Candlelight Weddings

4432 Mall Of Memphis Ste 1 Memphis, TN 38118-8407 (901) 366-6800

Getting Married At The Mall

East High School Alumnus Marries Frugally

August 25, 2002-The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, ran a story on August 24, 2002, pointing out that a number of people appear to be falsifying a document indicating they have had pre-marital counseling in order to save $60 on their marriage fee in Tennessee. The article points out there is no penalty for doing that. The article's headline is "Fib starts marriage for some in Shelby."

"Ron Isbell ['68], 52, was married this week but didn't cotton to the higher fee.

"The law is so easy to circumvent, he said, that 'it's an absolute joke. Only some slow-minded person would ever have paid the higher fee. I'm not slow-minded. I got married. I didn't pay mine (the higher fee).'"

A large photograph of Isbell and his bride appears on page one of the Metro section of the newspaper. The cutline is, "The toothless premarital counseling law is "an absolute joke." says Ron Isbell, united by Pastor Roy Sessom with Carol Manning at the Mall of Memphis's Candlelight Chapel."

Source: The Commercial Appeal

article from Eashhigh.org

Where you could just walk in and be married. The following was copied from a newsgroup posting in alt.support.mult-sclerosis

Married At The Mall

From: Kathi Matthews Date: Thurs, Oct 5 2000 12:00 am Email: kamatth...@aol.com (Kathi Matthews) Groups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis

Well Wentzel and I got married yesterday! It was pretty nice, considering the whole 2 weeks planning we put into it. We got the marriage license at the City Clerk's Office (which is in, of all places, the Mall of Memphis -- felt like I was going to Las Vegas). Then we went next door to the "Candlelight Marriage Chapel" which was actually very nice and not tacky. We got married by an AME minister.

We had four guests -- 4 of my best friends. I wore lavender and pink and my big fat ortho shoe that is protecting my foot (and my Gore-Lieberman pin!). We didn't want to have a zoo. Since I couldn't stand, Wentzel sat down next to me and we held hands while we recited the vows. Gives a whole new meaning to "in sickness and in health" and "as long as we both shall live." I kept thinking i wanted more time with him. We will take each day at a time. Cancer is a terrifying thing. But yesterday was a nice day. Two friends took us out to dinner afterwards. then we came home for our "honeymoon" at my apt!

A friend said we should go to a hotel. Why? There are about 15 hotel/motels literally right across the street, catering mostly to rich white businessmen. I have all my handicapped bars all over the place here and now two bars to get out of bed with and the sliding board. Why drag all that stuff across the street and back? It was so much nicer to sleep in our own bed. Kathi