Weddings at King's College Chapel

The Fee includes

The use of the Chapel for the ceremony rehearsal

• The provision of the University of Aberdeen Sacrist and Attendant
• The use of the Chapel and Vestry for the ceremony
• The use of the red carpet (laid only inside the Chapel if the weather is wet)
• The provision of a fountain pen during the ceremony
• The provision of organ music (a separate note on this subject is enclosed)
• The sound/video recording fee
• The option to have photos taken in the garden and Old Aberdeen Campus.

Please note that there is no reduction of fee if an organist is not required.

The Sacrist will meet you at your rehearsal and advise you on the following practical matters:

• Duties of Ushers, seating, etc
• Times of arrival for those involved in the ceremony.
• Location of vestry
• Rehearse the Processional and Recessional which the Sacrist organises and leads.
• Any other matters, i.e., accessibility, special seating, parking etc
• Practice signing the register with a fountain pen if required.
• The Sacrist will retain the Marriage Schedule and orders of service in a safe overnight if you so wish.

The Chapel is an ancient and beautiful building, the perfect setting for your ceremony.  It is a private Chapel of the University and remains a place of worship in daily use.  In order to preserve the dignity, peace and character of the building there are a number of regulations that need to be adhered to.  These are detailed for you and we ask that you draw these regulations to the notice of your Officiant, any others concerned arrangements; you will be responsible to the University for seeing that they are observed.  It is particularly important that any Photographer you involve be made aware of the regulations concerning the taking of photographs.   (Please see separate sheet which should be passed to your Photographer.)

Please feel free to contact the Chaplaincy should you have any queries at all.  We will be happy to assist in making your day as memorable as possible.

Principally the Chapel is a place of worship.  Individuals are welcome to enter for private prayer or contemplation whenever the Chapel is free.  There is Quiet Time between 1pm and 2pm Monday to Friday and no bookings can be made for this time.  All bookings at the Chapel are at the discretion of the University Chaplain and should be appropriate to the Chapel’s nature and purpose. The following guidelines must be adhered to:

1. No one is permitted to use the Chapel unless an official booking has been made through the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Office. This applies to all worship services, performances, practice sessions, tours, wedding rehearsals, deliveries of instruments or flowers, or setting up for an event.

2. You must adhere to your time allocation in order not to delay or frustrate other users.  

3. If your booking is outside the opening hours of Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm please contact Security (Tel: 01224 273327) before you vacate the building.  You may also need to contact them to open the Chapel.

4. Under no circumstances is the Communion Table to be moved.  

5. No furniture can be moved unless previously arranged (see booking request form).

6. No items are to be fixed to the walls, doors or woodwork of the building.  

7. Hymn books and Bibles may not, under any circumstances, be removed from the Chapel.

8. No refreshments may be served or consumed in the Chapel or Antechapel.

9. If AV is required this must be arranged at the time of booking (see booking request form).

10. Candles and incense are not permitted unless with prior consent.

11. You will be asked to complete a risk assessment and this must be approved before your event.  If you have an external speaker the appropriate form must also be completed and approved.

12. Fire exits – All fire exits must be kept clear and the doors unlocked and unbolted during any event.

13. Please see the booking request form for details of charges.  If your booking is outside opening hours and the contact name is not a member of staff of the University of Aberdeen we will arrange for a porter to be present and you will be charged accordingly.  If you do not have a porter present the person who made the booking will be responsible for the security and integrity of the Chapel.

14. If the Chapel is misused one written warning will be issued.  If improvement is not forthcoming the group will lose the opportunity and privilege to book the Chapel.  Any damage caused will be charged to the event organiser.

15. If your booking is outside office hours the toilets in King’s College Conference Centre will be made available.

Before you book, please review the health and safety guidelines.

Please do not move any of the Chapel furnishings.  The central seating area of the Chapel has 160 seats.  If you require more seating this can be arranged with prior permission in the in the antechapel.

It is not essential to have flowers for Chapel decoration, but the following applies:

• One pedestal floral arrangement
• Two pedestal floral arrangements

should be hired from any reputable Florist who will place them in and take them out of the Chapel at the end of the ceremony.  However, please do not hesitate to discuss additional requests with the Chaplaincy office. 

While we appreciate how important it is to get an accurate recording on film of your ceremony at times photography can be very intrusive. For your own benefit and ours we ask that you strictly observe the following.

Photographs may be taken during:

• the processional
• the recessional
• the signing of the Register at the wedding table

Photography and video-recording from the Choir Gallery and the Bishop Forbes seat are permitted and a remote camera can be placed at the chancel.

Problems are caused if attendants arrive late. All in attendance are asked to make sure that they are ready to proceed to the ceremony at the appointed time.  If photographs are required on arrival then arrangements must be made to arrive 5 minutes early.  The Sacrist will brief the Ushers on arrival about arrangements for photography outside the Chapel after the ceremony.

None within the Chapel area or University precincts.

It is advised that for bagpipes welcoming guests they should stand outside the chapel as directed by the Sacrist.

Not permitted during examination times.

You are reminded that special traffic regulations apply in Old Aberdeen and King's College is affected by them.  The approach to the Chapel by a wedding car should be made from Regent Walk, off King Street.  Then turn left alongside Elphinstone Lawn and right to the side of the Chapel.

Parking is made available for your convenience in the College grounds for the following cars only:

• Officiant
• Ceremony participants

Special arrangements will be made for any guest requiring accessible parking if prior notice is given to the Sacrist, King's College.

King’s College Chapel is not only a picturesque venue, but also a place of worship with a musical history extending back to Bishop Elphinstone’s foundation of the University of Aberdeen in 1495. Your ceremony will be a special and memorable day in your lives as well as being one of the many services taking place in King’s the whole year round which makes it both unique and steeped in history.

The organ plays a significant role in creating a special atmosphere, from the music played before the ceremony welcoming your guests to the processional and the recessional as you both leave, all of which contribute to making your ceremony a very special day. King’s College Chapel has a magnificent instrument of international distinction commissioned from the French organ builder, Bernard Aubertin, and installed in 2004. It has attracted recitalists from around the world, and visitors have come especially to play it from as far afield as Japan.

Your fee includes the services of a professional and experienced organist. For an additional fee, it is usually possible to arrange a solo singer, small choral group or instrumentalist for the signing of the register (subject to availability).

On rare occasions, couples ask to bring their own organist or musicians. Please note that there is no reduction in fee and that there should be agreement in principle with Stuart Muir, Director of Chapel and Ceremonial Music, before they are asked. This means that you should complete the musical arrangements form well in advance of your ceremony.

The form below has sound clips of the various pieces you can choose for your ceremony to help you make your selection. When you are ready, please complete the online form. You should receive an email acknowledgement of receipt.

This Wedding Music information, music choices, answers to FAQs and the on-line form to submit your musical arrangements, can be found at:

Weddings at King's College Chapel | About | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)

The University is concerned that rules about photography at wedding ceremonies have not been followed on a number of occasions.  This is detracting from the dignity of the Service and intruding on the enjoyment of the occasion.  Please draw the following guidelines to the notice of your Photographer.

Photography within King's College Chapel is only permitted providing the following conditions are strictly observed:

Photographs may be taken from the archway of the Rood Screen on arrival and passage through the West Door for the processional and for the recessional after the ceremony.

Photography of the participants at the Chapel must ensure that the ceremony is ready to proceed at the appointed time.

Video-recording and photography are permitted during the Service only from the Choir Gallery or Bishop Forbes seat.    The following two conditions are to be strictly observed:

• No flash or other form of artificial lighting is used
• All equipment is to be silent

In King's College Chapel when the Register is signed within the Chapel it forms an integral part of the ceremony.   If requested the Photographer may come forward and take a photograph of the signing of the Schedule as it actually happens.  

Please note that no other photography – i.e by wedding guests – is permitted other than that of the official Photographer.   These rules apply irrespective of who is conducting the ceremony.

The Sacrist will be happy to advise the Ushers or the Photographer about arrangements for photography prior to the Service.

The co-operation of all involved in this matter will be greatly appreciated and will help to make the occasion both happy and memorable.