Weddings at Graham Chapel

Couples and vendors are welcome to visit and tour Graham Memorial Chapel.  All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and are subject to the chapel and assigned wedding contact’s availability. The chapel is not unlocked to allow for impromptu visits.  

Please call 314-935-3520 to schedule an appointment.

We offer four (4) ceremony time slots in Graham Chapel each weekend. The available time slots for ceremonies are: 

• Saturday, 11AM – 3PM
• Saturday, 4PM – 8PM
• Sunday, 11AM – 3PM
• Sunday, 4PM – 8PM

*Please note that we do not offer a Friday evening ceremonies. 
**All time slots are subject to availability.

Your four hour reserved ceremony time slot is inclusive of all: set-up, ceremony and teardown. Due to the need for setup/teardown by your florist, musicians, photos, receiving lines, etc. we recommend the following ceremony start times: 

• Between 12PM – 1:30PM if your reserved timeslot is 11AM-3PM
• Between 5PM-6:30PM if your reserved timeslot is 4PM-8PM

Unfortunately, we are unable to allow for early or late setup/teardown.

Graham Chapel is not available on the following dates each year:

• New Year’s Eve
• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day (4th of July)
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving week (Sunday immediately prior to Thanksgiving through Sunday immediately after Thanksgiving)
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• The weekend of commencement – https://commencement.wustl.edu/ 

Each wedding session includes a one (1) hour rehearsal prior to the wedding.  We offer the following dates / times for rehearsals: 

• Thursday: 4PM – 5PM
• Thursday, 5PM – 6PM
• Thursday, 6PM – 7PM
• Friday, 4PM – 5PM 
• Friday, 5PM – 6PM
• Friday, 6PM – 7PM

**All time slots are subject to availability.

During your one (1) hour rehearsal, you and your wedding party will have access to Graham Chapel for a complete run through of your ceremony as you see fit.

Please note, items such as: microphones, podiums, tables, chairs, candleabras, etc are not setup for rehearsals. No decorations or wedding day supplies may be left at Graham Memorial Chapel following the rehearsal.

Due to the one (1) hour time frame for your rehearsal, we encourage you and your wedding party to arrive outside Graham Chapel a few minutes before your scheduled rehearsal timeslot. 

We will have an event coordinator present for the rehearsal, however, our event coordinators do not coordinate your ceremony. We recommend that your officiant or wedding planner guide your rehearsal to ensure you are comfortable with your ceremony at the end of your hour. 

Washington University is proud to offer couples who may be affliated with the university an added benefit. Those couples who are affliated with the university may complete and submit the wedding ceremony application on the first calendar day of the month, 14 months prior to their wedding date, versus the standard 12 months prior. 

Who is considered affliated?

In order to be considered affiliated with the university, the bride or groom (or both) must meet & confirm at least one of the criteria below:

• Current Washington University student.
• Current Washington University employee.
• Alumni / graduate of Washington University.
• Bride or groom has a parent who is a: current student, current employee or is an alumni / graduate of Washington University.

Applications will be dated and time stamped in the order received and processed 14 months prior to the requested wedding date for affliated couples. 

Our online application must be submitted digitally in accordance with the above guidelines.

Couples who are not affliated with the university may complete and submit the wedding ceremony application on the first calendar day of the month, 12 months prior to their wedding date.

Applications will be dated and time stamped in the order received and processed 12 months prior to the requested wedding date for affliated couples. 

Our online application must be submitted digitally in accordance with the above guidelines.

• Weddings are processed in the order received in accordance with the Scheduling Guidelines.
• Submitting an application does not guarantee confirmation; all days and times are subject to availability. Please do not make ceremony arrangements until you have completed all required steps below. 
• A wedding ceremony is only considered confirmed when: The couple has completed the required agreement; and has paid the rental fee in full (100%). Once both has been completed, the ceremony is considered confirmed and you may begin making your ceremony arrangements. 
• If both components are not returned within the  timeframe outlined on the ceremony agreement, the ceremony time will be made available to other bookings.

The Graham Memorial Chapel rental fee for wedding ceremonies is $2,000. 

Once your wedding application has been processed you will have two (2) weeks to send your rental payment to your wedding coordinator.

As outlined above the fee includes the following:

• One (1) hour wedding rehearsal.
• Four (4) hour ceremony timeslot on Saturday or Sunday for setup, ceremony and teardown.
• Use of Graham Chapel assets on your ceremony day. Assets include (at no additional fee): 

(4) microphones (combination of wired or wireless)

(2) wood podiums

(2) 36″ tall pedestal tables (approximately 1′ x 1′ square)

(2) 24″ tall pedestal tables (approximately 1′ x 1′ square)

(2) Candelabras – holding 5 candles each (client must provide LED/battery          operated taper candles)

(1) Double kneeler 

(2) Over-pew-tables (approximately 3′ x 3′ square)

(15) Cushioned wood chairs

(15) Music Stands

(1) Grand Piano (stays on the stage even if not used)

(1) Organ (must be played by a university approved organist)

Rental payments must be returned with a signed rental agreement. Payments can be made online by credit card or by check/money order. If you wish to pay online, your wedding coordinator will provide you with a secure link to make your payment. 

Signed agreements and/or checks or money orders can me made payable and sent to:

Washington University – Campus Life
Campus Box 1068
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130

The couple’s last names and ceremony date should be written on the memo line of the check or money order. Your rental payment should be submitted with a signed copy of the Ceremony Agreement.  

Graham Chapel is a non-demoninational chapel. Couples will choose their own officiant for their ceremony. Those couples who are seeking a Catholic ceremony, please see the next section below. 

Catholic ceremonies, not inclusive of mass, are possible at Graham Memorial Chapel for those affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis, or for those associated with the Catholic Student Center at Washington University. 

Couples who wish to hold a Catholic ceremony should submit their wedding application online and contact Carol Jones at the Washington University Catholic Student Center. She can be contacted by phone at 314-935-9191 or by e-mail at jones@washucsc.org

All decorations must be approved, prior to the event, by your wedding coordinator. Please note the following guidelines on decorations: 

• Nothing may be affixed to any wood surface, including pews, doors, podium or floors by using; putty, wire, tacks, staples, tape or any material that will harm the wood finish.
• Pews may not be moved for any reason(Please make sure your photographer is specifically aware of this policy).
• We do not allow for candles in Graham Chapel, except for a unity candle which client must provide.
• Aisle runners are allowed, but must be secured to the floor with low-residue tape.  Please avoid the use of disposable aisle runners as they cause a particularly dangerous tripping hazard.
• Only silk petals or paper petals may be dropped on the floor. No live petals or tissue petals may be utilized as they cause damage to the marble flooring. 
• We do not allow the use of: rice, bird seed, live or tissue flower petals, glitter, confetti, helium filled balloons. 
• You may provide way-finding signage to help guests navigate to Graham Chapel. All way-finding signage must be free-standing. We do not allow for signage posted on trees, lamp posts, walls, inside or on buildings, street signs or other structures. The best way-finding signage are A-frame signage or simple yard signs. Signage can only be placed out during your four (4) hour ceremony timeframe and must be collected by the couple. 

Particular activities are not allowed on university property without express written permission from the Event Management office:

• The lighting or use of sparklers or other fireworks
• Releasing of doves or pigeons
• Releasing of balloons or lanterns 

INTERACTIVE CAMPUS MAP

Free parking is available in any yellow permit spot, Monday – Friday after 5PM and any time on Saturdays and Sundays.

We recommend couples and their guests utilize one of the following parking locations below. Please ensure to review parking guidelines.

• Danforth University Center (DUC) Garage located under the Danforth University Center at 6475 Forsyth Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63015; OR
• The Simon Hall surface parking lot – located just south of Simon Hall. 

Monday – Friday Before 5PM:

• Couples and their guests must use the paid Danforth University Center Parking Garage. There is an hourly rate charged for parking before 5PM.
• Simon Hall Parking Lot is not available before 5PM, Monday-Friday. This lot is available only to permit holders until 5PM, Monday-Friday. 

Monday – Friday After 5PM:

• Couples and their guests may use the Danforth University Center Parking Garage for free after 5PM, Monday-Friday. 
• Couples and their guests may use the Simon Hall Parking Lot for free after 5PM, in any yellow permit spot.

Saturday & Sunday – All Day:

• Couples and their guests may use the Danforth University Center Parking Garage for free all day.
• Couples and their guests may use the Simon Hall Parking Lot for free all day in any yellow permit spot. 

*Parking is not guaranteed for any wedding. While your wedding coordinator will make every effort to notify you of large events on campus that may impede your guests’ ability to find nearby parking, this is not always possible.

GPS & Directions
It is recommended specific parking directions are provided to guests. Please note that Graham Chapel does not have an address because it sits on the inner Washington University Campus. 

For GPS mapping, use the address for the Danforth University Center: 6475 Forsyth Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63105.

We highly recommend you provide the address to your guests instead of the Graham Chapel name. Many GPS services will direct guests to the far east end of campus if you just enter Graham Chapel name. 

From Skinker Blvd: Turn west onto Forsyth Blvd and go down to Wallace Drive (stop light). Turn right onto Wallace Drive. The Parking Garage is directly ahead or the Simon Hall Parking lot is located directly to your left. 

From Big Bend Blvd: Turn east onto Forsyth Blvd and go down to Wallace Drive (stop light). Turn left onto Wallace Drive. The Parking Garage is directly ahead or the Simon Hall Parking lot is located directly to your left. 

We must receive all ceremony and rehearsal date change requests in writing. Change requests are not guaranteed and should not be considered confirmed until a new agreement has been issued, signed and returned to you.

We work directly with you or your wedding planner to execute the perfect day. During the weeks leading up to your ceremony, your wedding coordinator will work directly with you to determine the layout and needs for your ceremony. We will put together a visual diagram / spec sheet that will be provided to you with the complete layout of the ceremony. We are happy to make changes in advance of your ceremony day. 

We must receive all ceremony cancellations in writing. Cancellations made greater than six months in advance will be refunded fifty percent (50%) of the total rental fee. Cancellations made with less than six months advance will not receive a refund of the rental fee (0%). 

We welcome musicians to Graham Chapel for your ceremony. Graham Chapel has great acoustics and perks for your favorite musicians.

Included with the rental of Graham Chapel you have access to the grand piano, up to (4) microphones, house sound system, music stands and the in-house organ (with approval).

Piano: The grand piano is available for your pianist to utilize without any credential review.

Organ: The in-house organ does require you to use a university approved / credentialed organist. Speak with your wedding coordinator for a list of pre-approved organists or learn how your favorite organist may seek approval / credentials.

Hiring Musicians: Washington University has some of the top musicians in the country! You may hire your own musician or you can inquire with Washington University Department of Music on how you can hire faculty or students for your ceremony: https://music.wustl.edu/hire-washu-musician

Please note: we do not run any component of your music or playlists. We will provide you with inputs to connect to the house sound system, however, you must provide someone to start and stop your music for you.

Graham Chapel has a long history on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The chapel was named after the late Benjamin Brown Graham and dates back to 1909. You can learn more about the history of Graham Chapel here: https://wustl.edu/about/campuses/danforth-campus/benjamin-brown-graham-chapel/

It is suggested that you provide a copy of the Graham  Chapel diagram / spec sheet that your wedding coordinator will produce for your ceremony. Additionally, we highly suggest you provide vendors with the wedding guideline packet that your wedding coordinator provides you at the time of your reservation confirmation. We welcome any questions that vendors may have to ensure your ceremony goes smoothly.