Neu Chapel Weddings
Built in 1966 through the generosity of the Adam Neu family, Neu Chapel is a charming building constructed of Indiana limestone, Vermont slate shingles, a high-arching wooden ceiling, and a neo-Gothic outer design. The balcony hosts a choir loft and a fine Holtkamp organ, while the sanctuary seats 450 comfortably.
Neu Chapel serves as the spiritual center of the University of Evansville. While Many UE Alumni choose to tie the knot in Neu Chapel, community members are also welcome to share in the rich tradition of weddings at the chapel.
General Information
The Neu Chapel sanctuary seats approximately 450 guests and is equipped with stage lighting and a house sound system. In addition to use of the sanctuary, the wedding party will have access to Grabill Lounge.
Grabill Lounge: Open lounge area in the basement of Neu Chapel with adjacent men and women’s restrooms. The wedding party will have access to a small kitchen in Grabill Lounge, (no outside catering is allowed).
Included in the Neu Chapel wedding fee is the services of a Neu Chapel Wedding Attendant. The Wedding Attendant will be present at the rehearsal and wedding ceremony and is available to assist with making your wedding a seamless experience. Please note, however, that the attendant does not function as a wedding coordinator. The wedding officiant typically serves as the main coordinator for the wedding rehearsal and ceremony and you are welcome to hire a wedding coordinator. It is the responsibility of the wedding party to secure an appropriate officiant. Payment for clergy fees should be coordinated directly between the officiant and the wedding party. The wedding party should not assume the officiant donates her or his time and credentials.
Booking and Rates
Neu Chapel has set time blocks to accommodate two weddings per weekend. Please see below for Saturday time blocks:
- 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Rehearsal 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. the Friday before.
- 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Rehearsal 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. the Friday before.
Neu Chapel does not reserve wedding dates further than one calendar year in advance. Requests are first come, first served.
Neu Chapel is currently reserving wedding dates through Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
Neu Chapel will not be available for rental on days when the university is closed. This will be indicated on the wedding calendar.
The rehearsal date and time is confirmed at the time of booking. Forty-five minute rehearsals are scheduled the evening prior to the wedding. Anyone participating in the ceremony should attend the rehearsal. Please communicate to all wedding party participants that they must be on time. All rehearsals must begin and end at the scheduled time. Please bring all candles, programs, favors, guest book, and decorations to the rehearsal.
Request Neu Chapel for your Wedding Date
Once the requested date is verified as available, the Coordinator of Special Events and Guest Services will send the requester a Neu Chapel Agreement and the requested date will be tentatively reserved. The requester will have one month to sign and return the completed Neu Chapel Agreement along with a refundable $200.00 deposit to the Coordinator of Special Events and Guest Services to confirm the reservation. Further detail regarding final payment will be listed in the Neu Chapel Agreement.
Neu Chapel Fees
The rental fee reserves the sanctuary for a forty-five minute rehearsal the Friday before the wedding, and for the three-hour time block you have selected for the day of the wedding.
- Community Fee: $800
- Current UE Student or UE Graduate (Bride or Groom) Fee: $600
Extra Time
Additional time may be available, but is not guaranteed due to other events in the building. Both times slots may be purchased for an additional $400 at the time of booking the wedding. If the other time slot has not been rented four months prior to your wedding, you may rent additional prorated time at $100 per hour.
Additionally, a $200.00 security deposit is due with your signed agreement. The security deposit will be refunded one – two weeks after the ceremony date, (unless it is forfeit for one or more reasons listed below):
The deposit will be forfeited for the following reasons:
- Cancellation of wedding date for any reason.
- Overtime beyond scheduled wedding and rehearsal time.
- Damage to Neu Chapel, its furniture, and/or UE property.
- Excessive cleanup required by UE staff.
- Intoxication of wedding party and/or guests.
- Disregard of any Neu Chapel wedding policies.
Final Payment
The final payment is due 60 days before the wedding date. A final payment notice will be sent to you by email approximately 10 days before payment is due. If you have any questions about your bill please call Coordinator of Special Events & Guest Services, Emily Wilderman, 812-488-2829. All checks should be made payable to University of Evansville.
Instrument Rental
$100.00 per instrument, the Bösendorfer Concert Grand Piano and/or the Holtkamp Pipe Organ. The organist must be a current American Guild of Organists member and approved by the University Chaplain to play the pipe organ. A list of approved musicians is available upon request.
Musicians
It is recommended that you contact a musician at least four-six months prior to your wedding to discuss availability and fees. If you are looking for a particular type of instrument or vocalist, please request a list of musicians from the Coordinator of Special Events and Guest Services. Furnishing a list of musicians is not an endorsement by UE or Neu Chapel. Agreements or contracts between musicians and soloists are the responsibility of the wedding party. Neu Chapel is not liable for claims that may arise from musical contracts. You will need to discuss payment arrangements with your musician.
Additional Furnishings Available
- Candelabras-Altar
- $20.00 to rent the pair. You will need 14-15" drip-less candles.
- Candelabras-Pew
- $10.00 a pair; One-six pairs are available. You will need six 12" candles per set.
- Candles
- The Bride is responsible for purchasing all candles for the candelabras. Recommended candles are Patriarch, drips-less, smoke-less candles. They can be purchased through Gehlhausen Floral Company, with advanced notice. They can also be ordered online from several companies.
- Kneeling Bench
- Available at no extra fee.
- Pew Bow Clips
- Available at no extra fee.
An aisle runner is not provided. Our aisle is carpeted; a runner is not necessary but may be used. Our center aisle is 5' wide and 75' long. The runner should be at least 80' long.
Policies
UE regulations include, but are not limited to, the following in UE buildings and on UE property:
- All individuals will abide by Indiana state law, federal law and UE regulations regarding intoxicants, narcotics, alcohol and drugs.
- All University of Evansville buildings and grounds are smoke-free. Please be advised that no alcohol is allowed in Neu Chapel. Please see that all members of your wedding party are aware of and abide by this policy. We reserve the right to prohibit anyone who is intoxicated from participating in the service. If anyone associated with the wedding party is found to be intoxicated or has alcohol with them on campus, Safety and Security will remove the offending party and your wedding deposit will be forfeited.
- Food or drinks are NOT permitted in the Sanctuary at any time.
- You may bring refreshments into the Bride and Groom's rooms, (Grabill Lounge and the Music Office), only.
- Firearms, weapons, ammunition, fireworks explosives and highly flammable materials are not allowed within the residence halls or buildings or on the grounds.
- Except for service animals, animals are not recommended to be brought onto the campus. Ten days prior to the event, OCG must notify UE if a service animal will be on campus.
- Candles, hot plates or similar appliances are not permitted in rooms nor is any type of cooking allowed in any room except kitchen areas. Exception: Dripless candles are permitted for weddings only held in Neu Chapel.
- The Neu Chapel sound system is for speaking/vocal purposes only.
- Parking in any fire lane is not allowed.
- Tampering with the fire system or firefighting equipment is not allowed.
- Removal of lounge or common area furniture into individual rooms is not allowed.
- Gambling or solicitation in any form is not permitted.
- The University of Evansville is not liable for items left on the property.
- You must have a valid Indiana marriage license obtained from the Indiana County of residence of either the bride or groom. If neither is an Indiana resident, the license may be obtained in any county in Indiana. View more information about obtaining an Indiana marriage license.
Trash Removal
- OCG is responsible for picking up all trash in and around facility and depositing trash in provided trash containers.
- The Neu Chapel Deposit will be forfeit if OCG fails to leave the facilities in broom/vacuum-clean condition.
Parking and Traffic
- All UE speed limits and parking regulations must be followed by all OCG participants.
- Parking is available along Rotherwood Avenue, and in the campus lot across from Neu Chapel. Parking is not allowed on the campus lawn or in the fire lanes. View a map of the University of Evansville campus.
- There is no reserved parking for OCG’s guests.
Decorations and Flowers
- The flags in the chapel are permanent fixtures in the sanctuary. The three flags hanging at the east end of the sanctuary represent our institutional identity: our American campus, UE; our British campus, Harlaxton College; and our affiliation with The United Methodist Church. The eight interfaith banners represent the religious diversity on campus and the inclusive nature of Neu Chapel, a house of prayer for all religions. They cannot be removed for ceremonies in the chapel.
- Altar furniture must remain in place and not be moved, however the altar table may be rolled back or forth as necessary.
- Pew decorations should be used at a minimum.
- The wedding party is responsible for decorations before and after the ceremony. All setup and removal of decorations must be within your allotted time slot.
- Decorating the night of the rehearsal is not permitted since Neu Chapel is open to the campus community until 10:00 p.m.
- Occasionally, the sanctuary is decorated for church seasons or other special occasions. These decorations take precedence over other sanctuary activities. If the time of your wedding coincides with such decorations being present, the church decorations will remain in place.
- Only faux flower petals may be used inside Neu Chapel. The wedding party is responsible for clean up and take-away of the petals following the ceremony. Sparklers, rice, birdseed, confetti and other similar materials are not permitted.
