Most University alumni remember their alma mater as a place to study, party and meet friends, but for some, the University also brings to mind memories of white dresses and wedding bells. One such alumna is 2004 graduate Tara Smith. When Smith and her husband, 2001 graduate Konrad Sarosiek, were selected by lottery to be married at the University Chapel in 2006, they were thrilled.
"It was really meaningful for us, since we met at U.Va.," Smith said recently of her June wedding.
Emily Thiede said she and her husband Brian, both of whom graduated in 2004, chose the Chapel for their wedding because they couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else.
"We met in our first year dorm, Humphreys," Thiede said. "We picked the Chapel for sentimental reasons."
The Chapel was built in 1889 after community members raised funds to erect a non-denominational church on Grounds. Although the Chapel's regular services ended after World War II, the site has remained a popular spot for weddings, particularly for current and former University students. University Event Planning Manager Krisztina Ujvagi-Roder estimated that 85 to 90 percent of weddings conducted at the Chapel involve University students or alumni. Although the Chapel is open for public use, the fees are higher for those with no University affiliation. The two-hour minimum charge for current students is $200, whereas alumni must pay $350 and the general public $750.
The Chapel may be popular among University students because many pass it every day as they walk across Grounds.
"I remember seeing brides and grooms when I was an undergrad, and it was somewhat surreal to actually be the bride," Thiede said.
The Chapel was built in the Gothic Revival style and seats up to 250 people, and many see the picturesque Grounds surrounding the Chapel as the perfect backdrop for a wedding ceremony.
"We have the most beautiful pictures of us during the ceremony in the Chapel and afterwards on the Lawn and around the Rotunda," Smith said.
The Chapel attracts so many couples that it often sees up to six weddings a day on Saturdays during the busiest months. In 2006, the Chapel held 138 weddings, with 17 in June and 18 in July. And the popularity of the Chapel only seems to be increasing: This year, there were 21 weddings in the busiest month, June, and a total of 141 will have occurred by December.
Because of high demand for the Chapel, couples apply for a spot through a lottery system. Couples enter their name a year before the month they'd like to get married. The University holds a drawing the first week of each month, notifying couples when they are selected. Couples can then pick from available dates and times. Although Ujvagi-Roder notes that only about half of reservations are made through the lottery, the system gives couples the best chance to reserve the date they would like. Smith recalled that she and her husband were a later pick in the lottery and though they did not receive the time slot they originally wanted, they decided to make it work.
Lisa Heuchert, a 1985 University graduate, married her husband Dan, now assistant director of media relations at the University's Office of Public Affairs, at the Chapel in 1989. She remembered a simpler process for organizing her wedding, recalling that she simply "called and they gave me the available times." Although the Chapel is in high demand, if couples are willing to be flexible, the Event Planning Office can usually find a way to accommodate them, Ujvagi-Roder said.
Despite its wide appeal, the Chapel is not the ideal wedding location for all University alumni. According to Heuchert, because multiple weddings occur each day, wedding parties "generally feel a little rushed to get pictures taken and clear out your decorations before the next group comes in."
The Chapel's size is also a drawback for some, as the groom's anteroom is very small and there is no place for the bride to get dressed. Heuchert noted that she had to get dressed at the Colonnade Club.
More recently, a bride contacted the University wondering if she could use her dog as the ring bearer, but was turned away because the Chapel is part of a public university, and animals are not allowed in any buildings on Grounds unless needed for guidance.
Nevertheless, couples who have said their vows in the University's Chapel seem very satisfied with the experience.
"It was just a fantastic day," Thiede said of her wedding. "It was like a reunion for all of our U.Va. friends."
Especially for alumni who live in the area, the Chapel will always hold a special significance.
"The best part is that, since moving back to Charlottesville, we see it regularly and it always brings back warm memories," Heuchert said. "I think our kids are sick of us pointing to it and saying, 'That's where your mom and dad got married."
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