c. 1998 Religion News Service

NASHVILLE _ You might say Perry “Red” Michel is married to his work.

The retired Baptist minister not only serves as the Opryland Hotel chaplain, but he is also chaplain at Bridal Path Wedding Chapel here. Last year he married 528 couples, including 51 on Valentine’s Day.

“I did a wedding out here one day and the next day the (Opryland) wedding consultant asked me if I would do one if they called me and I said yes,” said the jovial, red-haired minister. “Then it was just word-of-mouth and soon I was doing it all the time.”

Michel has served as the Opryland chaplain for more than 12 years, beginning his hotel ministry while still pastor at the 2,000-member Belmont Heights Baptist Church in Nashville.

“I have really seen the hotel grow and it has been amazing to watch it develop,” he said. “It’s just an unbelievable place.” Opryland Hotel bills itself as the largest convention hotel in the world.

Michel said the toughest part of his job is trying to avoid making a wedding an assembly-line ceremony.

“It’s a real struggle to keep it personal,” he said. “I’ve never forgotten a name, but I have had to think about it for a few seconds.”

Michel said last Valentine’s Day marathon of 51 weddings were performed at the Bridal Path Wedding Chapel, not far from the hotel. Free wedding services were offered to people from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. that day.

“I couldn’t find a parking place when I arrived that morning,” he recalled. “We did weddings about every five minutes.”

This year, Michel said specials are being offered at the Bridal Path Chapel on Feb. 13, which is a Friday. He already has 10 or 12 weddings booked for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

Some couples he has married recall Michel with fondness.

Last summer, Michel performed the wedding ceremony of Bill and Venice Lee, who now live in Arizona. They met in Raleigh, N.C., but decided to get married at the Opryland Hotel.

“When Bill first saw it, he fell in love with the Opryland Hotel,” said Venice. “He thought it was very romantic and perfect for our fairy-tale type of wedding.”

The Opryland wedding coordinator gave them Michel’s name. “We called and talked with him and had a real good feeling about him,” said Venice. “We met with him the night before we got married. I was in an accident that day and wasn’t sure I was going to be able to walk down the aisle, but he was very reassuring. He was very professional in the ceremony, but also had a real human touch. He was the icing on the cake.”

Michel has seen all types of wedding parties and attire.

“We’ve had weddings ranging from really large ones with 10 or 12 attendants to just the couple,” said Michel. “I’ve had people getting married in everything from shorts and T-shirts to formal gowns. We do a lot of cowboy weddings since Nashville is known for its country music.”

He also recalls a wedding in which the bridesmaid fainted, and another when the groom passed out a couple of times _ having to finish the ceremony sitting in a chair.

Michel said he has mixed emotions about performing weddings outside a church but views it as an opportunity “to reach someone who is unchurched. I wish everyone was in church and loved the Lord and went to him for all their needs.

“But that’s not going to happen, so I look at it as having an opportunity to share my Christian witness. I view it as a mission field,”he said.

Michel said he likes to counsel couples before he performs the ceremony but acknowledged it is not always possible.

“Sometimes it happens pretty quick, so we don’t have much time to talk with them,” he said. “Usually by the time they get to us, counseling isn’t going to be very effective. I do give them a copy of my marriage covenant and tell them if they commit themselves to doing the five things on it, they can live happily together for 100 years.”

The covenant includes commitments to grow together, communicate, resolve anger, build a joint emotional bank account, and attend the church of their choice.

Michel said he performs many second and third marriages, although many ministers will not do so.

“We have made a whipping post out of divorce,” he said. “Why should we not have another opportunity at happiness? God’s got a loving spirit and he didn’t intend for adultery to be the only grounds for divorce.”

Eds: For more information on weddings at the Opryland Hotel or the Bridal Path Wedding Chapel, call 615-646-0404.)

DEA END WHITE