By Ray Birch
RICHMOND, Va.—A tiny credit union here believes in tiny weddings, and that’s just what it held over the weekend for two of its members during a local Christmas parade.
Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings get married in the Tiny Chapel
The $7-million Richmond Heritage FCU hosted a wedding for Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings in the CU’s “Tiny Chapel,” a mobile church in which people can get married. The event occurred during the city’s annual Christmas parade on Saturday.
“We partner with the Tiny Chapel each year and we transform it into the Tiny Credit Union,” explained President and CEO Randy Cooper.
A Proposal About a Proposal
For many years Richmond Heritage has participated in the Dominion Christmas Parade with the Tiny Credit Union, but this was the first time a marriage was conducted during the event. Cooper said he was surprised when McWilliams had a proposal about a proposal.
“Donald always helps decorating the Tiny Chapel for the parade, and this year he came to me and asked if he and Roberta could get married in it during the event,” said Cooper. “I first said to myself, that sounds a little crazy, but why not? They are good members.”
The wedding went off without any issues Saturday, with about 20 people attending inside the chapel.
Can’t Say ‘I Do’ to Everything
Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings outside the Tiny Chapel
Cooper explained McWilliams had wanted to get married during the middle of the parade, but said logistically that was not possible.
“The parade does not have any stops and areas where people can perform, like you see during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. So, we had to do this a little differently.”
Instead, the ceremony was held right as the parade began.
“We got everyone together in the staging area for the parade, got the ceremony started, and they said their vows as the chapel pulled out into the parade,” explained Cooper.
Cooper said Richmond Heritage is used to doing “out-of-the-box things.”
“We are known as the tiny credit union in this town, but a lot of people, too, don’t know we are around,” said Cooper.
Weddings All Year Long
He said the credit union works during the year with the Tiny Chapel to hold weddings in the credit union’s parking lot, or at other locations by request.
“We promote ‘Tiny Heritage Weddings,’” said Cooper.
The weddings are not only designed to draw attention to Richmond Heritage, but also to get members started on the right financial footing in life.
“So many people spend a lot of money on a wedding,” said Cooper. “We say, ‘No, don’t do that, have a tiny wedding in our Tiny Chapel instead.’ Then, they can take the money they saved and put it in the credit union for future needs. The real value of a credit union is helping people be better off financially, and I can’t think of a better way for a couple to start their married lives together.”
Cooper said Richmond Heritage has a marketing campaign it runs each year for the weddings, using the tagline, “We say I do to financing your dreams.”
Back to Its Roots
The Tiny Chapel also takes the credit union back to its roots, said Cooper.
“It looks like a one-room schoolhouse,” said Cooper. “And our credit union was founded by African-American teachers in 1936, and we’ve been around for 84 years.”
