Contact Us
Our regular business hours are 8AM to 8PM Monday - Saturday, and Sunday from 2PM to 8PM.
Please note: Rev. Rich is always on the move! He has meetings in the Belmont Mansion offices of Rich Events, as well as weddings and elopements at Belmont Mansion and Skinner Chapel almost every day. He also takes care of a lot of correspondence both from home and the office. Our regular business hours are the times during which Rev. Rich corresponds with clients and schedules weddings and elopements. Rev. Rich does not have regular office hours. All meetings with Rev. Rich and all weddings/elopements must be scheduled in advance, so please contact us by phone, text message or email to check availability and schedule a time.
We are not set up for any walk-ins.
Rev. Rich is in church on Sunday mornings until a little past noon, so don't expect a quick response to a Sunday morning message.
All weddings, elopements and meetings are by appointment only. No walk-ins.
Feel free to email or text us with your quesitons.
Cell: 615-305-2021 ~ Fax: 615-346-0157
eMail: brandon@richevents.org
Please note: Our business number rings on a cell phone. You are welcome to call or text us, but please refrain from calling before 8:00 AM or after after 8:00 PM in the U.S. Central Time Zone, Monday - Saturday, or before 2:00 PM or after 8:00 PM on Sundays.
We do not offer middle-of-the-night service. You are welcome to email us 24/7.
We tend to be quite busy with weddings on the weekend, so be patient if you call or text between Friday and Sunday.
Connect with Rich Events using the social media icons at the top of your screen.
Connect with our venues using social media icons on their pages of this website.
Parking Lot "A"
Skinner Chapel is on the 1st floor of Fondren Hall
Mailing Address:
Rich Events
1831 12th Avenue South, Box 431
Nashville, TN 37203
Important Information
Coronavirus/COVID-19 Update as of May 11, 2020:
Nashville, TN is under both local and state “safer at home” orders that ran through May 10, 2020. On May 11 we began Phase 1 of a 4-phase reopening plan for Nashville and Davidson County. During Phase one, social gatherings such as weddings are limited to a total of 10 people present. Phase 2 will be 50 people present. Phase 3 will be up to 100 people present and phase 4 will be over 100 present. You can learn more about the reopening plan by visiting ASafeNashville.org If you have questions about how the COVID-19 situation affects your wedding and elopement plans with Rich Events and learn about your options, please email us using Brandon@RichEvents.org.
The Davidson County Clerk in Nashville, TN has reopened. Other County Clerks in Tennessee will deal with this situation individually.
Marriage License
You will need a Tennesee Marriage License in hand before your wedding ceremony, if your wedding is in Tennessee. You may visit the County Clerk in any of the 95 counties in Tennessee to obtain your license. The Davidson County Clerk serves Nashville. Click here for their website. The Davidson Country Clerk is open Monday through Friday. The only County Clerk in middle Tennessee that has any weekend hours is the Bedford Counry Clerk in Shelbyville, TN. Please note that Shelbyville, TN is 60 miles southeast of Nashville. At present, they are open from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays. Also, you may not use a marriage license obtained in another state.
Tennessee Law for Wedding Officiants
As of July 1, 2019, the State of Tennessee's new law clarifying the qualifications to serve as a wedding officiant take effect. This law clearly states that online ordination is not acceptable for persons wishing to solemnize weddings in Tennessee. Previous Tennessee laws on wedding officiants were not written with online ordination in mind. Previous opionions from the state attorney general were consistent that online ordination did not meet the spirit of the law, but many couples continued to use officiants with online ordination. This new law catches up with online technology and clarifies the situation. Please note that Rev. Brandon Rich was licensed to ministry in June 1998 and ordained to the ministry on March 12, 2000 by First Baptist Church of Nashville, TN. Rev. Rich trained for the ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theoligical Seminary in Fort Worth, TX and has served several churches on staff as senior pastor, interim pastor and minister of music. Not only does Rev. Rich meet and exceed the legal quailifications to officiate a wedding, he has officiated and coordinated over 5,000 weddings in five states, giving him depth and breath of expericne that is virtulaly unparralelled. At its core, this new Tennessee law means that couples here must have someone like Rev. Rich officiate a legal ceremony and complete the marriage license. It is not acceptable to have a friend, relative or any other person go online to obtain ordination for the purpose of acting as a wedding officiant. If a couple has their heart set on a loved one conducting their public ceremony, they must simply contract with someone like Rev. Rich to particiate in the public ceremony or officiate a seperate legal ceremony and then complete the marriage license. Rev. Rich has elopement options for just such a purpose and has offered this very service for many years.
Alabama Marriage Licenses
If you live in the State of Alabama, you may be concerned about getting married there, and for good reason. The Alabama state legislature has changed the way couples legally marry in their state. Several articles have come out about this topic, and I've linked an article here from AL.com. Alabama no longer issues traditional marriage licenses the way they used to, the way other states still do. We have already seen several Alabama couples elect to come to Tennessee to get married to insure that they will have a traditional Marriage License going into the wedding, and then receive a traditional Certificate of Marriage after the wedding. If you are one of our neighbors to the south and would like the comfort of a traditional marriage license and marriage certificate, I welcome you to come to Nashville! You can come up here, get your Tennessee Marriage License and schedule a legal elopement right here with me at one of my venues, and still have your public ceremony back home in Alabama for your friends and family. If you prefer to have a destination wedding and have everyone come up here, I can point you in the right direction for that option as well. The process of obtaining a Tennessee Marriage License is quite simple, and you still have the conventional and traditional paperwork that records your legal marriage. Click here to visit the website for Nashville's Davidson County Clerk - Marriage Division.
Venue & Office Visits/Bookings
Please do not stop by Belmont Mansion or Skinner Chapel unannounced. All Rich Events venue previews, planning meetings, weddings, elopements and are scheduled in advance. We offer venue previews and planning meetings for the Friends & Family Elopements and larger traditional bookings only, not for the small elopements or bridal photo session bookings. Our regular business hours are the times daily when we accept phone calls and when we host scheduled meetings, ceremonies and events. We do not, however, have regular office hours. We are not set up for walk-ins. Please contact us by phone or email to schedule an appointment. We cannot guarantee same-day elopements, previews or meetings. Rev. Rich attends church every Sunday morning unitl noon. Sunday hours are 2PM to 8PM, by appointment.
Booking on Short Notice
We cannot guarantee same-day same day service for weddings, elopements, events or meetings. Rev. Rich schedules traditional weddings and events months in advance and he also runs a publishing company, so it is best to contact us as far in advance of your preferred meeting/event/wedding/elopement date as possible. Same-day service is sometimes possible, but it is difficult due to schedule conflicts. Events and especaily weddings are important and we want you to have a good experience. A key element for us is sufficient notice to make our part of your day everything that you expect it to be.
Recommended Vendors
Catering and Wedding Cake:
615.479.9503
Carolyn's is our preferred caterer for the Dessert Reception option in our Friends & Family Elopements at Belmont Mansion
615.321.2394
Publix (Wedding Cakes)
4324 Harking Pike
Nashville, TN 37205
615.279.2038
Approved Photographers for Elopement Weddings:
Dak & Angie Alley
615.600.2387
Weddings & Elopements of Nashville
Michelle & Michael Blair
Please note that photo packages must match venue packages/time in all elopement bookings where one of our professional photographers is hired by the couple. Clients, guests and photographers may not remain on property at Belmont or Scarritt Bennett Center beyond the elopement package time.
Recomended Photographers for Traditional Weddings:
Dak & Angie Alley
615.600.2387
Elopements of Nashville
Michael & Michelle Blair
615.636.5718
acephotographs.com
Florists:
The Enchanted Florist/Caprice Palmer
615.859.9002
615.419.9177
Musicians and DJs:
Wedding Musicians Company/Russell Davis
615.812.4812
Kaye Grable, pianist (Classical, Jazz, Pop)
615.669.9046
615.585.5471
Calligraphy, Tuxedos & Stylist Services:
The Lyrical Pen - Elegant Calligraphy
Click here to visit their website.
(Phone number and email on their site.)
Nashville, TN 37205
Street Tuxedo
615.386.0500
2115 Elm Hill Pike
Nashville, TN 37210
615.889.9975
Cabinberry Farm in Whites Creek
615.289.0866
Nashville Beard & Barber
Brandon Bain, Master Barber
726 McFerrin Avenue #3524
Nashville, TN 37207
615.835.3667
https://www.nashvillebeardandbarber.com
Transportation:
Old Town Trolley Tours
Shelby McCoy, Group Sales Rep.
615.578.2489 (cell)
https://www.trolleytours.com/nashville
Classic Cars, Limos & Shuttles
615.714.5466
Sedans, Limos & Shuttles
615.254.4600
Hotels:
Hilton Garden Inn
1715 Broadway Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
615.369.5900
Union Station Hotel
1001 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615.726.1001
Omni Nashville Hotel
250 5th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
615.782.5300
Belmont Mansion Details
Officiants
All elopement weddings at Belmont Mansion are officiated and coordinated by our Director of Weddings & Rentals and his staff. Outside officiants and coordinators are not allowed for elopement weddings. This rule only applies to our elopement weddings, not our larger traditional weddings. Due to a new Tennessee law, as of July 1, 2019, each couple must secure a properly ordained minister or select government official to officiate their ceremony. Online ordination is not legal in Tennessee.
Photographers
All paid professional photography at elopement weddings at Belmont Mansion is restricted to the photography companies approved by the mansion and listed on this website and in our rental contracts. Please use the contact information that we provide here on the website and on our reservation forms and contracts. We have had confusion when couples attempt to look up the vendors on their own. Our approved photographers are Weddings & Elopements of Nashville and Dak Alley Productions. Traditional (non-elopement) weddings at the mansion may hire outside photographers, but they must follow venue regulations.
Belmont Mansion and the surrounding campus maintains a no-alcohol and no-smoking/no-tobacco policy.
Please note that Belmont Mansion reserves the right to restrict which days of the week and specific dates that will be made available for elopement weddings based on expected market demand for larger traditional weddings and other events.
Availability
Most elopement weddings at Belmont Mansion are scheduled outside of our daily museum tour hours. Due to the private and brief nature of the Studio Elopement, it may be scheduled at virtually any time of the day, provided the Director of Weddings has availability. The Just Married Elopement, Getaway Elopement and Getaway Plus Elopement may be booked at 6:00 PM (or later) daily, based on availability. The Friends & Family Elopement and the Friends & Family Plus Elopement may be booked at 6:00 PM daily, but due to available parking, we encourage Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6PM. Traditional weddings and other mansion events also must take place in the evenings after museum tours conclude.
Previews & Meetings
Belmont Mansion's Director of Weddings & Rentals will offer one bridal preview visit for the Friends & Family Elopement or the Friends & Family Plus Elopement prior to booking. The director will also allow up to two planning meetings for the Friends & Family Elopement or the Friends & Family Plus Elopement if requested by the couple. Preview and planning meetings are limited to the couple getting married plus two guests. All preview and planning meetings are scheduled and conducted by the Director of Weddings & Rentals personally and by appointment only. Drop-in visits are not possible due to scheduling and staffing issues. No preview or planning meetings are provided for the Studio Elopement, Just Married Elopement or Getaway Elopement. All weddings at Belmont Mansion, both elopements and large weddings, are scheduled and booked in advance by appointment only. Drop-in ceremonies are not possible due to scheduling and staffing issues.
Overnight Lodging
Belmont Mansion does not offer lodging of any form, nor does it have a restaurant or any in-house catering. It is a set up as a museum. The mansion rents out the Grand Salon for weddings and events in the evening, after the daily museum tours. There is no option to spend the night at Belmont Mansion. There are numerous hotels and B&Bs near the mansion, especailly downtown.
Construction Project
Belmont Mansion had a major restoration project that began on January 7, 2019. The bulk of the work completed by the end of March. Weddings resumed in early April. The new floor of the Grand Salon is a faux grained hardwood, similar to the floor in the upstairs bridal gallery. The walls and woodwork will be faux grained to match the work that has already been completed around the grand staircase. Please keep this in mind when you view pictures and videos on this site and if you preview in person for one of the large bookings where previewes are offered. There will be continued work done on the walls, woodwork and cornice over the next several months of 2019 and 2020. There will be a new carpet runner on the staircase once it is designed and manufactured in England. We hope to have the carpet in place some time in 2020.
Miscellaneous
Contact Rev. Brandon Rich or read the rental contracts on this website for additional information. If you would like to learn even more details about all event package options and recommended vendors at Belmont Mansion, including traditional weddings as well as elopements, click the link provided to visit the website for Belmont Mansion
Skinner Chapel Details
The Facility
Skinner Chapel is a small venue with twenty gold chiavari chairs for seated guests, as featured in photos. The chancel area with the altar table is also a small space which can accomodate the officiant, the couple getting married and one attendant on each side. It is important that eveyrone involved in a booking, including guests, is aware that this is a small chapel. There is not room for any more guests or bridal party beyond what we have described here on the website. It is a lovely and intimate space, but it is not a large space.
Skinner Chapel is on the first floor of Fondren Hall on the campus of Scarritt Bennett Center. Ample and free parking is immedialty behind Fondren Hall at 1031 18th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212 in Scarrit Bennett Center's Parking Lot "A" while parking lot "B" is availalbe for overflow parking. Scarritt Bennett's campus is well-marked with signage to identify the buildings, and there is a directory map next to the Laskey Building when guests exit the parking lot onto the sidewalk. Fondren Hall has a wheelchair accessible entrance on the northeast side of the building. Fondren Hall also has two restrooms, free WiFi and new state of the art central heating and air conditioning.
Skinner Chapel does not have a bride's room or groom's room. All bridal party and guests must arrive dressed and ready for the elopement ceremony. It is the reponsability of the clients (the bride or groom) to inform guests as to when they should arrive. Our packages allow for a specific amount of time for the entire booking. Bridal party and/or applicable guests must arrive within the time frame of the client's booking.
Overnight Lodging
Scarritt Bennett Center does offer overnight lodging. Rich Events is not involved in options for Scarritt Bennett's lodging or food & beverage services. Please visit ScarrittBennett.org for details.
Rules & Regulations
All elopement weddings at Skinner Chapel are officiated and coordinated by Rich Events. Outside officiants and coordinators are not permitted.
The Rich Events officiant and staff will enforce all Scarritt Bennett Center campus rules and regulations which include but are not limited to prohibitions of alcohol, smoking, and use of sparklers and other potentially hazardous items.
Availability & Booking
All elopements at Skinner Chapel are booked in advance, exclusively through Rich Events. Reservations are required. Reservations for Friends & Family Elopements and Getaway Elopements are available at lower fees when booked 60 days in advance or less. Reservations for these two packages are available at higher fees if booked 61 days or more in advance
The Just Married Elopement is only available for short-term bookings, no more than 60 days in advance
All three Rich Events elopement packages at Skinner Chapel are subject to the availability of both Rich Events personnel and the venue, therefore no drop-in ceremonies are permitted. All ceremonies must be requested and booked in advance through Rich Events.
Click here to review venue availability for Skinner Chapel at Scarritt Bennett Center.
Please note that Rich Events must have personnel available in order to book our three elopement packages. Clients should also check the availability or our approved photographers before booking one of our packages if photography is a consideration. This link only pertains to the availability of the chapel itself, not Rich Events personnel or photographers.
Previews
We offer bridal preivew visits and planning meetings for the Friends & Family Elopement at Skinner Chapel, but not for the smaller Getaway Elopement or Just Married Elopement. We have multiple photos of the chapel and the surrounding grounds of Scarritt Bennett Center on this website as well as more on our social media accounts and on our photographer's websites to help you make your choice. The smaller two elopements (Just Married and Getaway) are very simple and structured and do not pose a need for planning meetings.