Bastyr University Reviews

>>An Interracial Lesbian Couples view on the religious aspect of this Non-Denominational ceremony venue.
I thought giving a more detailed review on the “religion” aspect of the space might be helpful to some.
Wedding chapel is listed as a Non-denominational space open to all genders and religions.
As an interracial lesbian couple we were exited to tour this beautiful grand space that we had seen so many photos of online.
Once we got there we realized that the previous catholic chapel is in the original state that it once was when used as strictly a Catholic space.
First and second testament quotes are part of the 10+ stained glass windows along with other religious images.
Jesus is on the cross 12+ times on the walls above the pews. These murals of Jesus are permanent and are actually part of the walls.
The architecture in this chapel is breathtaking, oh so beautiful but you already know that if you have simply “googled” the space.
As stated before we are an interracial couple, we have many family members that come from different parts of the world, who have different religions, and ideally hearing about such a beautiful space that was this grand and unique and on top of it is non-denominational got us very excited! Once we got there we realized that the Catholic religion is all over the space. We love the space, we respect the catholic religion but we don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable during our ceremony. For some the amount of religious aspect in this space might be a bit overwhelming. For example Jesus is on the cross over 10x hanging above the pews where guests would be seating. So unfortunately we had to pass on this venue. Again its so beautiful but this review is just to help others understand how “Non-Denominational” the space actually is.

Perfect for couples who want a BEAUTIFUL wedding (and on a budget!).

If you want a royal wedding, HERE YOU GO! We loved hosting our special wedding day at Bastyr University Chapel! We absolutely adored the venue, and our guests did too! Thank you Emma for all your help during rehearsal and during the event to ensure all the equipment and everything was working flawlessly. We loved it and appreciate all the memories.

We choose this chapel for its incredible beauty, all inclusivity equipment, beautiful location and budget. We wanted to spend less time on things like decor and setting up tables/av, and more time with our loved ones.

Best pros which saved us a ton of time and funds.
1) No decor needed - the chapel is already gorgeous, and so is the exterior if you want some photos/videos
2) Equipment included - mics, av, stand, chairs, check-in tables, table cloths, brooms, changing rooms, table cloths, etc.
3) Amazing floor space and acoustics: We had lots of bollywood style dancing and performances so floor space and acoustics were important!
4) Serene - In the middle of a state park (perfect for fall, winter or summer)
Free parking for all your guests!
5) Someone on sight to help ensure things run smoothly (note, this is a staff member, and not a wedding coordinator or technician)
6) Fits up to 200+ people do you don't have to compromise on the guestlist. We only had around 80 max to keep it intimate as we wanted to interact with everyone.
7) Affordable price - We would probably not have had a wedding if venue prices were any higher! Honestly this is a great deal.

Cons:
- Strict no food policy, though the cafeteria is right. I wish they allowed us to at least serve cake/dessert outside within the time frame as it's a cultural tradition. We brought water bottles for our guests.

Instead of a traditional ceremony followed by reception, we had an intimate party the day prior at our apartment lounge with food.

Cost as of 10/2019 is $1400 for summer-Oct, and $1100 for winter months. $250 deposit. This was one of the best prices when we were shopping around. Alternatives were community centers but they required us to do all the setup and decor, which we didn't want to burden our loved ones with.

Absolutely Recommend for any couple who wants a BEAUTIFUL wedding (and on a budget!).

This place was everything I dreamed my wedding to be in reference to “going to the chapel to get married” It was exceptionally beautiful and the staff were very friendly and helpful the entire process!

This is a European style Chapel in Kenmore that is perfect for anyone's wedding day including mine! I dreamed of having a church wedding but this chapel was beyond my dreams! Thank you to the wonderful staff there to make my ceremony go on without a problem. The AV equipment, such as the microphones and music player were wonderful have at no extra charge. Free parking for my guests was so nice to not have added charges for them. Again thank you for making my wedding ceremony the thing of dreams!

Bastyr was the perfect venue. I could not have chosen the more perfect venue for my wedding. It was absolutely beautiful.

Everything was beautiful and perfect! The chapel was gorgeous and perfect for our wedding. The staff were so friendly and comforting, I didn't have to stress about our timeline because they helped out!

Wonderful to work with, made everything so easy! Beautiful Location!

Beautiful Church and awesome staff to work with! :)

beautiful place for a wedding but very difficult to work with regarding candles. Had a cafeteria there but wouldn't allow us to use it because they moved the kitchen. Although that had nothing to do with the use of the room since we needed no kitchen they would not bendS so we had to rent a second facility for the reception

Bastyr University chapel is gorgeous and its value is entirely in its magnificance (although I was surprised that it was so cheap to do a ceremony there). They just managed to stay in my mind as the one vendor that came awfully close to ruining my wedding morning. You see, they require (like all vendors,) wedding insurance. And wedding insurance was purchased in advance and faxed over to them. But they failed to check their fax. On the morning of the wedding I received a phone call saying they won't let anyone in because they don't have proof of insurance. I called the groom (who was responsible for getting it). Then for the next couple of hours, instead of getting ready as calmly as possible on your wedding day, what we did was fax insurance and try tp confirm that they got it. Well we called and called and called and called and nobody picked up on about 3 different lines. So basically I was under the impression that I'm going to be arriving to a crowded hallway full of overheated and majorly upset guests. The groom's brother ended up having to hand it to a rep once he got there. Then they checked the fax, and ALAS!!! Proof of insurance was right there!!! Way to ruin the special day ladies. If you called me about it even the day before this episode probably wouldn't have even registered in my mind!

Scheduling the rehearsal was relatively easy. They are real sticklers for time, and we were definitely reminded that our time is almost up and we need to get out. I also didn't really care for staff's attire. But considering that Bastyr offers this venue as a favor to the public rather than gets into the wedding business, I still feel lucky to have been able to have my ceremony there.

The isle is worth any other hassles. And the background is absolutely stunning.