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For those who are interested in having a wedding at ICU Chapel, please
take the time to familiarize yourselves with the many items below.
Applications are taken at the
An on campus banquet may be organized through the Nakatomi Restaurant
Chain. Contact the university cafeteria
staff directly on this matter.
Tel. 0422-33-3331.
Wedding services typically have a bulletin. Included in it are the order of worship,
hymns, and scripture. You will need to
select two hymns and a scripture passage for the service. Your minister will assist you in making these
selections. Bulletins may be made
through a recommended printer or may be done on your own.
To secure a smooth
flow of events, your wedding will be coordinated by the kind staff at the Nakatomi
Restaurant Chain located at the on-campus university cafeteria. Among other things, coordinators will set the
lights and the public address system, attend to the chapel doors and the
draping of the center aisle. They will
familiarize you and the ushers with the chapel, function as a time keeper, and
will be on hand at the rehearsal and wedding itself. Contact the university cafeteria staff
directly on these matters.
Tel. 0422-33-3331.
On average, the cost of a chapel wedding is 177,100 yen. Details are available upon request. All fees are due one month prior to your
wedding.
Couples are encouraged to bring their formal clothing with them on the
day of their wedding. Changing rooms are
available at the front right and left side of the university chapel. The
Because of the great demand for ICU Chapel weddings, eligibility is
limited to students, alumni/ae, current staff, current faculty, and
One flower arrangement at the front of the sanctuary is typical for a
chapel wedding. Grooms usually wear a
small boutonniere. Brides typically hold
a bouquet. The center aisle may be
decorated with flowers and ribbons as well.
No further decorating of the
sanctuary or pews is permitted. A flower
shop recommendation is available upon request.
Following the service, some couples choose to receive a flower shower
outside on the steps of the chapel.
Flower petals need to be prepared by you or a flower shop. The throwing of rice is discouraged. Rice is hard in the digestive systems of
small birds. Also, discarded rice leaves
an unsightly mess for the next wedding and/or chapel activity.
You are encouraged to meet with the officiating university minister two
times.
The first meeting can take place well in advance of the wedding. The second meeting usually takes place about
one month prior to the service. At the
first meeting you will fill out university and church application forms. These applications will confirm your
date. At the second meeting you will
attend to wedding bulletin preparation.
After tentatively reserving your date with the
As a rule, only ICU organists play at wedding services. Due to a rotation system, one organist will
be randomly assigned to your service.
Our professional organists will provide appropriate music for your
ceremony. Unfortunately, due to the
large number of weddings, the organists are unable to take requests. Your understanding is appreciated.
Members of the wedding party may come by car and park in a designated
on-campus parking lot, a short walk from the chapel. Payment for the parking of all cars is
included in your university chapel use fee.
When entering the main gate, have all members of the wedding party
instruct the gate man that they are coming for your wedding. They will be instructed to park in Lot B, and
will incur no fee.
In order to maintain a suitable atmosphere for a wedding ceremony, flash
photography is not permitted during the service itself. Photography is welcome during the rehearsal, processional,
and recessional. Video photography (using
available light) is permitted throughout the service, but must not be a
distraction to officiating minister, the bride and groom, the organist, or any
other person involved in the service. We
strongly recommend that the video photographer set a tripod at a convenient,
unobtrusive vantage point and remain still throughout the proceedings. A photographer recommendation is available
upon request or you may use a photographer of your choosing.
The rehearsal is held one hour before the service and involves not only
the groom and bride, but also the witnesses, and the bride’s escort for the
processional, typically the bride’s father.
Seabury Chapel has a seating capacity of 50. For smaller weddings this alternative
location is also available. The chapel
includes a small changing room and a reception area. There is a small pipe organ. This chapel is located on the campus
quadrangle, next to university hall.
To accommodate the largest number of requests, weddings are held at the
following times. Couples will have a
three-hour use of the chapel. Please be
careful in respecting the time limits.
Saturday and holiday weddings:
Service at
or
Service at
Sunday weddings:
Service
Availability is limited to days that don’t conflict with university and
church activities. Due to limited
preparation space, only one wedding per building per day is allowed. There are no weddings in July, August,
December, and early January.
Couples will have use of the chapel for three hours. Please be careful to adhere to the time
limits. The coordinator will see to it
that the chapel doors are opened for the appointed time.
12 p.m. wedding
3 p.m. wedding
The University Chapel has a seating capacity of 720. The organ (built by Rieger-Organs of
As a rule, only ICU ministers officiate at wedding services. You may request the services of any one of our
ministers, or one will be randomly assigned to you.
Depending on the size of the wedding, you will need several volunteer
ushers to welcome those who will attend your wedding. The users will stand in the church foyer and
receive visitors, handing out the wedding bulletins, and facilitate the smooth
flow of events, including the flower shower.
Witnesses serve an important role in weddings. One witness for the groom and one witness for
the bride are recommended. The bride’s
witness will take the bouquet and gloves at the time of the vows, and will
attend to the bride’s dress as needed at the time of the recessional. At the end of the service, the bride’s
witness will hand the bouquet back to the bride. The groom’s witness will hand the groom the
wedding rings. Both witnesses will sit
at the front of the chapel in designated chairs.