"Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married . . .Goin' to the chapel of love."
Those lyrics of an old pop hit song apply to thousands of Penn State alumni who have pledged their wedding vows in Eisenhower Chapel on the University Park campus.
"Many alumni met and fell in love while they were students at Penn State," said Jacqueline Riley, staff assistant in the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, who is responsible for scheduling weddings at Eisenhower Chapel. "It's only appropriate for them to be married in the chapel."
According to Kenneth Clarke, director of the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, university campus chapels are very popular for weddings and at some institutions are exceptionally busy.
"It's not unusual to have a full weekend of weddings at Eisenhower Chapel from May through October," he said. "Most involve alumni since there is a great deal of sentiment attached to Penn State by former students and many have a desire to be married in the chapel. But immediate families of faculty and staff members also use it heavily.
"Although we haven't made an exact count from our records, I believe that there have been thousands of weddings held at the chapel since it was built in 1956."
To be married in the chapel, the bride or bridegroom must be a full-time student, alumna/alumnus, full-time employee of Penn State, or a member of the immediate family of a faculty or staff member. People of any faith may schedule weddings, as long as the ceremony is officiated by an ordained minister, priest or rabbi. The ceremony must meet the legal requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In the case of Julie and Dan Dorlon III, a couple married in the the chapel earlier this month, the bride had several links to the University. She is a 1991 graduate of Penn State and just completed the University's art education certification program as a graduate student. She currently works as an exhibits coordinator for University Libraries on the University Park campus. Her husband, a graduate of Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., is operations manager for EnergyAnswers Corp., Albany, N.Y.
Most weddings are held on Saturday since worship services are conducted in the chapel on Sunday and Campus Ministries groups use the space throughout the week. Each wedding reservation at the all-faith chapel, which seats a maximum of 125, is for two hours, allowing four weddings on a Saturday.
"We currently have reservations and deposits for weddings up until the year 2002," Riley said. "Some people make a reservation well in advance to make certain they get the precise time they are interested in. But it's a myth that there is a two-year waiting list to hold a wedding in Eisenhower. Actually, you need only schedule two weeks before the event and, if there is an opening, it will be fitted into the schedule."
Clarke expects the number of weddings held on campus to increase, especially in light of the planned expansion of Eisenhower Chapel. Design of a new multi-faith spiritual center, to include an 800-seat worship area, currently is under way.
"The additional space may allow for more weddings," he said. "At the same time, there may be other activities in that new space on Saturdays. One of the things we need to think through is whether we can have weddings taking place simultaneously in the all-faith chapel and the new spiritual center. Both will be available. It's something for us to think about in terms of feasibility."
Both Clarke and Riley have vivid recollections of Eisenhower Chapel weddings.
"One particular one that comes to mind was held during the blizzard at the end of spring break in March 1993," Clarke said. "The family decided not to cancel, and Jane Wettstone, our staff assistant, played a major role by coming in on her skis to open the chapel and assist with the wedding."
"Because of the snowstorm, the wedding started two hours late," Wettstone said. "The organist, Tony Leach, just kept playing and everyone remained calm. It was a lovely experience."
Riley recalls one couple who planned to get married while they were students at Penn State, but then went their separate ways after graduation. Married and divorced, they returned to the campus years later.
"They came back for an alumni reunion and fell in love again," Riley said. "They arranged to get married on Sept. 9, 1999, since that was exactly 40 years from the date on which they originally had planned their wedding.
"Since it fell on a Thursday, they couldn't get married in the all-faith chapel, but we were able to use a smaller chapel in Eisenhower that holds 12 people. I get caught up in those kinds of stories. I just love them."
Wedding reservation forms for Eisenhower Chapel may be obtained by calling (814) 865-6548 or by e-mail at jxr53@psu.edu.
To view more photos from this wedding, and to tell us about your own wedding experiences, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/stories/weddings/.