Grace Cathedral

The canon law of the Episcopal Church requires that at least one person in the couple be a baptized Christian. It is not necessary to be a member of the cathedral congregation, nor to be an Episcopalian, to have one’s wedding celebration here. Nevertheless, a wedding in the cathedral is different from a ceremony that takes place in any other location. We hope that couples who come to the cathedral seeking God’s blessing on their relationship will be open to a discussion of the spiritual nature of that relationship and the place of God in their lives.

Clergy on staff of the cathedral will normally officiate at all weddings. Clergy are assigned to weddings according to their availability on the ceremony date. Clergy of other denominations, including those of other faith traditions, may assist the Episcopal priest.

Weddings are usually booked on Fridays or Saturdays. Weekday ceremonies are subject to availability on the cathedral calendar and require pre-approval from the office of the congregation before booking.

Weddings are not scheduled on Sundays, during Holy Week, over Memorial Day weekend or during the month of December.

Weddings in the cathedral use the sacred rites of the episcopal Church as approved for use by the Diocese of California, most often “The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage 2”. The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is the text used for scriptural readings.

Three to four sessions of preparatory instruction are required for all couples. Meetings are scheduled at the mutual convenience of the officiant and the couple.

Only sacred music may be performed; popular music in the form of secular love songs or romantic ballads is not suitable for weddings at Grace Cathedral. The wedding specialist will provide you with a list of appropriate music selections that has been pre-approved. Exceptions to this list are subject to the approval of the Music Department.

Floral arrangements are not required for wedding ceremonies. Should you choose to hire a florist, the wedding specialist will provide you with the floral requirements for your wedding space along with directions for scheduling delivery.

These are permitted within specified guidelines. The wedding specialist will provide you with an information/permission form for you to review and forward to your photographer and/or videographer outlining the requirements for capturing cathedral weddings. The form must be signed and returned to the wedding coordinator. Couple are allotted thirty minutes following the ceremony for pictures.

The wedding fee includes preparatory counseling, organist and organ music, verger, sound engineer, wedding coordinator, the wedding space, rehearsal, dressing rooms, and the wedding service leaflet. For current pricing, contact the wedding specialist.