After reviewing the information on this website, contact the Chapel office at heinzchapel@pitt.edu to make your reservation.
Check our wedding calendar for available dates and times. Times listed may be unavailable as a reservation is in process. We make updates to the calendar once a reservation is complete.
Heinz Chapel has no waiting list. Wedding dates are available for reservation from the current month through two years out.
The fee for a wedding at Heinz Chapel is $1500. The full amount is due upon making the reservation. There is a 15% discount if either of the couple holds a degree from the University of Pittsburgh or if either of the couple are current and former military personnel. Discounts cannot be combined. See separate fee for New Year's Even weddings.
To reschedule, select a new date from the dates and times currently available. Requests for a rescheduled date received less than 180 days prior to the scheduled wedding will be charged a $250 change fee. A confirmed wedding date may be rescheduled only one time.
If you cancel within 30 days of your reservation date, you can receive a refund minus a $250 handling fee. Any cancellations made after 30 days are non-refundable. To cancel. please submit a written letter or email of request.
During the months of May, June, July and August, weddings may be scheduled on Sundays at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. These weddings will have a 45 minute rehearsal on the preceding Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., respectively.
Sunday weddings can be reserved following the usual scheduling procedure for each month. Please consult the specific wedding times.
Each wedding is given one hour and 45 minutes on the day of the wedding ceremony. Access to the chapel is allowed 30 minutes prior to the ceremony for preparation and the seating of guests. One hour and fifteen minutes is designated for the ceremony and photography.
Adhering to the designated schedule ensures that each wedding receives its allotted time free of disruption.
If you would like more than one hour for your ceremony and photographs, you may reserve two wedding times (for example, 11:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.) provided they are available when you call to schedule your ceremony. Payment is required for each time, so the cost would be doubled.
Each wedding has a 45-minute rehearsal at a designated time on the day prior to the wedding. Please consult the specific wedding times.
Only wax candles are allowed for a unity ceremony at Heinz Chapel and only in the chancel area. The chapel can provide a holder for the unity candle. The wedding couple is responsible for providing a unity candle with a base diameter of 2-3 inches and two side candles. Sand, grains, chemicals, wine, beer, oil or any other liquids are not permitted for unity ceremonies.
Alcoholic beverages, except for traditional communion wine, are not allowed in Heinz Chapel. Sparklers, lanterns or candle holders, throwing rice, confetti, birdseed, or flower petals inside the Chapel or on the Chapel grounds are not allowed. Sand, grains, chemicals, wine, beer, oil or any other liquids are not permitted. Pulling children or others in wagons is not allowed. Butterfly, insects or bird releases are not allowed. The use of drones inside the Chapel or on Chapel grounds is not permitted.
Non-plastic aisle runners are to be provided by the wedding couple or florist and must be 100 feet in length.
Candelabras can be provided by wedding couple or the florist and must include flameless candles. Candelabras are allowed in the chancel area only.
Under our COVID19 guidelines, flower deliveries are not allowed at the Chapel. When the health and safety measures are lifted, flower deliveries are allowed beginning at your wedding access time. It is your responsibility to contact your florist and inform them of your access time.
See our guidelines for flower decorations at Heinz Chapel.
Microphones are available for the wedding couple, officiant, readers, and a vocalist.
Recorded music is not permitted in Heinz Chapel.
As part of your wedding fee, an organist is provided to play the Heinz Chapel Reuter organ. They will play 1-2 processional pieces and one recession piece. You will be asked to choose those pieces from our available list two months before your wedding date. The organist also plays prelude and postlude music while your guests are arriving and exiting.
You are allowed to bring in outside musicians for your ceremony. Notification to the Chapel of any outside musicians must be made two months prior to your wedding. Musical groups must be counted as your attendees and fit within the building space. Special permission for musicians to access the balcony must be obtained. The Chapel can provide microphones, stands and music stands for musicians but equipment is limited. No other Chapel sound equipment or systems may be accessed.
Unfortunately, the Chapel is closed to visitors until further notice due to the pandemic. If you are interested in a virtual wedding tour, email heinzchapel@pitt.edu and we will set up a date and time for a Zoom tour.
Heinz Memorial Chapel
University of Pittsburgh
Fifth and Bellefield Avenues
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
The chapel seats approximately 350 people.
Heinz Chapel is nondenominational, and no clergy are directly affiliated with the chapel. The wedding couple is responsible for securing the services of an authorized religious or civil officer.
Because of the limited time of one hour for ceremony and photography, receiving lines are not permitted at Heinz Chapel. However, two times may be reserved to accommodate a receiving line.
Photography is permitted before, during, and after wedding ceremonies at Heinz Chapel.
Only service animals are permitted in Heinz Chapel.
The Chapel provides separate lounge areas for each of the wedding couple. These areas are available upon access time for your wedding (30 minutes before your ceremony time). Due to the limited time before your ceremony, we advise that you do not use the waiting areas to dress before the ceremony. All personal items from the downstairs' waiting area must be removed prior to the ceremony.
As part of your wedding fee, the Chapel provides two wedding coordinators who will coordinator your rehearsal and wedding time in the Chapel. Approximately two weeks before your date, a Heinz Chapel wedding coordinator will contact you to discuss the details of your wedding and the information you have provided on your ceremony form
Reserved parking on the left side of Bellefield Avenue is provided as part of your reservation.
There are two accessible parking spaces adjacent to the chapel on Bellefield Avenue. You must have the designated plate or hang tag to park in the spaces.
A level, paved sidewalk leads from the two accessible parking spaces to an automatic door on the north side of the chapel (facing Fifth Avenue). An elevator provides access to the chapel and an accessible restroom on the lower level.
Heinz Memorial Chapel is a non-sectarian chapel on the University of Pittsburgh campus, a gift to the university from Henry John Heinz.
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