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A Sacred Site For Saying Vows _________________________________________________________________________________ 
. . . Make your dreams come true in an intimate sanctuary surrounded by beauty, tradition and history . . . . . . with convenience, support, and privacy. Planning Your Ceremony. Couples are free to plan their ceremony as they would like it to be. You are invited to bring your own clergy to officiate and musicians to play, or we have referrals for both. The Chapel has a large-voiced, two-manual pipe organ and a grand piano, plus a tape/CD player to play those special memories. You may want a string quartet, a harpist, or a gospel choir. There is room for most any kind of music you may want. Clergy. Couples are encouraged to ask their own clergy to officiate. If you do not have one, clergy from most religious faiths and non-denominational ministers are available to consult with you and to perform ceremonies. Their services include one or more private meetings. Clergy and professional musicians are paid by the couple directly. If you would like referrals, please let us know. Order of Service. Traditional and specially designed services are available from clergy referred by the Chapel. They are flexible about developing the ceremony to match the wishes of the couple. Rehearsals. A rehearsal is highly recommended for weddings over fifty guests. Be sure everyone has a map and directions! YOUR SUPPORT TEAM Chapel Hosts - A Chapel Host is on hand, whenever the Chapel is open, to show you the facilities, provide literature, and answer your questions. At your wedding, your Chapel Host will welcome you and your friends and family at the scheduled time, help you find what you need, and make sure Chapel guidelines are followed. They will light the candles and ring the wedding bell for you, too, if you wish. Wedding Coordinator - Couples can hire a coordinator or ask an organized friend or relative to “coordinate” your day for you, to make sure everything goes smoothly, taking the burden off you, the special couple, on your day. They need to be the first to arrive and the last to leave, and should be familiar with Chapel guidelines. You might want to give them a copy of this package! Or you might want to arrange ahead of time to have one of our Chapel Hosts help coordinate your time at the Chapel. Ushers - It is wise to have those who can welcome your guests, direct them to the guest book (if one is used), usher them to their seats, or carry chairs to the garden and generally act as hosts. PLANNING THE DAY Scheduling - At least two-and-a half-hours are recommended for ceremonies with more than 75 guests. Shorter periods are offered for smaller weddings. Setup and cleanup is done within the time reserved. Enough time before the ceremony is recommended for preparation, decoration, and seating guests. Plan enough time afterward for all the excitement, congratulations, photographs and cleanup. If you plan an extended ceremony or a large crowd and lots of photographs, you will want to book plenty of time. Please plan carefully so that those who use the Chapel before and after you can be treated with courtesy and respect. Decorations - Flowers on the altar are encouraged and pews may be decorated using plastic pew clips from the floral supply store. The Chapel keeps two brass candlesticks on the altar (we supply the candles) and two large wrought iron candlebras on each side (we supply the oil lamps). A white cloth is available, but you may wish to bring your own special cloth. If you plan to have more flowers, two mahogany pedestals are available for your use. Restrictions - No tacks or tape can be used in decorating. For ecological reasons, butterfly releases or balloons are not allowed in national parks. Throwing rice, birdseed, petals, or anything else is also not allowed. To use an aisle runner, proof of insurance is needed. Decorations to the front canopy poles need to be left in place. There are no restrictions on photography, videography, blowing bubbles, waving streamers, or jumping for joy! Preparing the Chapel - Setting up in the time before the ceremony is always exciting, and it helps if everyone knows what they are doing! As the Chapel is decorated and flowers are placed, ushers can put chairs in the garden for early arrivals and for you to sit in for photographs afterward. Photographers can snap pictures of all the activity. As people arrive, your ushers can act as hosts, welcoming guests, showing them into the garden or ushering them to their seats. Remember to ring the bell when it's time to begin! Preparing the Couple - The one who walks down the aisle and possibly a few attendants prepare in the Bride's Room where there is privacy, comfortable seating, and mirrors. It is next to the bathroom. The Groom and his attendants have access to the Vestry on the other side of the sanctuary and the downstairs. There is an outside stairway for ocnvenience. Clergy may robe in the Vestry. When it is time to begin, the Bride walks through the Mural Room unobserved to the back of the Sanctuary to appear for the procession. The Bell - Another special feature of the Chapel is its 104-year-old Philadelphia-cast fine bronze bell. You can ring the bell to announce the beginning of the ceremony and also to celebrate the conclusion of the wedding. Preparing for Marriage - The national PREPARE Program is a network of professional premarital counselors trained to administer the 125-question Premarital Personal and Relationship Evaluation, developed at the University of Minnesota. It is based on a couple's level of agreement about issues such as communication, children, and conflict resolution. Used by half a million couples, it has been 80-85 percent accurate at predicting a marriage's future success. The program includes three sessions with a counselor. The Interfaith Center can connect you with PREPARE counselors from different faith traditions who provide the service and set and receive the fee. Call the Interfaith Center at (415) 775-4635 for details. The Chapel is Open for viewing and planning Mondays through Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm and Sundays from 10 am to 1 pm. Whenever the Chapel is open, a Chapel Host is on duty and available to show you around and answer questions. Whenever you come, be sure to see the photograph albums of previous weddings held at the Chapel. And there is a wedding magazine and guide available for you to take home. Thank you for your interest in the Chapel! It is a very special place, and we hope you will embark on that journey soon to come visit us!  Home History Features Ceremonies Wedding Resources Map & Directions Contact Us Gallery |