Hand in hand a beaming bride and groom emerge from Rollins Chapel, wedding party in tow. This is a sight that is familiar to many students and bound to become increasingly more so. More than 20 couples, many of whom are Dartmouth alumni or staff, will be married at the Chapel this year, up from only 10 during the previous year.
More aggressive marketing, including advertisements in the Alumni Magazine, contributed to this heightened interest in Rollins Chapel, according to Rita Hall, Administrative Assistant for the Tucker Religious Life Office.
After the Chapel undergoes some structural changes, including the installation of a new sound system and improvements to the chapel's lighting, the office hopes it will be even more attractive for future brides-to-be, Hall said.
August, September, and October are the most popular times of year to "tie the knot" at the Chapel. Many couples choose to be married in May as well. Most of the ceremonies take place on Saturday or Sunday, although the office will accommodate those who want to be married on Friday.
Although Hall stressed that worship must take priority over wedding ceremonies, requests to use the Chapel are served on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the $300 fee for the use of the Chapel locking in a three-hour timeslot. Weddings may be booked through the Tucker Religious Life Office up to a year in advance.
"We welcome and invite people to use Rollins Chapel," Hall said.
Couples from all over the United States, and especially from New England, have chosen Rollins Chapel as the site of their wedding ceremony. The chapel can hold between 400 and 600 guests.
The bride and groom may elect to have the ceremony performed by the College Chaplain or by someone of their choosing. The Religious Life Office maintains a list of clergy in the area who are willing to perform weddings.
Hall said that the office has never addressed the issue of single-sex unions in the Chapel, but that if it came up, it would be a "non-issue," as "it is not any of our business."
Eighteen weddings have already occurred or been booked for this fiscal year, June 2000 to June 2001, and Hall said that she expects that more than 20 weddings will take place in the Chapel before the year is out. This number represents twice that of last year.
When asked if the office ever receives cancellations, Hall said, "Yes, brides are very nervous," and added that she gets requests for date changes too when relatives are unable to attend.
Rollins Chapel is used for many campus events including speeches, functions sponsored by the Tucker Foundation and community events.
Because the College Chaplain is on sabbatical now, there are no regular religious services this year. The three Religious Life Coordinators from the campus ministry are currently holding the position of College Chaplain on a term-long basis, with Rabbi Edward Boraz serving the role this spring.
