What is Chapel of Love?

 

Chapel of Love is a one of a kind ceremony sanctuary and coordinating service.  Choose to pledge your vows inside our quaint European inspired Victorian architecture hand crafted by a groom for his bride  or  beneath  our wondrous tropical palms before lavish gardens, water features, and  intricate gazebos.  Our property couldn't get any sweeter :)  Reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel's fairy tale...  built with love for his sweetheart.  A wife's dream come true.

 If you're looking for an immaculate turn key, full service ceremony setting designed for travelers and it's local community near and far, then this magical place is for you! 

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1)  Convenience :  Just 40 minutes north of Orlando, home to more than a dozen theme parks,  clients that frequent our all-inclusive system are an assortment of all ages, income ranges, and strata's of society.   Further, their dream wedding does not always warrant elaborate bells and whistles, rather a nuptial where fun,  intimacy,  and adventure prevail.  Our typical vacationing client does not always come to Florida with marriage on the mind, but because our region is so magical,  the contemporary couple embraces the feeling and spontaneity wins!!  Our consultants will assist in as little notice as a same day elopement to an elaborate pre-planned gala affair of up to years in advance. 

 

2)   Legalities:  Obtaining a marriage license for Florida's Hometown Chapel is easy as pie. You may hire our coordinating service for just $100 in addition to the state required $86 application fee 0R  apply by providing your state ID or passports in a Florida court house that may be geographically friendly to where you are staying:   http://www.stateofflorida.com/clerks-of-court.aspxliveor  Out of the country and out of state residents will receive their license on the spot.  Floridians must wait 3 days before using their license. 

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What ceremony times are offered?

Our general window for performing is from 9 am  until 9 pm.  Wedding ceremony start times can vary depending on the season.  Dusk arrives earlier come November through February, so evening ceremonies begin as early as 4:30, whereas March through October is 6:00-10:00.  Romantic holidays such as Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, and Thanksgiving services can roll until midnight! In any case, we ask you to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your ceremony start time and you will be given 45 minutes post ceremony for posed family and garden photography 

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Do you provide a minister or officiant?  Can we bring our own?  YES... All of our wedding packages include the officiant, although you are welcomed to "BYOM".  Supplying your own minister would not increase or decrease the price however.

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Are you LGBT friendly ?  YES !

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Do we get a rehearsal ?   Yes, if you are planning a more traditional event, we ask that the couple and attendants arrive 30 minutes prior to the ceremony for rehearsal.  Weddings are personal. If you are interested in keeping with tradition where the groom catches his first glimpse upon the bride's walk down the aisle, the bride and groom should arrive minutes apart. When the bride arrives, she retreats to the bridal room while her escort, groom and bridal party are shown what to do by their coordinator. 

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Can we schedule a rehearsal the night or two before the day of the event?  YES. We are happy to accommodate for an additional $100.  We do recognize the tradition and how it can be almost as much fun to plan a party before the party! There are several local hot spots in our hometown of Eustis as well as the sister town of Mt. Dora for your rehearsal dinner to follow.  Allow us to make a recommendation that may fit within your budget! 

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How long does it take to get married at Chapel of Love ?  Most wedding ceremonies are 15 to 20 minutes in length, although again, we ask the bridal party (if any) to arrive  15-30 minutes prior to acclimate for groups of 10 or less,  or to rehearse for the larger parties. Similarly, we provide 15-45 minutes after the ceremony for altar formals and garden photography. 

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When should we book our date ?  As soon as you are sure of your date and time!  We have couples who book as early as a year in advance for a more traditional affair and others,  spontaneously come from the hustle and bustle of the big city, or an airport, whimsically on track for an intimate garden ceremony that may have been arranged for by phone earlier that day! In any case, we do need to know you are coming in advance before we can tie the knot!  For those looking for more traditional accommodations, it is important to place your deposit as soon as you are able.  Times can book up quickly! The sooner you deposit, the sooner you are secure. There is no lead time required, just remember, first come first serve

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How much deposit is required to book a date and what is your refund policy?   A  $200 retainer is required to secure your date and time.  The remaining balance is due in full 90 days prior to the event.   Although the retainer is non-refundable, it  is transferable to a new date / time up to one year from the originally scheduled date as long as a 60  day prior cancellation notice is given.  If a cancellation is requested  within 90 days,  all monies paid will be forfeited.  

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Can you pencil me in for a specific date ?   Yes, with the required deposit.  Visit location pages for deposit information

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Can I get married today or tomorrow?  Most often Yes, if you have your marriage license and need immediate nuptials, we are ready when you are!  Appointment must be made for this to be successful.

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Do you have a reception venue ?  We are offering all-inclusive garden receptions for up to 40 on the patios by the gazebo. Your choice of cocktail hour only or "first dance" package which includes cake, meal, bar service, dancing, speeches and champagne toast.  There is a dedicated tab on our website if you are interested in gaining more information.  Ask your coordinator for additional reception options off-2

site. 

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Can I hire one of your ministers to come to a different site?

Yes … We work with a complete log of ministers. We strive to secure a minister who is geographically friendly to your event for $250 if your site is within 30 miles of the minister’s home base. An additional $50 premium is added for each additional 20 miles.

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Are we allowed to personalize the wedding? ie. I want to say my own vows,  light  a unity candle, blend the unity sand, include my children The Little Wedding Chapel's Chapel of Love coordinators have 30 years of wedding related experience.  Whether it be a unity candle, sand ceremony, hand fasting, coin ceremony, lasso ceremony, rings, no rings, sing songs, jump the broom, etc etc.  We have probably seen it and have incorporated it.   Products for the ritualistic traditions are not provided, but if you bring your own, we will oblige. 

I have a special song I want to walk down the aisle to and recess out on is that ok ?   YES.  We have a digital sound system. Requests for music must be submitted no later than your confirmation call the week before your event.  If, in the case of same day bookings, we can usually pull it off if available on our downloadable sources. 

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Can we have flower petals on the aisle?  Yes,  Inside: silk only .  Outside:  fresh only

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Can we throw rice or bird seed?   NO, but after ceremony substitutes may include wish lanterns, bubbles, bells, streamer wands, balloon or dove releases.

Can we decorate the chapel our way and add or take away decor?

NO.  Although most of our arrangements that decorate our wedding chapels are silk, they are floral colors in muted tones so all parties should blend and meld with the neutral scheme.  Additionally, one of the benefits of the  "chapel system" is the all- inclusiveness.  Decor is just one more expense you do not need to worry about

 How many people can I have in my bridal party ?

Chapel of love was designed for small intimate weddings.  Along with a limited number of no more than 65 guests, we ask that you include no more than 10 grown up attendants total ( 5 on each side) along with an additional flower girl or ring bearer or two. 
 

Can we get dressed at the chapel ?  

YES.  There are private dressing rooms available for each partner to dress. The  bridal party needs to be dressed upon arrival.  Hair,  makeup, nails should always be done prior to arriving.
 

Must we have on formal attire ?  The diversity of our clientele boggles the mind.  Wear whatever you like, just wear something!

What happens if we arrive too early or too late?  Our reservation schedule/calendar can get quite full so we will need to adhere to your time frame listed on your chapel contract.  Hosting sometimes up to 5 weddings a day is how we keep the cost affordable.  Our business model and timeline has worked great for almost 30 years.   Sometimes guests are traveling from far away and arrive early when another wedding is finishing up.  Right up the street, the 7,000 acre Lake Eustis & downtown area is .1 mile or 9 blocks West of The Little Wedding Chapel.  Early guests often  enjoy Ferran Park's scenic Lake Walk before you walk down the aisle to say your I DO's   As far as arriving late ?  Well if there is a wedding behind your contracted time, although a bummer you were not able to be on time.   It would not be appropriate to push back the next party due in, and ruin their whole timeline ?   So please be on time, as we do best we can to make every couples experience the best we can.  Again, Our schedule and timeline has done well for thousands and thousands of couples over almost 30 years .

 

Is there anything to do in Eustis  or places to stay ?  Of course!  Ask your Chapel representative  for a resource list that may fit your fancy or for a more comprehensive review

We are planning on getting married next year.  Can we do our engagement shoot in the gardens at the chapel ?

Of course !  Chris can book your $150 1 hour engagement photo session any time after you make a reservation for your wedding, 

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Our "reception" is outside if it rains then what ?   During hurricane/rain (June-Oct) season we pretty well require you book a commercial Event tent as well (+ $500)       This if Florida.  LWC is an "outdoor recpetion venue"  If you book during that season, you understood what you were getting into when you booked it.   In general it has not been a huge issue.   Occasionally we have rescheduled weddings by perhaps a week or so.   However.  A reception Tent is pretty much a must from June - Oct/Nov !  NOTE: sometimes as an event is approaching and we look at the forcast, we may reach out if a tent has not been "booked".  Clients sometimes take the "wait and see approach".  This is NOT recomended for 2 reasons.  If rain is in the forcast an early passing shower might happen while you are inside getting married, however Logisticaly your place settings and tables and chairs had been set up way before that and everything is soaked.   Also Event Tent rental companies do not have "endless" supplies of tents.   Occasionally during graduation season,  and even the heavy fall wedding season in Florida, if we try to schedule a tent the week of, sometimes no one has any avialable.   We do not control the weather.  We do not control "rental companies inventory" !     For very small groups we offer 4 10x10 festival tents for $200.   These types of tents offer "some protection" however when you put them side by side for a long 40x10 covered space, that type of tent coverage will indeed leak where they butt up against each other, so it is not ideal, but it is at least "something".   Think of your guest experience, and plan ahead ! 

 

If it rained and we had no tent, can we simply eat inside the chapel ?

NO   

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