Scheduling your Wedding and/or Reception

All dates are to be scheduled with the University President’s assistant in the President’s office.  You will be provided with a Request for Reservations Form to complete which is at the end of this document.  If you are a student or alumnus of Harding, the cost for the Chapel is $200 per day.  If you want the Chapel for your rehearsal the day before the wedding, it will be $200 for that day also or a total of $400.  The cost for the Chapel is $800 or $400 per day if you are not associated with Harding University.  There will be a $400 deposit payable when you make your reservation, and if you do follow the rules listed under “The Decorations and Your Responsibility” this deposit will be refunded. If you do not follow these rules, the deposit will not be refunded. To get your wedding and/or reception on the Chapel Calendar you will need to pay the total cost for the date(s) of use plus the deposit for it to be scheduled.  You will be provided a receipt, and if you decide not to use the Chapel, your money will be refunded.  You will then be directed to the office of Chartwell’s Catering to meet with them regarding the details of your special day. Their office number is 501-279-4231.

Dates are scheduled on a first requested basis. Reservations are not considered confirmed until the total fee is paid.

Saturday weddings and/or receptions must be scheduled no later than 7 p.m., due to the use of the facilities on Sunday.  The chapel will be available for decorating the day before your wedding if you have reserved it, and you may leave decorations in the Chapel up to 4 hours after the wedding ends. Holiday or Sunday weddings and/or receptions will be approved at the discretion of the catering office.

Your reservation for the chapel includes the use of up to 300 chairs, a platform for the wedding party if desired, a sound system for music, the bride’s book table and a gift table, the Bride’s dressing room and a waiting room for the groomsmen.

Microphones, a projection screen and projector are available in the Chapel and their use must be coordinated through the media center of campus.  The catering coordinator will assist you with those arrangements.

Catering Office

The Catering Office will advise you on the University’s policies regarding music and decorations, as well as coordinating the set-up for the wedding and clean-up afterwards. They will show you the equipment available for weddings as well as receptions, and assist you in making audio-visual arrangements for the ceremony.

The Wedding Music

Taped or live music, a cappella or with instruments, is allowed in the Chapel for wedding ceremonies. Arrangements for a piano must be made with the Catering office.

The Decorations

The use of rice, bubbles, sparklers, or fresh flower petals is prohibited inside the building and may only be distributed outside of the building. The use of birdseed, confetti, glitter, or fake snow is forbidden anywhere on campus. Candles for the ceremony must be battery powered. Mechanical candles may be used for the unity candle, and votive candles may be used in the reception halls.

Your Responsibility

The bride, groom and their guests are expected to take good care of all Harding University property during the rehearsal, wedding, and reception.  No vehicles are allowed on any sidewalk.  Any damages to the facility will be charged to the person who books the wedding.  

Harding University holds to the biblical principle that God instituted marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman.  Same-sex marriages are not allowed to take place in Cone Chapel or anywhere on the Harding campus.

You are also required to abide by the same restrictions as students, specifically there will be no smoking, dancing, or serving of alcoholic beverages at any function.  It is the obligation of the bride and groom to make certain that these rules are made known to the members of the wedding party. If these responsibilities are not carried out by the bride and groom and their families, your deposit will NOT be returned. 

The University will not be liable for dresses, money, purses or other personal items lost, stolen or damaged during the rehearsal, wedding or reception.  Locked rooms are available, but the University will not be responsible in the event of loss.

Unless otherwise specified, the fees are the responsibility of the bride.  Payment of the chapel reservation fees are to be made to Harding University and paid in the President’s office.  Payments for the reception fees are to be made to Chartwell’s Catering and paid in the catering office.

No gratuities are charged in connection with any event, they are however, gratefully appreciated by the university students who will be staffing your event.  If you wish to leave a gratuity for the staff, please make arrangements with the wedding coordinator.  

It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to plan all facets of the ceremony in detail with the catering office.

Your marriage ceremony is one of the most sacred moments in your life.  It should be a solemn occasion at which time you invoke the blessings of God and pledge yourselves to each other in holy wedlock.  It is not intended to be primarily a social event.  We hope these guidelines will be valuable to all concerned.

Reservation Information and Form

Fill out the form below to register. You can also download the information and form to fill out and return.

Reservation Form Document