October 1, 2026
RINGGOLD, Ga. – Dolly Parton’s weekday wedding at First Baptist Church Ringgold 60 years ago sparked two connections, both of which lasted the rest of her life.
One of Dolly’s biographers said the wedding was a matter of practicality. Carl Dean, her boyfriend of two years at the time, said she either needed to move closer to him or they would have to get married. Or maybe she just wanted to send a message to Jolene.
Either way, the couple wanted to get married, and they wanted to do it quickly.
Dolly has said her manager at the time didn’t want her to get married, so in an effort to stave off publicity, the couple drove to Ringgold, just over the Tennessee line. Georgia law made the state a popular destination for same-day weddings. Couples could show up in town at 9 and be married by 5.
Dolly and Carl showed up on a Monday – Memorial Day, May 30, 1966. But rather than just get married at the courthouse, Dolly insisted on a church wedding. Though they weren’t Baptist, the couple chose Ringgold’s First Baptist Church.
“Dolly’s marriage at Ringgold First Baptist is definitely a beloved piece of the church’s history,” said current Pastor Eric Kennedy. “Not only do pretty much all of our church members know about it, but most of Ringgold knows about it – though there is sometimes some confusion about exactly where in Ringgold Dolly was married.”
Kennedy wrote a post on the church’s Facebook page soon after Dolly’s death was announced Tuesday. In it, he shared a picture of the happy couple on their wedding day and some thoughts about what it has meant for his church. He also shared the Gospel.
Kennedy said some people mistakenly think Dolly was married at a local wedding chapel, but it was indeed Ringgold First Baptist where she and Carl promised to always love each other.
“We still have some current members who were part of the church in 1966 when then-pastor Don Duvall married Dolly and Carl, and they got to hear firsthand about that special wedding from the pastor who officiated!” Kennedy said.
Other than Dolly’s mother, Pastor Duvall and his wife were the only wedding guests.
“I’m a fan of church weddings because they so clearly connect the faith of the bride and groom to their marriage relationship,” Kennedy told Baptist Press. “In Ephesians 5, Paul taught husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and explained that the bond between husband and wife should reflect and point us to the love that Jesus has for the church. Church weddings naturally help to remind us of those wonderful and sacred spiritual realities.”
By all accounts, Dolly and Carl took their vows seriously, as their marriage lasted 59 years until Carl’s death in 2025.
“Dolly and Carl’s commitment to each other is wonderful, and I think that their faithfulness and love are part of the reason Dolly is so beloved around the world,” Kennedy said. “It’s quite an accomplishment that they never let fame and fortune or the demands of the celebrity lifestyle undermine their love and commitment to each other. Their devotion is a great example of what marriage is supposed to be.”
And though the wedding was quick, the connection between Dolly and FBC Ringgold was long. On the couple’s 10th anniversary, the superstar made a $10,000 donation to the church. One church member who commented on the church’s Facebook post said the church used the money for a new organ.
Now fast forward to last year, and here she comes again.
“Less than a year ago, someone who worked for Dolly reached out to me,” Kennedy said. “He was working on a project for Dolly to convert a barn on her property into a gathering place for family events. He asked if we had anything from the church that we could donate to help decorate the space – he wanted to surprise Dolly with something from the church where she got married.
“We had some framed stained-glass windows that were recovered after the tornadoes of 2011 damaged our church, which we were able to send, along with an old pew from our sanctuary. It was such a blessing to our church to know that not only was Dolly a beloved part of our history, but we were a beloved part of her history too.
“I got word that the renovation project was completed and that Dolly got to tour the barn in July, and that she was deeply touched to have those mementos from the church. It makes us happy to have had the chance to bless someone who spent so much of her life blessing others.”
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This story appeared in Baptist Press.
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