Determine the type of wedding you want:
location, formality, time of day,
number of guests, etc.

Ceremony Site Fee

The ceremony site fee is the fee to rent a facility for your wedding. In churches, cathedrals, chapels, temples, or synagogues, this fee may include the organist, wedding coordinator, custodian, changing rooms for the bridal party, and miscellaneous items such as kneeling cushions, aisle runner, and candelabra. Be sure to ask what the site fee includes prior to booking a facility.

Ceremony Site Locations

Ceremony sites can include Churches, cathedrals, chapels, private homes, gardens, hotels, clubs, halls, parks, museums, yachts, wineries, beaches, hot air balloons, etc.

Your selection of a ceremony site will be influenced by the formality of your wedding, the season of the year, the number of guests expected and your religious affiliation. Make sure you ask about restrictions or guidelines regarding photography, videography, music, decorations, candles, and rice or rose petal tossing. Consider issues such as proximity of the ceremony site to the reception site, parking availability, handicapped accessibility, and time constraints.

Questions

Make sure you ask all the following questions before selecting a ceremony site:

• What is the name & phone number of my contact person?
  
  
• What dates & times are available?
  
  
• How much time will be allotted for my ceremony?
  
  
• Do vows need to be approved?
  
  
• What is the ceremony site fee?
  
  
• What is the payment policy?
  
  
• What is the cancellation policy?
  
  
• Does the facility have liability insurance?
  
  
• What are the minimum & maximum number of guests allowed?
  
  
• What is the denomination, if any, of the facility?
  
  
• What restrictions are there with regards to denomination?
  
  
• Is an officiant available? At what cost?
  
  
• Are outside officiants allowed?
  
  
• Are any musical instruments available for our use? If so, what is the fee?
  
  
• Are there are any music restrictions?
  
  
• Are there are any photography restrictions?
  
  
• Are there are any videography restrictions?
  
  
• Are there are any restrictions for rice or rose petal tossing?
  
  
• Are candlelight ceremonies allowed?
  
  
• What floral decorations are available/allowed?
  
  
• When is my rehearsal to be scheduled?
  
  
• Is a dressing room available?
  
  
• Is there handicap accessibility and parking?
  
  
• How many parking spaces are available for my family & wedding party? Where are they located?
  
  
• How many parking spaces are available for my guests?
  
  
• What rental items are necessary?
  
  

Considerations

• Try to have your ceremony at the same facility as your reception to save a second rental fee.
  
  
• Set a realistic guest list and stick to it.
  
  
• Hire an experienced wedding consultant.
  
  
• At a church or chapel, ask if there is another wedding that day and share the cost of floral decorations with that bride.
  
  
• Membership in a church or club can reduce rental fees.
  
  
• At a garden wedding, have guests stand and omit the cost of renting chairs.