I happen to be a graduate student at Rice, but anyone is allowed to use the chapel at Rice, you just have to pay a higher fee if not a student/alumni. The chapel is gorgeous and a perfect size for an intimate wedding. But it is in a school and weddings are not Rice U top priority. I did have a good experience booking the chapel and they were quick at responding to emails, but there is not a lot of flexibility when using the chapel. You are not allowed to store anything in the chapel before or after the wedding, and unless you want to pay more per hour, you get a limited amount of time to set-up and take down the decor. The groom's room was little more than a storage closet, so I let the boys get ready in the bride's room, but there was no one to unlock the room at the appropriate time. It was a hassle to find someone on Saturday to open the room for them. Be prepared to work around their contract, but it is a great location and the campus is absolutely beautiful so I still absolutely loved it.

The Rice Chapel is a gorgeous location for small, intimate ceremonies. It only seats 200, so it is perfect for a smaller ceremony. It is a non-denominational chapel, but the Catholic church allows ceremonies here, so if you are not a member of a local diocese, but want a Catholic ceremony in Houston, your choices are Rice Chapel, UH Chapel, and the downtown Cathedral.

Keep in mind that it is a university setting, and that the office that rents the chapel is a student affairs office, so you have to be OK with not being the #1 priority, and with students wandering around. Time your wedding against the student calendar!

For an extra $200 you can hire the organist, which is an awesome addition to the ceremony. He's impossible to get in touch with, but he knows the greater canon of wedding music, and shows up on time, so don't sweat it.

There's no more beautiful place in Houston than the Rice campus, so for the low cost, the Rice Chapel is a terrific value.

I agree with the other bride's comment but you can also rent the chapel if you have a family member that works there. My husband's mom works at Rice and we were able to book the Chapel through her. The Chapel is beautiful and the entire vaccinity is great! Great for pictures!

We had a minor misunderstand as to when the chapel should have been opened. My bridesmaids and I had planned to get there early and relax before the wedding (in the small bridal room that they have) but the chapel was not open. It took about an hour to finally get someoen from security to go open the chapel. Even my florists was out there waiting. The admin office would not do anything about it after the fact. They claimed that their paperwork showed a different time to open. I didn't fight it too much since the wedding was able to start at the scheduled time.

In order to be married at the Rice Chapel, you must be a student or alumni. If you fit into this category, and have a relatively small number of guests, the chapel is a beautiful place for a wedding ceremony. Lidia never answers the phone but is responsive to email. We dropped by one day without an appointment and she was able to meet with us immediately.

Pros - Lovely chapel, with beautiful gold background and organ. On a sunny day, the light gleams through the stained glass and is gorgeous. Can take pictures in the tree-filled courtyard. The acoustics are incredible - we had a violinist play from the balcony and the music soared through the chapel.

Cons - Have to buy parking passes for guests. Have to work with Rice organist, can't bring in own. Have to organize own officiant and bring in all decorations, etc.

I love this chapel.

We knew we wanted to get married at Rice for clear and obvious reasons so we booked the venue with ease. From there our liaison confused us with another wedding happening on the same day, and we ended up having misunderstandings regarding music, insurance costs, rental fees and thereon...do not deal with the day-to-day liaison - ask for the Director. It was a wonderful venue and as an alum, I was only disappointed with the liaison. The organist, the venue, the timing on day of event, all worth it.