Weddings

A: We are proud to host weddings for Boston University students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as members of our larger community. Just about anyone can get married at Marsh. Couples of any faith tradition, sexual orientation, or cultural background are welcome to request to hold their ceremony in Marsh Chapel. All weddings in the Chapel must be religious or spiritual in nature; therefore, civil ceremonies involving a Justice of the Peace are not permitted.

**Special reduced pricing is available for BU Alumni, students, and staff. See the Fees section outlined below.**

Q: Is my preferred date available?

A: For information regarding specific availability, please submit a wedding inquiry or contact the chapel office by calling 617-353-3560.

Q: Can I hold my Reception at Marsh Chapel?

A: No. We do not have a space appropriate for Wedding Receptions. For reception venue options on BU’s campus, contact Events & Conferences.

Q: How far in advance should I book Marsh Chapel for my wedding?

A: We generally recommend booking no later than 6 months in advance. However, we can sometimes accommodate weddings with a shorter timeline. Call our office at 617-353-3560 and we will be happy to discuss your situation.

Q: Does the chapel provide parking?

A: Parking is available for most Friday evening and Saturday weddings but cannot be guaranteed. If approved by the Boston University Transportation Services office, a QR code for Lot J, located at 240 Bay State Road, will be provided, free of charge for use by you and your guests.

Q: What are some details it might be helpful for me to know? OR What am I not asking?

A: I’m so glad you asked! Here are some specifications and details about our building that many couples find helpful in their planning:

1. The Main Chapel seats 375 people.
2. The Robinson Chapel (located in the garden level of Marsh Chapel) seats 45 people.
3. There are 17 rows of pews on each side of the Main Chapel Sanctuary.
4. The aisle length is 85 feet.
5. The width of the aisle is about 5 feet.
6. There is a handicapped lift located under a portico outside Marsh Chapel. However, there is no convenient restroom on the main floor, and no handicapped access to the lower level of the Chapel.
7. The Chapel can provide a unity candle holder. The wedding couple must provide the one unity pillar candle and two taper candles themselves.
8. The Chapel can provide a kneeler.
9. There is a room downstairs in which the wedding party may wait prior to the Ceremony, however it may not be used as a “getting ready” space unless otherwise discussed with the wedding coordinator.

Most other questions you may have should be answered in one or more of the following sections.

To begin a conversation about holding your wedding ceremony at Marsh Chapel, please submit a Wedding Inquiry by clicking on the button below. Once you submit your inquiry, our wedding coordinator will reach out to you within 3-5 business days.

Submit a Wedding Inquiry

Wedding Availability Basics:

Wedding ceremonies may be scheduled to start at the following times:

Weekdays: Between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays: Not Available.

Wedding Ceremonies are booked as 3 hour time blocks. These blocks are divided into 3 parts. One hour to set-up and for guest arrival. One hour for the ceremony and inside pictures. One hour for clean-up and removal of decor. Additional time may be requested for an additional fee, if available.

Wedding rehearsals may be scheduled to start at the following times:

Weekdays: Between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Sundays: Between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

A one hour time block will be reserved for each wedding rehearsal. All dates and times are subject to approval. Everyone in the wedding party must be in attendance at the wedding rehearsal. A wedding rehearsal is required unless other arrangements have been made with the wedding coordinator and your officiant.

All scheduling requests are subject to the approval of the Marsh Chapel Dean and may be changed in the event of a national disaster or major University event. University and religious events have priority over the scheduling of weddings and rehearsals. For instance, wedding reservations are not made during Orientation/Move-in weekend in September, Commencement weekend in May, Holy Week, University Holidays, and University Winter Intersession.

If your wedding or wedding rehearsal is delayed more than 30 minutes, the Chapel leadership reserves the right to move your wedding or wedding rehearsal to Robinson Chapel, which is located on the lower level and seats 45.

Reservation Deposit:

In order to confirm your date and time, a deposit equal to 50% of your Marsh Chapel Space Use Fee is due alongside your signed Wedding Ceremony Agreement.  Once your deposit and agreement are received, you will receive a confirmation email, finalizing your date.

Our fee structure is broken up into several individual fees, some of which are mandatory, while others are optional and dependent upon the needs and requests of each couple. The Space Use Fee, Wedding Coordinator Fee, and Music Consultation Fee are all mandatory fees. The Clergy Honorarium, Chapel Organist Fee, and any additional Musician Fees are only paid on an individual basis, if you choose to use those services. Fees not required to hold your wedding at Marsh Chapel are marked below with an asterisk (*). In total, most couples who hold their ceremony at Marsh Chapel spend between $1,500 and $2,500 with us. You can see an overview of each of these fees below.

All fees must be paid by check, money order, or cash two weeks before your wedding rehearsal. Marsh Chapel cannot accept credit cards or online payments at this time.

Space Use Fee
The Space Use Fee covers your reservation of one indoor sanctuary space (Marsh or Robinson) for your wedding rehearsal and wedding, as well as use of the Marsh Chapel Plaza and Alpert Mall (BU Beach) for photos during your three hour wedding day time block. This fee also includes reservation of the Thurman Room for the bridal party to gather before the wedding and a complimentary Wedding Coordinator (details below).

The Space Use Fee amount is determined by the couple’s affiliation to Boston University.

A deposit of at least 50% of the Space Use Fee is required to reserve your chosen wedding date and time. If you have not paid your deposit, your wedding date is not reserved and may be reserved by another interested couple. Checks for the Space Use Fee should be made payable to ‘Marsh Chapel’.

In order to receive the discounted Student, Staff, or Alumni rate, one member of the couple must provide their BU ID number for verification.

Wedding Coordinator 
Your Space Use fee also includes the services of a chapel wedding coordinator. This is a complimentary service offered by a member of the chapel’s professional staff who will walk with you through the entire process of planning your ceremony at Marsh Chapel.

The Wedding Coordinator handles all of the administrative aspects of your wedding. They process and confirm all wedding/rehearsal correspondences, take care of scheduling conflicts, and handle any details specific to your wedding. Your assigned coordinator will be on hand at both your wedding rehearsal and wedding ceremony. They will be available to answer any questions you may have and help with any last minute details. They are also responsible for aiding in the processional, setting up the chapel (aside from any details handled by your florist), and clean-up.

The Wedding Coordinators at Marsh Chapel are Chloe Kantharia and Heidi Freimanis-Cordts. Wedding Coordinators are assigned as soon as possible after a wedding is booked, however, if a change is needed, you will be notified with the name and contact information of your new coordinator as soon as possible.

The best way to contact Chloe Kantharia, our primary Wedding Coordinator, is by email at marshchapelweddings@gmail.com.

Music Consultation Fee
The fee for this required service is $75.00.

Payment of this fee is due at the same time as the Space Use Fee Deposit. No wedding applications will be processed without receipt of this fee. Checks for the Music Consultation Fee should be made out to the Principal Music Consultant, ‘Justin Thomas Blackwell.’ For more information about the Music Consultation and our Wedding Music Policies, please see the “Music” drop down below.

It is your responsibility set up all meetings with the Music Consultant.

Chapel Organist Fee* 
The Chapel Organist’s fee is $275.00. Checks for this fee should be made out directly to the Organist assigned to your wedding. You will receive their name at least 2 weeks prior to your wedding rehearsal, at which time you can mail their check or cash payment to Marsh Chapel along with your check or cash payment for any other remaining fees. The Wedding Coordinator will ensure that the organist fee is given to the appropriate musician.

There will be a $50.00 cash fee for every fifteen-minute delay after the scheduled wedding ceremony start time.

For more information about the services and musical options provided by our Organist, please see the “Music” drop down below. It is your responsibility to set up any desired meetings with the Chapel Organist.

Clergy Honorarium/Officiant Fee*
The Clergy Honorarium/Officiant Fee is set by the officiating clergy member and can vary based on the timing of your request and your specific needs. The average officiant fee for our clergy is $500. This fee is paid directly to the Dean or the Chaplain officiating your ceremony and payable by check, money order, or cash two weeks before your wedding rehearsal. Marsh Chapel cannot accept credit cards.

For more information about the responsibilities and requests of the Clergy, please see the “Officiants & Clergy” section below.

Cancellation Fee
In the event that you choose to cancel your wedding reservation for any reason, a cancellation fee of $150.00 will be deducted from your Space Use fee refund. The Music Consultation Deposit is non-refundable.

If you choose to cancel or postpone your wedding less than 2 weeks before your scheduled reservation, you will forfeit your full deposit as well as all personnel fees such as those paid to the organist, officiant, or wedding coordinator.

A full overview of Marsh Chapel’s policies, processes, and options for Wedding Music is available to download or via email upon request.

Music Consultation

The Music Consultation is a meeting with our Associate Director of Music and principal Organist, Justin Thomas Blackwell, at which the wedding music and wedding musicians are finalized. This meeting usually lasts about 60 minutes and is held at Marsh Chapel. On occasion, the Principal Musical Consultant may choose to hold this meeting by phone, especially if the wedding couple resides outside of the Boston area. During the Music Consultation, all service music is considered and selected as necessary. The typical musical components of a wedding ceremony are prelude, seating of the mothers, processional(s), recessional, postlude, hymns/service music (optional), and music with additional performers. Music for prelude and postlude is generally left to the discretion of the organist, but wedding couples are welcome to make suggestions. Hymns, if used, should be chosen from one of the Chapel’s two hymnals, The United Methodist Hymnal or Gather (Roman Catholic). The Principal Musical Consultant will supply the wedding couple with the correct form of music titles and composers’ names for use in printed programs.

Music Selection

Marsh Chapel has a national reputation for excellence in music and wishes to have this standard maintained in all Chapel events that involve music, including weddings. The music selected for these ceremonies should be classical and/or sacred, and vocal selections must always be sacred. Commercial and popular music, contemporary Christian music, opera arias, and some folk music will rarely be approved except in very special cases.

Vocalists/Instrumentalists

Vocalists/Cantors are contracted by our Associate Director of Music and the fee for their service is $250/singer. Please note: Roman Catholic Masses are required to have a vocalist/cantor.

In selecting instrumentalists or ensembles, preference is given to musicians who are both known to the Marsh Chapel music staff and familiar with the chapel’s policies, instruments, and acoustics. The Associate Director of Music is available to assist in the locating of such musicians. Additional instrumentalists and ensembles are free to set their own fees and policies regarding payment; however, we suggest that individual instrumentalists be paid $250/person. Because a harpist must arrange for the transportation of their instrument to and from the chapel, their suggested fee is $350. Ensembles such as string quartets and brass choirs typically charge a single, flat fee, rather than a fee payable per person.

In an effort to uphold the high musical standards of Marsh Chapel, acquaintances of the wedding couple who are not professionally trained musicians are discouraged from performing in weddings. Wedding couples are advised not to contract acquaintances or family members without first communicating with the Associate Director of Music.

Music Rehearsal

The Organist is available for one 60-minute rehearsal with up to two musicians, usually held in the hour prior to the start of the ceremony. If additional rehearsal is required, the Organist is entitled to an additional fee of $50-$100, to be paid by the wedding couple. The Principal Music Consultant will immediately inform the wedding couple if and when it becomes apparent to him that this fee may have to be applied. Musicians do not attend the wedding rehearsal, except at the discretion of the Principal Music Consultant.

Sheet Music

Marsh Chapel has at its disposal a wide selection of sheet music commonly used for weddings. In cases where the Organist is not already in possession of a specific selection, the sheet music should be provided to him/her no later than two weeks prior to the ceremony. Sheet music must be submitted in the key in which the selection is to be performed.

Photography/Videography

Musicians may only be photographed with their expressed permission. It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to inform photographers of this policy. If the wedding ceremony is to be videoed, wedding couples are requested to inform the Principal Music Consultant of that fact at the Music Consultation.

Attire

Musicians will customarily dress in semi-formal attire (suits and ties for men, comparable attire for women). Requests for musicians to dress in other forms of attire (concert black; formal) must be made at the Music Consultation.

Wedding Program

The name of the Organist should appear in the program as “Justin Thomas Blackwell” (unless otherwise specified).

Reception Music

The Associate Director of Music does not make arrangements for music or musicians at receptions.

Marsh Chapel Officiants

Wedding ceremonies at Marsh Chapel are most often performed by our Dean or another member of our chaplaincy staff. If you desire the services of one of our chaplains to officiate your wedding, please inform our wedding coordinator and they will discuss your preferred date with our chaplains to find out their availability. You may also reach out to our Dean, the Rev. Dr. Robert Allan Hill, directly to request that he officiate your ceremony. Weddings performed by our internal clergy are Protestant or Non-Denominational in nature.

The Dean of Marsh Chapel, as well as the other University Chaplains, require appointments for pre-marital conversation once they commit themselves to conducting the ceremony. These meetings will begin once the commitment has been made. Depending on your officiant, there may be 1 to 4 meetings required for adequate preparation for the ceremony.

Occasionally, when the Dean is scheduled to officiate at a wedding, he can be unexpectedly called away due to a pastoral emergency, family responsibility, University obligation, personal issue or other matter. In such cases, Marsh Chapel will provide another clergy person in his absence.

Roman Catholic Sacrament of Marriage

A reservation confirmation by the Marsh Chapel wedding coordinator does not guarantee participation by Roman Catholic clergy. Arrangements of pre-marital preparation and commitment by Roman Catholic clergy to officiate must be made separately by the couple and before the chapel is reserved. Father Kevin Staley-Joyce is the current Roman Catholic University Chaplain for Boston University, and he regularly performs the sacrament of marriage at Marsh Chapel for Roman Catholic members of the Boston University community.

Our Roman Catholic Chaplain is limited to performing the sacrament of marriage for current members of the Boston University community and alumni who are less than 5 years removed from their graduation.* Exceptions to the Archdiocesan Policies surrounding the boundaries of the University Catholic Chaplaincy are occasionally made on a case-by-case basis. Any request for such an exception should be made no less than 6 months prior to your preferred wedding date. Permission for each marriage must be obtained from the pastor of St. Cecilia Catholic Parish and by the priest who will witness the marriage. All necessary paperwork, the securing dispensations, and arrangements for marriage preparation programs are to be taken care of by the clergy who will be witnessing the marriage. The officiating clergy must obtain delegation from the pastor of St. Cecilia Parish and make arrangements to record the marriage and file the marriage papers there. Visiting clergy will need to bring their own vestments, communion vessels, bread, wine, and books. Please advise them of this necessity. Other questions regarding Roman Catholic weddings, preparations, and required approvals should be directed to Fr. Kevin Staley-Joyce (kstaleyj@bu.edu) or Boston University’s Newman Center at 617-353-3632.

*The policy of the Archdiocese allows for marriages to be celebrated at a college chapel where there is a Campus Ministry and provided that one of the persons is a student or recent graduate of that college [within a maximum of 5 years of graduating]” (3/3/89 #6621 Pastoral Guidelines/Policies, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston).

Outside Clergy and Visiting Officiants

Marsh Chapel allows external members of the clergy to perform weddings in the chapel, pending their approval by our Dean and Director of Religious Life. All weddings in the Chapel must be religious or spiritual in nature; therefore, civil ceremonies involving a Justice of the Peace are not permitted. The officiant must be properly ordained (we do not accept most online ordination credentials), authorized to perform weddings, and active in leadership within an established religious community. If you wish to use an outside officiant, please submit an Outside Clergy Request Form to your wedding coordinator a minimum of 6 weeks before your scheduled wedding date.

Punctuality

Due to the large number of weddings and other events scheduled at the Chapel, punctuality is imperative. It is the couple’s responsibility to take into account Boston city traffic (i.e. parking, rush hour, construction, Boston Red Sox games) when planning transportation for the day of your wedding and wedding rehearsal.

If your wedding or wedding rehearsal is delayed more than 30 minutes, the Chapel reserves the right to move your wedding to Robinson Chapel, which is located on the lower level and seats 45. Everyone in the wedding party must be in attendance at the scheduled wedding rehearsal start time.

There will be a $50.00 cash fee paid to the organist for every fifteen-minute delay after the scheduled wedding ceremony start time.

Decorations, Florals, and Respecting the Building

Marsh Chapel has beautiful wood carvings and pews, slate floors, and large stained glass windows. For this reason, many couples choose not to add decorative elements to the Chapel, but if you choose to do so, please abide by the guidelines and restrictions listed below. A fine of $500.00 for custodial services will be levied if these regulations are ignored. Please inform your guests of these rules.

1. The location of the pews, grand piano, altar, and entryway furniture may not be changed unless approved by the wedding coordinator.
2. Flower arrangements may not be placed on the altar table or piano. If pedestals are needed for flower arrangements, the wedding couple or a florist may provide them and remove them promptly after the ceremony ends.
3. Adhesive tape and tacks may not be used to hang pew markers or ribbons on any surface, including but not limited to wood carvings, pews, stained glass, doors, etc.
4. Aisle Runners are strongly discouraged due to the texture of our flooring, please communicate with your wedding coordinator before including an aisle runner in your ceremony plans.
5. Rice, bird seed, and confetti may not be thrown in the Chapel or outside of the Chapel.
6. Bubbles may not be blown inside the Chapel, but may be used in front of the Chapel.
7. Rose petals may not be thrown in front of the Chapel, but, at the discretion of the Wedding Director, a small hand full may be sprinkled along the aisle during the processional. We recommend using faux flower petals for sprinkling for ease of clean up.
8. Doves or butterflies may not be released inside or outside of the Chapel.

A Wedding Coordinator will be present during the rehearsal and the ceremony to assist you and to answer your questions. Should you have questions before the rehearsal, feel free to email the wedding coordinator.