You are most welcome to hold your wedding at the Chapel in the Hills. The Chapel and grounds are a beautiful place for this sacred event. It is our prayer that each wedding celebrated here will carry with it a special blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ.
All weddings are officiated by our Chapel pastors, ordained Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) clergy. No lay officiants or other clergy are permitted to perform marriages at the Chapel. The only exception is if you have your own ELCA pastor that you would like to officiate your ceremony. In this case, you must contact the Chapel with the pastor's name and church served. Persons of all faiths and denominations are welcome to be married at the Chapel. If you have any concerns in this manner, please contact the Chapel or the pastor directly. As your wedding date gets closer, you are encouraged to contact the pastor to discuss any special requests and other pertinent information. The pastor's contact information will be provided upon request. Likewise, we will share your contact information with the pastor. The Chapel pastors are responsible for the service and will make the final determination on the order and content of the ceremony. They will meet with you and the witnesses30 minutes prior to your scheduled ceremony time. All relevant instructions and the order of service will be discussed at that time. No other rehearsal will be held.
Please have your valid South Dakota marriage license with you and present it to the pastor when you arrive. Marriage licenses may be purchased at any county courthouse (Register of Deeds office) in South Dakota and must be used within 90 days of issuance. You will need two witnesses to sign the marriage license the day of the ceremony. We can provide the witnesses if necessary.
The Chapel organist is available to play for most weddings. During certain days our organist may be replaced by an accompanist using an electronic keyboard. You may also use your own organist. It should be noted, however, that the Chapel cannot be reserved or closed for the organist or other musicians to practice. You are welcome to provide your own music if you wish. This may include musicians or recorded music suitable to a Church setting. You may bring a portable cd play or smartphone to connect to the Chapel speaker system. Be sure to bring a regular audio cord to plug your device into our speaker, or use a smartphone with Bluetooth connectivity. No professional DJ's or extensive sound systems are allowed.
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Fees for weddings at the Chapel
- $400.00 for use of the chapel and patio areas. This includes the $100.00 pastor’s fee.
- $100.00 (optional) for the Chapel organist (indoor or outdoor weddings)
- Chairs for outdoor weddings are available at $1.50 per chair with a maximum of 84 chairs available.
- A minimum deposit of $50.00 is due within 14 days of receipt of your reservation. Any remaining balance is due on or before your wedding date.
- If you cancel your wedding more than 14 days prior to the scheduled date, we will refund all payments received. You will forfeit your $50.00 deposit if your wedding is canceled within 14 days of your wedding date.
Weddings are allowed from May 1st through September 30th each year. There are four reservable two-hour blocks of time available each day: 11:00am to 1:00pm, 1:00pm to 3:00pm, 3:00pm to 5:00pm, and 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Couples then have a choice of one of two ceremony start times within each block. This allows for the option to take photos either before or after their ceremony. For example: If a couple chooses the 1:00-3:00 reservation block, they may then choose between a 1:30 or 2:00 ceremony start time. This allows a full hour for photos to be taken either before the ceremony or after. In all cases, couples, wedding parties, and guests cannot arrive earlier than their reserved time block nor stay after their two hour block is over.
The following rules of Etiquette apply to all weddings at the Chapel and are strictly enforced
- NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES (other than water) ARE ALLOWED IN THE CHAPEL OR SURROUNDING AREA.
- PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON CHAPEL PROPERTY AND MAY NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE WEDDING CEREMONY.
- NO SMOKING, VAPING/E-CIGARETTES, OR OTHER NICOTINE PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON CHAPEL PROPERTY.
- ALCOHOL IN ALL FORMS IS PROHIBITED ON CHAPEL PROPERTY. Any members of the wedding party or guests found to be consuming alcohol or exhibiting signs of intoxication will be banned from the ceremony and removed from the property. Furthermore, if the bride and/or groom are found to be consuming alcohol or exhibiting signs of intoxication, the ceremony will be cancelled and everyone removed from the property.
- PROFESSIONAL DJ's ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SET UP AND PLAY FOR WEDDINGS AT THE CHAPEL. IF YOU HIRE A DJ FOR YOUR RECEPTION OR DANCE, MAKE IT CLEAR TO HIM/HER THAT THEY WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE CEREMONY. THE CHAPEL HAS A PORTABLE SPEAKER SYSTEM THAT WORKS WELL OUTSIDE AND INSIDE. IF YOU ARE PROVIDING YOUR OWN RECORDED MUSIC, IT WORKS BEST TO HAVE IT RECORDED ON A SMARTPHONE WITH BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY. IT CAN THEN BE PAIRED WITH OUR SPEAKER. BE SURE TO DESIGNATE A WEDDING GUEST TO PLAY THE MUSIC AT THE APPROPRIATE TIMES.
- Instrumental or vocal soloists are allowed to perform during the ceremony.
- Be sure to inform your photographer (professional or family friend) of all our policies–especially the time frame for Chapel weddings. They may not ask you to arrive earlier than your appointed time (1/2 hour before the ceremony) or stay for more than your two-hour limit. It works best to take formal photos after the ceremony, when there is more time.
- The spreading of flower petals is discouraged. However, if they are used, we recommend real petals, and a person/persons must be designated to pick them up and dispose of them properly after the ceremony.
- Rice, birdseed, spray cans of string, confetti, noisemakers or other loose items attached to vehicles are NOT permitted anywhere on the grounds.
- The Chapel and the surrounding grounds are beautiful in their simplicity. We strongly discourage large floral arrangements or other ornamentation and decorations.
- Aisle runners or arches are not allowed for either indoor or outdoor weddings
- There is room for one or two low flower arrangements on the altar inside the Chapel.
- You may place a unity candle (or similar symbolic objects) on the altar. Open flames of any kind are not allowed during outside ceremonies. Be aware that it can be windy during outside ceremonies and flowers or other decorations may blow over.
- The benches in the Chapel cannot be removed for any reason.
- For outside weddings, white folding chairs are available for rent at $1.50 each. There are a maximum of 84 chairs available. Chairs from outside sources are not allowed. If you feel you must have more chairs, there are an additional 35 brown folding chairs available for the same rental rate. Contact the Chapel office at least a day ahead of time to reserve chairs if you didn't request them when you registered.
- The Chapel has no heat or air conditioning. Please plan accordingly.
- The interior has a maximum seating capacity of 50.
- The parking lot and walkways leading up to the Chapel are steep, and there is no wheelchair available for use by the public. If any of your guests will require a wheelchair, scooter, or other handicapped device, please make your own arrangements. Personal vehicles may not be driven off the pavement.
- There is a small bride’s changing room available for use by the wedding party during your allotted time.
- There are no facilities available for receptions or other gatherings after the service.
- Please do not plan a wedding rehearsal or group gathering outside of your reserved time, as the Chapel may be reserved by another party. You are, however, welcome to visit the Chapel ahead of time for an informal visit.
- Visitors are allowed in the Chapel except during the actual ceremony and are allowed to view the exterior at all times. We inform all visitors when a wedding will take place and ask them to respect your use of the Chapel and grounds. We ask that you respect our visitors.
Wedding Location Options
Wedding ceremonies usually are held inside the Chapel or in one of two areas outside. When making a reservation, please indicate your desired location. Your location choice may be changed at any time by contacting the Chapel office.
Inside
West Patio
South Patio