FAQ
Where can guests park for the rehearsal and wedding?
Rehearsal (Friday) parking information:
| Location | Availability | Cost | Distance |
| Jenkins Parking Lot | Available (First come, first served) | Free when entering the lot up to 30 minutes prior to start time |
1-3 min walk |
| Butler Hall Parking Lot | Available after 4 PM | Free | 10-15 min walk |
| N. Charles Street & Cold Spring Lane |
Unavailable from 4-6 PM. Cars are towed during this time. |
Free | 3-10 min walk |
Wedding Ceremony (Saturday) parking information:
| Location | Availability | Cost | Distance |
| Jenkins Parking Lot | Typically Available * | Free when entering the lot up to 1.5 hours prior to start time | 1-3 min walk |
| N. Charles Street & Cold Spring Lane |
Available | Free | 3-10 min walk |
| Butler Hall Parking Lot | Typically Available* | Free |
10-15 min walk |
*Notes:
Please convey all parking options to your guests. If there is a special event on campus, the Jenkins Parking Lot may fill up.
To be courteous to the next wedding party, we ask that your guests vacate their spaces within 30 minutes of the end of your ceremony.
Limos and Shuttles:
If you have limos, shuttles, or charter buses, they may drop off your wedding party and guests on Ennis Parallel, the street that runs behind the university using Charles Street to enter. These large vehicles, shuttles and/or buses are not permitted to enter the Jenkins lot.Handicapped Parking Information:
There are 7 handicapped spaces located in the Jenkins Lot, however any available space will accommodate any guest needing accessible parking.Are Loyola shuttles available to rent for guest transportation?
No, Loyola's shuttles are not available for rent.
Is there a list of priests at Loyola that we can contact to preside at our wedding?
Unfortunately, we do not have a list of Jesuit priests who are on reserve or who regularly perform wedding ceremonies at Loyola. Couples have asked Jesuits who they have had as instructors to preside over their wedding, however, availability can never be guaranteed. Typically, couples contact a priest or minister from their own parish and ask them to preside over the wedding here. If you are not currently registered members of a parish, we recommend joining the parish that you attend most frequently. You are also welcome to invite a priest or deacon from your family's home parish, even if this is outside of Baltimore. Once we receive the name and address of the priest or minister that you have selected (which must be included on your reservation form), we send them a welcome letter with information on the services we will provide for them while they are at Loyola.
Can I have other musicians perform at our ceremony?
In the wedding liturgy, the bride and groom are ministers of the sacrament of marriage. Musicians are chosen because of the ministry they fill and the professional quality of their art. A cantor, or leader of song, is indispensable at wedding liturgies. The task of this person is to enable and motivate the song of the assembly. This is different from a soloist who usually performs for an assembly, although the roles are not mutually exclusive. Therefore the organist and cantor must be part of Loyola's Music Ministry team. Additional instruments and soloists are permitted to perform subject to the approval of the director of music and liturgy. Please see our additional information regarding your wedding music on the Music and Liturgy Preparation packet that is mailed to you in your wedding welcome packet. This will be sent to you shortly after we receive your reservation form and check.
What are the photography guidelines for the chapel?
All photography and videography must respect the sanctity of the Chapel and the wedding ceremony. Therefore, the following guidelines are in place:
- Video cameras with extra or special lights may not be used during the ceremony. Flash photography may not be used during the ceremony, but may be used during the processional/recessional.
- Cameras on tripods may be placed in the balcony and south transept only (to the left of the altar).
- Hand-held cameras are allowed in center aisle no further than twelve pews from the rear of the Chapel.
- Cameras are not allowed in the sanctuary area (ie. on the altar, anywhere on the green carpet).
- The photographer must at all times be unobtrusive.
- The wedding party must leave the Chapel one and a half hours after the scheduled start of the ceremony. Outdoor pictures are allowed after this time but must be respectful of other wedding parties on campus on the same day.
We would love to share your wedding photos! Please send any photos taken at Loyola that you are willing to share to weddings@loyola.edu; with photographer permission, they will be shared on our Instagram account @loyolamdweddings and photography credit will be given.
Are there restrictions on decorations in the chapel?
These guidelines are also listed in the couple's welcome packet (sent by mail after the chapel reservation form is received). Questions or clarification may be directed to the Loyola wedding coordinator, wedding sacristan, or Loyola's musicians.
- Free-standing candles or candelabra are not permitted on any carpeted area. Candlelight ceremonies are not possible. Hurricane lamps on pews are not permitted.
- Please do not remove any seasonal Chapel decorations.
- Decorations may not be attached to Chapel surfaces with tacks or nails.
- Flowers are not permitted at weddings held during the Lenten season. Please contact the Wedding Coordinator for additional guidance.
- We regret that bridal runners are prohibited due to insurance liability risk.
- Flower girls may NOT drop flowers or anything else during the wedding ceremony.
- We ask that your guests not throw anything outside after the ceremony.
Why no aisle runner?
We have encountered incidents in which guests have injured themselves on the aisle runners while exiting the pews during the ceremony. Some injuries have been serious enough to negatively affect the mood of the ceremony. Therefore, we do not allow the use of aisle runners for the safety of your guests and the harmony of your special day.
Can we have a Unity Candle?
You may, though the Unity Candle is not an official part of the Wedding Rite. We urge you to consider including this ceremony as part of the Blessing at your reception, rather than as part of the Wedding Liturgy. If you do choose to include this in your wedding ceremony, couples must supply their own candles & candle holders.
What are the chapel specifics?
The Chapel center aisle is 65 feet long. There are 25 pews on the left, and 19 pews on the right, with a seating capacity of 350 people. Large weddings (~300+) may require seating guests in the choir loft or the left side transept.
Do I need to hire a wedding planner for the ceremony?
You will be assigned a wedding sacristan who will be present for both your rehearsal and ceremony. The sacristan will coordinate with your presider, vendors, and bridal party; will manage the chapel operations, such as the lights and microphones; and will assist with the processional and recessional. You do not specifically need to hire a wedding planner or day-of coordinator to assist with the ceremony. If you have hired a wedding planner for your reception, they are welcome to attend the rehearsal and ceremony and work with the sacristan to help your wedding day run smoothly.
Can we do a "first look" on campus?
Yes! You are allotted 2.5 hours inside the chapel, beginning 1 hour before your ceremony start time. However, you are welcome to be outside on campus before and after your chapel time block. We ask that if other weddings are taking place on campus, please be respectful of all parties and allow a wedding to take pictures in front of the chapel immediately after their ceremony. In general, you should plan to arrive at least 1 hour before your start time if you plan to take pictures on campus before the ceremony.
The sacristan for your wedding will arrive no later than 1 hour prior to your ceremony. Before this time, we cannot guarantee that you will have access to the chapel. After you have taken your "first look" pictures, there may be a classroom available underneath the chapel where you can wait while your guests arrive prior to the ceremony. However, this is not guaranteed and may not be available pending other university events scheduled for the same day. In the event that a classroom is not available, there is a hallway area where your bridal party can wait for the ceremony to begin.
Can the bridal party get dressed at the church?
No. We do not have the facilities to enable the bride, groom, or bridal party to get dressed at the church. Typically the groom and groomsmen arrive 30-60 minutes prior to the ceremony. If you are not having a "first look" and taking pictures, the bride and bridal party will be brought into the church from your mode of transportation immediately before the processional begins. Please note that for the bride and bridesmaids, there is not easy access to a restroom in the back of the chapel, so you should arrive at the chapel prepared for the ceremony to begin.
Where should we get a marriage license? What happens to the license after the ceremony?
You must purchase a civil Marriage License from Baltimore CITY and bring it to your wedding rehearsal. The license MUST not be forgotten for the ceremony on Saturday, so we will keep it locked in the chapel overnight. You should call the Circuit Court for Baltimore City (410-333-3780) at least 1 month prior to your ceremony to review the civil requirements.
At the end of the ceremony, all copies of the license should be signed and the green and white copy should be given to the sacristan. Loyola will mail one copy to the court so that your marriage is recorded. Loyola will also keep the "presider copy" of the license with your wedding paperwork, which will then be filed at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. The couple will receive the "decorative copy" to keep - this should be given to the couple or member of the bridal party immediately following the ceremony.
What are the fees for a wedding at Loyola?
The Chapel Reservation Fee is currently $700. This includes all use of the chapel for your rehearsal and ceremony, but does not include a stipend for your presider. Since presiders are not all associated with Loyola, we ask that you arrange this directly with him. Since the chapel is only available to students, alumni, faculty, staff, and their relatives, there are not discounts provided for any group's use of the chapel.
You are also required to use the Cantor and Organist provided by Loyola. Their fees are $250 each which are paid a few months before your wedding at your music consultation.
What is the refund policy for the Chapel?
In the unfortunate circumstance that your wedding ceremony at Loyola must be cancelled, our refund policy is as follows:
Chapel Reservation Fee ($700)
More than 6 months before ceremony: $450 refunded
Within 6 months of ceremony: $250 refunded
Cantor and Organist Fees ($250 each)
More than 60 days before ceremony: 75% refunded
30-60 days before ceremony: 50% refunded
Within 30 days of ceremony: no refund
I was married at Loyola. How do I obtain copies of my marriage records?
Since Loyola is not a parish, we do not have the facility to store records for weddings which have taken place in the chapel. Our records are stored at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, which is located up the street from Loyola. If your wedding has already taken place and you need copies of your records, please contact the Cathedral directly:
Office Manager: Lisa Kantz - lkantz@cmoq.org - 410-464-4006