Weddings

Those eligible to be married in St. Dominic Chapel are:

• Providence College alumni
• Current members of faculty and staff
• Degree-seeking students

Either the bride, groom, or both the bride and groom must be Roman Catholic to be married in St. Dominic Chapel.

You must make arrangements for a Roman Catholic priest or deacon to officiate your wedding. Providence College does not assume this responsibility.

Your pastor or the officiating priest/deacon must complete all required church documents and ensure that Pre-Cana instruction is given by himself or another priest or deacon.

If a previous marriage is involved, official documentation of both the civil divorce and the formal Catholic Church annulment from the local diocese must be received prior to discussing a date for your wedding.

Please note that we will communicate only with the future bride and groom.

The Office of the Chaplain is pleased to provide you with two people who will assist you in planning your wedding in St. Dominic Chapel: the document coordinator and the wedding coordinator.

Document Coordinator

The document coordinator will:

1. assist you in reserving a date for your wedding;
2. answer any questions you may have about wedding policies and procedures;
3. coordinate the necessary paperwork and maintain your records;
4. on the Monday following the wedding (or the next business day), send notice of marriage to the parishes where the bride and groom were baptized, and send the entire pre-nuptial file and marriage documentation to St. Pius V parish office.

The document coordinator may be reached at weddings@providence.edu.

Wedding Coordinator

The wedding coordinator will:

1. arrange a meeting with you and your fiancé(e) in St. Dominic Chapel,
2. attend the wedding rehearsal, and attend the wedding ceremony.

Date and Time

During the academic year, weddings in St. Dominic Chapel may only be scheduled on Saturdays at 2:00pm or 4:00pm. During summer months (mid-June to mid-August) weddings may be scheduled on Fridays at 2:00pm in addition to Saturdays at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Weddings cannot be scheduled on Sundays or holidays.

Requesting a Temporary Reservation

After you have reviewed the wedding policy, you may contact the document coordinator to make a temporary reservation for your wedding date.

The reservation must be done at least six months, but no more than 18 months, in advance. 

The document coordinator will then send you:

1. the temporary reservation form, and
2. the agreement form between the officiating priest/deacon and the Office of the Chaplain at Providence College.

Confirming a Reservation

To confirm a reservation for your wedding date, you must submit the following items within 30 days of the date of the temporary reservation form:

1. A completed temporary reservation form
2. The signed agreement form between the officiating priest/deacon and the Office of the Chaplain at Providence College
3. Written permission, on church letterhead, from the pastor of either the bride’s or the groom’s parish to celebrate your wedding in St. Dominic Chapel
4. A check payable to Providence College in the amount of $500.00. This check is a non-refundable, tax-deductible contribution to the College. Please include on the check the name of the bride and the groom, as well as the date and time of your wedding.
5. A second separate check, also payable to Providence College, in the amount of $500.00. This check is non-refundable and not tax-deductible, in payment for the services of the document coordinator and the wedding coordinator.

Within 30 days of the date on the temporary reservation form, these five items, individually or together, should be sent to:

Providence College
Office of the Chaplain
1 Cunningham Square
Providence, RI 02918-0001

When these five items have been received by the Office of the Chaplain, we will permanently reserve and confirm, in writing, the date and time you have requested.

Please note that all persons reserving St. Dominic Chapel for a wedding must use the services of our director of liturgical music, who will guide you through the process of selecting appropriate music for your ceremony, according to the requirements of Catholic liturgy. It is recommended that you contact the director of liturgical music six months prior to your wedding. 

The director of liturgical music is responsible for making all the arrangements for musicians and vocalists for your wedding ceremony. Only musicians affiliated with St. Dominic Chapel may play or sing at your wedding.

The Office of the Chaplain often receives requests from couples inquiring as to whether a relative, family member, friend, or other musician may sing or play at their wedding. We regret that we are unable to honor requests for participation by musicians or soloists who are not affiliated with St. Dominic Chapel. Because of the large number of weddings that are celebrated in the Chapel, there is not enough rehearsal time available for us to work with other musicians.

There are separate fees for the services of an organist ($200.00) and cantor/soloist ($200.00).  Their services are required.

If you request additional instruments (e.g., trumpet, violin, etc.) there will be additional separate fees. Additional instrumentalists are optional; their fees are also $200.00 per person.

Please note that additional instruments are not allowed outside the Chapel. Bagpipes are not allowed either in or outside the Chapel.

Providence College priests do not receive a stipend; therefore it is customary to give the officiating priest a gratuity. The traditional monetary gift is $100.00.

Responsibilities after Your Date Is Set

Obtain your civil marriage license.

Meet with your local pastor for the required pre-marital investigation.

Make arrangements with your local pastor or officiating priest/deacon for a marriage preparation program (Pre-Cana Conference).

Church Documents

In order for your wedding to take place in St. Dominic Chapel the following documents must be sent to the Diocese of Providence at least 3 months before the wedding date.

1. The completed pre-marriage investigation form
2. A newly-issued baptismal certificates for both the bride and groom, dated within six months of the marriage (but not earlier)
3. Copies of first communion and confirmation certificates for both the bride and groom (if those entries do not appear on the baptismal certificate)
4. Certification that the bride and groom have completed “Pre-Cana” instruction
5. Where applicable, necessary dispensation(s)

These church documents should be sent by your officiant to:

Chancery Office
Diocese of Providence
1 Cathedral Square
Providence, RI 02903

Your wedding cannot take place in St. Dominic Chapel until the Diocese of Providence has received all of these documents.

Civil Marriage License

You must also obtain a civil marriage license from the State of Rhode Island. The license can be obtained at

Providence City Hall
Records Office
25 Dorrance Street
Providence, RI, 02903

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Please call ahead to ensure that the office is open; the phone number is 401.421.7740. You should plan to obtain your marriage license at least one month in advance of your wedding date.

To obtain a civil marriage license, both the bride and groom must appear in person and present a birth certificate, passport, or baptismal certificate. If applicable, divorce papers must also be presented.

No waiting period or blood test is required for a marriage license in Rhode Island.

Out-of-state clergy do not need a permit to officiate at a wedding in Rhode Island.

Please bring the civil marriage license to the wedding rehearsal. Your wedding cannot take place unless the marriage license is presented.

Wedding Rehearsal

For a Saturday wedding, the rehearsal is held on the Friday prior to the wedding at either 5:30pm or 6:30pm. For a Friday wedding (mid-June to mid-August), the rehearsal is held on the Thursday prior to the wedding at 4:30pm.

Please do not book your rehearsal dinner until you have a confirmed rehearsal time.

All parties involved in the rehearsal should plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before the rehearsal. Your wedding rehearsal should take less than an hour.

The officiating priest or deacon will conduct the rehearsal. The wedding coordinator will be available to assist as necessary.

Wedding Day

St. Dominic Chapel is reserved for two hours, beginning 30 minutes immediately preceding the scheduled start time of the ceremony, and ending 90 minutes after the ceremony is scheduled to begin, as follows:

• For a 2:00 p.m. wedding: 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
• For a 4:00 p.m. wedding: 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Ushers are to be present in the Chapel at least 30 minutes before the ceremony. Ushers should be prepared to begin seating guests as soon as they arrive.

The groom and best man should be in the vesting sacristy at least 30 minutes before the ceremony.

The bride and her bridal party should arrive at least 15 minutes before the ceremony.

Arriving on time for the wedding rehearsal and wedding ceremony is essential. Punctuality is a sign of respect for all involved parties.

Photographers and Videographers

Please advise your photographer and/or videographer to be discreet and respectful of the sacrament being celebrated.

They are permitted in the plaza area outside the Chapel after the ceremony, providing the area is cleared within the designated completion time of the reservation.

Photographs are permitted inside the Chapel after the ceremony only if there is no other wedding or church service taking place after the ceremony.

Photographs may be taken on the grounds of Providence College, but are not permitted inside any of the buildings on campus.

Flowers and Decorations

The interior and outside plaza of St. Dominic Chapel are beautifully and tastefully designed sacred spaces that need little embellishment.

Two flower arrangements are permitted, placed in front of the pillars on either side of the altar. Pedestals are available if you choose to use them.

Flowers may not be placed anywhere else in the Chapel.

Nothing may be attached to the pews.

Carpet/Aisle Runner

The use of any type of carpet or aisle runner is not allowed in St. Dominic Chapel. Tile floors covered by carpet or aisle runner create a safety hazard.

Chairs and Kneelers

Furniture arrangements are standard for all weddings in St. Dominic Chapel.

The wedding coordinator will review the options when you meet. Please do not rearrange any chairs or kneelers.

Parking

Only limousines are permitted to park on the street beside St. Dominic Chapel. No other vehicles are permitted to park on this street.

The area around the chapel is a designated fire lane and cars parked on the street will be tagged and towed.

No vehicles, including limousines, are permitted to park in the plaza area of the chapel.

Parking for guests is located behind the chapel. There are a limited number of handicapped parking spaces next to and diagonally across from the chapel.

Other Details

Throwing rice, confetti, flower petals, birdseed, or using bubbles on the Chapel grounds or anywhere on campus is not permitted. No balloons or other decorations are permitted.

The use of alcohol of any kind is not permitted anywhere on campus.

We encourage you to greet your guests outside in the plaza area after the ceremony, and recommend that a formal receiving line take place at the reception location.

After your wedding has taken place, your permanent records will be kept at St. Pius V Church:

240 Eaton Street
Providence, RI, 02908

The phone number is 401.751.4871. This church is adjacent to Providence College.

Notification of your marriage will be sent by the document coordinator to the respective churches of baptism of both the bride and the groom.

The readings at a Catholic wedding liturgy are a proclamation of God’s word and of the Church’s faith about marriage. For this reason, they are limited to readings from Sacred Scripture (the Bible). There are nine options for the first reading from the Old Testament, seven options for the responsorial psalm, thirteen options for the second reading from the New Testament, and ten options for the Gospel. You choose one from each of these categories.

You may find it helpful to reflect prayerfully on each reading and to choose those that speak to your hopes and dreams for your Christian marriage. The links below include the reading options in their entirety, as well as commentary to provide some context and highlight key themes in each reading.

When a wedding falls on a Solemnity, the readings of the day should be used.

Old Testament Readings

Responsorial Psalms

New Testament Readings

Gospel Readings