provider’s signature on the Certificate of Completion must be notarized).

The marriage license is valid for thirty (30) days from issuance and is good for ceremonies performed anywhere in Tennessee. The only marriage law information available from this office pertains to Tennessee only. We do not provide information on divorce or annulment.

PREMARITAL PREPARATION COURSE

To qualify for the exemption by attending a premarital preparation course, both applicants must submit a Certification of Completion completed by the course provider, showing that they have attended the course together, or separately, within one year of the date of application to the County Clerk for the license. The Certification of Completion form defines the law as to qualifications of persons who are eligible to conduct the four (4) hours of premarital preparation training required by public Chapter No. 854.

The new law gives minimal guidance as to the content of the course. It states that the course may include:

Conflict management and resolution

Communication skills

Financial responsibilities

Children and parenting responsibilities

Data compiled from available information relating to problems reported by married couples that seek marital or individual counseling

Compatibility

Expectations

Personalities and families-of-origin

Intimacy and sexuality

Long-term goals

The types of persons who can provide the approved premarital preparation course are:

Psychologist (as defined under TCA 63-11-203)

Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (as defined under TCA 63-22-115)

Professional Counselor (as defined un TCA 63-22-104)

Official representative of a religious Institution (recognized under TCA 63-22-204)

Clinical Social Worker (as defined under TCA Title 63-Ch.23, Part 1)

Clinical Pastoral Therapist (as defined under TCA Title 63, Ch. 22, Part 2)

Psychological Examiner (as defined under TCA 63-11-202)

Any other instructor approved for the judicial district

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How may I obtain a copy of a Birth Certificate?

You may download an Application for Certified Copy of Certificate of Birth.

How do I obtain a certified copy of my marriage license?

If you obtained your marriage license in Davidson County within the past ten years, your records are located in our office. Mail a written request including the bride’s full maiden name, the groom’s name, the date of the marriage, and $5.00 for each copy requested. Please make your check payable to the Davidson County Clerk’s Office. Mail your request to the Davidson County Clerk’s Office, Attention Marriage Department, P.O. Box 196333, Nashville, TN 37219-6333. Requests are processed and returned the same day they are received. Download a form to request a copy of your marriage certificate.

If you need a copy of a marriage license of someone married in Davidson County between 1780 and 1992, contact Metro Archives.

If you need a copy of a marriage license of someone married in Tennessee within the last 50 years, contact Tennessee Vital Records.

Who can solemnize a marriage?

The rite of matrimony may be solemnized by any of the following persons listed in T.C.A. § 36-3-301:

1. All regular ministers, preachers, pastors, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders of every religious belief, more than 18 years of age, having the care of souls.

2. Current and former members of county legislative bodies.

3. County mayors/executives and former county mayors/executives.

4. Current and former judges and chancellors of this state.

5. Current and former judges of general sessions courts.

6. The governor.

7. The county clerk of each county.

8. Current and former speakers of the senate and speakers of the house of representatives.

9. Mayors of municipalities.

In 1997 the General Assembly authorized all elected officials and former officials who are authorized to perform marriages to do so in any county in the State of Tennessee. T.C.A. § 36-3-301(i).6

For all marriages after April 15, 1998, in order to solemnize the rite of matrimony a minister, preacher, pastor, priest, rabbi, or other spiritual leader must be ordained or otherwise designated in conformity with the customs of a church, temple, or other religious group or organization, and such customs must provide for ordination or designation by a considered, deliberate, and responsible act. T.C.A. § 36-3-301(a)(2) (added by 1998 Public Chapter 745). The county clerk, however, has neither the authority nor the duty to examine the qualifications of persons seeking to solemnize the rite of matrimony. Op. Tenn. Att’y Gen. 97-139 (10/9/97). The county clerk cannot require proof that an officiant is, in fact, a minister or other authorized person. Op. Tenn.

Att’y Gen. 87-151 (9/17/87).

For marriage purposes, the several judges of the United States courts, including United States magistrates and United States bankruptcy judges, who are citizens of Tennessee are deemed to be judges of this state. However, the term former judges does not include any judge who has been convicted of a felony or who has been removed from office. T.C.A. § 36-3-301(a). The term “retired judges of this state” shall be construed to include persons who served as judges of any municipal or county court in any county which has adopted a metropolitan form of government and persons who served as county judges (judges of the quarterly county court) prior to the 1978 constitutional amendments. T.C.A. § 36-3-301(e). Also, any person who was a member of a quarterly county court on August 1, 1984 can perform marriages. T.C.A. § 17-1-206. All judges, including city judges, are included among the officials who may solemnize marriages. An elected city judge may perform a marriage in any county in Tennessee, but an appointed city judge is authorized to solemnize a marriage only in the city where the judge holds office. Op Tenn. Att’y Gen. 02-112 (10/10/02).

Deputy county clerks under the authority of T.C.A. § 18-1-108(4) have full power to transact the business of the county clerk and therefore, according to Op. Tenn. Att’y Gen. 85-243 (9/18/85), have the power to solemnize a marriage.

Why should we participate in the premarital preparation course?

There are not many couples that get married with the intention of ever getting a divorce although there are about 33,000 Tennessee couples that do divorce every year which typically affects around 60,000 children. Tennessee has one of the highest divorce rates in the country. Going through a divorce is not a pleasant experience nor are the things that led up to the reason for divorce. Tennessee’s voluntary premarital preparation course is an attempt to lessen the number of divorces in the state.

What are some of the restrictions of who can get married to whom?

Tennessee does not allow persons of the same sex to get married in Tennessee. Both man and woman must have proof that they are at least 18 years old. Acceptable proof includes a social security card, driver’s license, state-issued birth certificate, visa or passport.

If either applicant is under 18 years of age, the parents, next of kin, guardian, or person having custody of the applicant are required to join in the application, under oath, stating that the applicant is 16 years of age or over and that the applicant has their consent to marry. If the applicant is in the legal custody of any public or private agency or in the legal custody of any person other than a parent, guardian or next of kin, then such person or the duly authorized representative of such agency must join in the application with the parent, guardian or next of kin, stating under oath that the applicant is 16 years of age or older but less than 18 years of age and that the applicant has their consent to marry. This provision does not apply to applicants who are in the custody of the department of mental health and mental retardation. Tenn. Code Ann. 36-3-106.

Does Tennessee recognize Common Law Marriages?

Marriage is controlled by statute and not common law in Tennessee. Although Tennessee does not recognize common law marriages, Tennessee will recognize a valid common law marriage entered into in a jurisdiction which recognizes common law marriages. In re Estate of Glover, 882 S.W.2d 789 (Tenn. App 1994); Andrew v. Signal Auto Parts, Inc., 492 S.W.2d 222 (Tenn. 1972); Lightsey v. Lightsey, 407 S.W.2d 684, 56 Tenn. App 394 (Tenn. App 1966); Troxel v. Jones, 322 S.W.2d 251, 45 Tenn. App 264 (tenn. App. 1959). But see Crawford v Crawford, 198 Tenn. 9, 277 S.W.2d 389 (1955) (parties may be estopped to deny marriage, as between themselves, in exceptional circumstances).

How can I research or get a copy of a family member’s marriage license?

Contact the Tennessee Vital Records office at 615-741-1763.

If you have any questions not answered in the above information, please call us at (615) 862-6256.

You’ll be expected to speak about the bride and groom in front of a roomful of their friends and family, so the situation does have the tendency to be awkward, even more so when you’re speaking to people you’ve never seen before. It may seem like it takes a Herculean effort to find, and say, the right words.

Most of the time, the best man does the wedding toast, but once in a while the bride may want to choose who should do it. Either way, a dose of humor in the speech will do wonders in taking the edge off the awkwardness. Try and remember something funny that involves the bride and the groom. The guests will love learning more about the bride and groom through the anecdotes you tell, and you’d be assured of having a captive audience from start to finish when you tell stories like these.

It’s a good idea to include in your wedding speech comments on how the bride and groom are perfect for each other. You’re bound to get a good reception from the audience, as long as you’re sincere and say it like you mean it. It’s always a great idea to add some compliments and well wishes as you’re winding down your speech.

It doesn’t really matter that much what your speech contains, as long as you sound sincere your speech will definitely be appreciated. A lot of the time, the wedding toast speech is a way for guests to know more about the marrying couple.

A well-delivered wedding toast should bring smiles to the guests faces and elicit a few laughs. If you want, you can talk about the bride and groom’s personalities.

If you think your speech-giving skills need work, don’t lose hope. As long as you’re sincere, you’ll still be supported by the guests. Even if you feel like your speech is not good, as long as you give it with sincerity, the guests will show their appreciation.

If the couple is using a Nashville wedding planner, you might ask them for some advice. They’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. They likely will have some sage advice for you as to what to do, and as importantly what not to do.

If you’ve been selected to give the wedding toast, this means that the bride and groom think highly of you. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not good at giving speeches. Just keep it short, give the speech with sincerity and emotion, and you’ll do a good job.

The sacrament of marriage is a sacred thing, not just among those of the Christian faith, but other religions as well. But although each country has a different way of celebrating marriage, weddings are and will remain a very important part of their culture. Needless to say, couples consider their wedding to be a momentous occasion and will go to lengths to ensure that they can have the best possible wedding. Choosing the right reception venue will do a lot to ensure a wonderful wedding celebration.

Here is a short guide to help you find the perfect venue for you to celebrate your wedding.

Before anything else, you and your partner should determine (by yourselves, or with the help of a professional Nashville wedding planner), what you really want for your special day. Finding a concept to work with should take into consideration the needs of the bride and the groom, despite the fact that it’s usually the bride who becomes heaving involved in the planning of the wedding.

Secondly, you should make sure that the venue is available, and accessible to you and your guests. Some of the best wedding sites like Historic Cedarwood, Riverwood Mansion and Springhaven Mansion book up fast…so you need to do your planning early.

Your Nashville wedding reception should take place in a location where your guests can relax and have fun in a private setting. Keep in mind that in most cases a wedding is the first step to creating the most important institution in society: the family. With that said, your wedding reception should be a private affair, unless of course the bride or groom is famous, either as a public figure or a celebrity. If there are too many uninvited people walking around, the integrity of the solemn affair may be compromised.

The third thing that you and your partner should think about doing is creating a backup plan. Accidents happen, and this goes two-fold for couples who choose to have an outdoor wedding in Nashville. A backup plan is necessary in case they do. For example, if you’re having a garden wedding at Centennial Park for instance and it rains, you should have an alternative venue nearby.

Nature can sometimes disrupt the festivities, as in the case of destination weddings where the guests need to ride a boat to the tropical island location. In case the boat breaks down or it rains too heavily to set out for the island, an alternative venue should be ready. This will ensure that the wedding will push through, and the guests won’t have to suffer the inconvenience of extending their stay or taking another day off work just to attend a wedding that’s been rescheduled for another day.

Wedding Venues in Nashville

When you wear your wedding ring, it signifies the commitment you’ve made to your spouse. In a lot of cultures, men continue wearing their wedding rings even after their partners have died. This signifies that the wearing of the wedding ring symbolizes love and a life-long commitment to your partner.

Most wedding rings made for men are made from plain gold. However, since people wanted their wedding rings to be a little less ordinary, a vast array of wedding ring in different styles, materials and designs are now widely available. Wedding rings for men have bands that are wider than those made for women, as most married women wear their engagement ring on the same finger as their wedding ring.

There are many different traditions on wedding rings throughout the world. In some European countries, there are wedding band sets available that couples who want matching rings can purchase. You can find these sets made from almost every kind of precious metal that exists, and you can choose a design that’s elaborate or simple, depending on what you prefer. A popular choice nowadays is the engraved wedding ring.

Gold is the traditional material used for making wedding rings, but there are actually more choices as far as wedding ring materials go. You may not be aware of this fact, in much the same way that you may not be aware that there is such a thing as a ring size. But when you’ve finally determined what your ring size is, you’ll find shopping for wedding rings so much easier. Wedding rings come in a wide variety of styles and materials, all of them beautiful, so you’ll probably need input from a friend or someone whose taste you trust to help you choose the right one.

The first thing you should do is determine what kind of material you want your wedding ring to be crafted from so you can narrow down you search. You can choose traditional gold, sterling silver, stainless steel, titanium, or platinum. How much a ring costs depends on the material used.

After that comes the difficult part of choosing a ring style that’s both attractive and appropriate. This is difficult because almost every ring you’ll try on will look good on your finger. Wedding rings can be striped, curved, polished, brushed, dual or tri-rowed, twisted, given a satin finish, crafted in the Versace style, or combinations of different styles.

To help you choose, you can go online and look at wedding rings. When shopping for rings online, you’ll find a larger selection than what you would get in a physical Nashville wedding jewelry store. That doesn’t mean that you will buy your rings online, but you can have the advantages of both what the online retailers offer and what the venue down the road can do for you.

Nashville Weddings Homepage

A lot of marrying couples choose favors that can be used by the guests for years, favors that become great keepsakes that will remind your friends and family of the wonderful time they had a your wedding. Some examples of such wedding favors are bottle openers, place card holders, salt and pepper shakers, wine stoppers, and more.

Finding wedding favors that are both attractive and useable is actually easier than it seems. Attaching a personal, handwritten message can make a simple gift like a mug or a coaster appears more personal and thoughtful. Wedding favors that are practical can be perceived in different ways by your guests, so you should exercise care when shopping for and choosing practical wedding favors.

You need to keep in mind certain factors such as your wedding theme, the budget you’ve allocated to buying wedding favors, your spouse-to-be’s personality as well as yours, and the tastes of the people who will be attending.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on wedding favors. Choose simple gifts that are elegant and attractive. Keep these guidelines in minds to avoid problems when shopping for wedding favors. Although it may be hard to believe, wedding favors can play a big part in the overall success of the wedding celebration. They’re on the list of things that guests talk about when the festivities are over.

Besides mugs and coasters, there are other items that you could give out as favors that are practical and attractive, such as candle holders, shot glasses, notepad and pen sets, photo albums and hand towels; even kitchen items such as aprons, knife sets, cutting boards, ice cream scoops and pizza cutters. Always keep in mind the kind of people who’ll be attending your wedding. You may want to buy different wedding gifts for different guests.

For example, you may choose to give a younger guest a different wedding favor from what you would give an older guest. You might also want to buy favors for seniors who will be attending your party. It’s okay to spend time selecting your wedding guests gifts with care. This is a detail of your wedding that’s as important as any other.

You can find practical wedding favors on the Internet. If you’re planning your wedding on your own, no need to worry as almost everything you could possibly need can be found and bought from websites. Another great thing about shopping online is that you can save money and even get freebies and other discounts which you wouldn’t get if shopping at a physical store.

For example, instead of ordering wedding invitations, you can find a lot of free templates for you to use in creating wedding invitations using your computer and printer at home. You can also buy wedding favorites, wedding napkins, and other wedding reception necessities on the Internet and get great discounts when you buy in bulk.

Finally, since you are getting married in Nashville, think about gifts for your guests that reflect something of the city itself. In most cases, brides and grooms have family and friends coming to their wedding from many places, and many of these guests have never been to Nashville. What better treat that to receive something that is uniquely Nashville.