Because the chapel is in the center of the University's educational life and institutional demands take priority, OCRL will not accept reservations in advance of one year. We thank you for understanding these constraints. We encourage you to start planning the date of your service as soon as possible and to contact us with your proposed date: a minimum of six weeks' advance notice is required.

Once the inquiry is submitted our office will reach out to confirm availability for a couple's request. Reservations are not final the receipt of the appropriate fee. When checking with our office about availability of the chapel, we can place a 30 day hold on the chapel for you, within which time you can send in with the appropriate fee. If your reservation form and check are not received within that 30 day period, the hold will be removed. Your chapel reservation is not considered confirmed until we receive your form and check.

Fill out and submit the reservation inquiry form and someone from our office will be in touch with you shortly.

Please make sure to provide as many details as possible, including your names and addresses, phone numbers and emails, as well as the name of your officiant. Reservation requests are not processed until this form is completed and returned to OCRL. Please make your check payable to Brown University and mail to:

Weddings
Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life
Brown University
Box 1931
Providence, RI 02912

From time to time, a reservation request may be refused at the discretion of OCRL. Among the reasons for this are scheduling priorities with University events. (See below for scheduling restrictions.) Another reason for refusing an application is incomplete information on the form itself; so it's important to complete the form carefully.

The chapel is in constant demand during the academic year (from September 1 through May 31) for on campus religious services and events so, if you are interested in reserving the chapel, please plan no longer than one year in advance.

During the academic year, University activities take precedence over private ceremonies.

The chapel is not available during the following times of the year:

• Holy Week (these dates vary each year)
• Brown Spring Weekend (third weekend in April; please call to confirm)
• Memorial Day Weekend (Brown University Commencement)
• Brown Parents' Weekend (please check University calendar for dates)
• Thanksgiving Weekend
• Christmas Eve, December 24, through New Year's Day, January 1

During the academic year, ceremonies can take place at most any time on Saturdays, but only from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, due to regularly scheduled worship services in the chapel.

Typically, the chapel is available for an hour and a half wedding rehearsal and for a three-hour block of time to set up for the service, the service itself, and for clean-up.

The chapel is open to the public and houses a museum on the first floor of the building, meaning nothing will be barring students, staff or visitors from having access to the building during your event.

Manning Chapel is an interfaith house of worship. All Christian clergy, rabbis, imams, and other ordained or licensed individuals may perform weddings. However, you must check to make sure the clergy person performing this service is in good standing with their faith and has a valid license. Clergy should review the regulations of the state of Rhode Island and their local religious authority.

Couples often have a clergy person or other religious official in mind as the officiant for their service. OCRL only needs to know the name of that person and that they are fully licensed to perform this service.

The officiant must be secured at the time the reservation is submitted to OCRL. The officiant's full name, address, phone number, and affiliation are necessary for the reservation to be complete. Visiting clergy must provide their own vestments and any other liturgical needs, such as chuppah, manvarai, eucharist or communion vessels, wine, and bread.

Roman Catholics intending to be married in Manning Chapel should contact Fr. Edmund McCullough, O.P., Associate Chaplain of the University for the Catholic Community. He can be reached at edmund_mccullough@brown.edu.

The chaplains of the University may be available to officiate at the ceremonies of Brown University community members. You may contact the chaplain directly via email.

Most important, please keep in mind that some religious faiths have guidelines for counseling prior to the wedding service. You must abide by those in consultation with your clergy person or licensed officiant.

All visiting clergy should inquire with their local denomination or faith about performing a service at Manning Chapel. Specifically, Roman Catholic clergy need to consult with Fr. Edmund McCullough (see above) after the reservation has been confirmed.

Licensed officials need to read Rhode Island's requirements for performing wedding ceremonies in this state.

The chapel's Mason and Hamlin pipe organ, which sits in a loft, was refurbished in 1959 and was executed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. In addition to the organ, the chapel has a full grand piano.

It is the custom in many churches and chapels for the in-residence organist to play for the service. That individual has the “organ bench” so to speak and, as such, has the first right of refusal for playing the service. The same custom applies to Manning Chapel, which follows the policies of the American Guild of Organists. Mark Steinbach is an acclaimed musician and educator at Brown and holds the position of University organist. He can be available, depending on his schedule, to perform weddings and can consult on all music matters, instrumental or vocal, while preparing your service.

Please contact Dr. Steinbach at mark_steinbach@brown.edu for permission to use the “organ bench” or to request his services. When contacting him, please mark clearly in the subject line of your email: “Request for Wedding” with the date.

If you do not have a specific musician in mind and Dr. Steinbach cannot play for the service, he can provide names of local musicians whom you can contact, or he will guide you to the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

The chapel's Mason and Hamlin pipe organ, which sits in a loft, was refurbished in 1959 and was executed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. In addition to the organ, the chapel has a full grand piano.

The acoustics in Manning Chapel are very good and we strongly encourage the use of live music as it is not set up for amplification. If you are unable to arrange for live music, it would be your responsibility to contract the University approved A/V company, New England Showtime. Please ask for further contact information if necessary.

The chapel is in the Greco-Revival style, typical of the 1820s and 1830s. In many respects, it reflects the simplicity typical of its religious style of the Baptists, who founded Brown University. Filled with light even on cloudy days, the chapel is an ideal setting for many who wish to be married. Because of its clean style and understated decoration, it offers interesting opportunities for wedding decorations.

Please note that nothing can be taped, stapled or nailed to any surface in the chapel. Any damage which results from failure to abide by this rule will be the responsibility of the couple.

You are responsible for ordering flowers and all other decorations for your wedding. In addition, you are responsible for the actual decorating of the chapel and removing all decorations after the service. It is wise therefore to designate someone to make sure it is decorated to your satisfaction, and then to make sure that the chapel is restored to its original state after the service. This is important for two reasons: religious services go on constantly throughout the academic year, and it is very likely that a regularly scheduled service may will follow your wedding. Also, OCRL incurs a fee if Facilities must clean up debris and decorations from such a service; we therefore have to pass that fee on to the couple.

When you have selected your florist, please advise him/her that deliveries begin one hour prior to the beginning of your service and that the florist should enter the chapel through the Prospect Street entrance only.