Civil Wedding Ceremonies in the Chapel

I need some assistance. In the past I have attended civil wedding ceremonies in an LDS chapel, but was told recently that this was no longer allowed. My daughter is getting married on October 21st, and the guest list keeps growing. We no longer will fit in any room except the cultural hall (which is being used for the reception) and the chapel. Is there a particular reason we cannot use the chapel? I don't want to go against our church policies, but also need to accommodate a lot more people that originally planned.

Any help is very appreciated. The wedding date is quickly approaching and I am starting to panic a bit.

Heidi
Clatskanie, Oregon

ticklegrass wrote:In the past I have attended civil wedding ceremonies in an LDS chapel, but was told recently that this was no longer allowed. . . . I don't want to go against our church policies . . .

The person performing the marriage (usually the bishop or stake president) determines where in the meetinghouse the ceremony will be performed. You should visit with that person, who should consult Handbook 1 for the guidance he needs to make that decision. If your bishop is the one to whom you have already spoken, you may wish to visit with your stake president.

As far as I can tell, it is allowed to have a civil marriage in the chapel, but it comes with some restrictions - such as no photography. I can see how local leaders may elect to not hold marriage in the chapel to avoid problems.

Thank you all for your replies. This has helped tremendously. The marriage ceremony is being performed by our bishop, so my daughter will run everything past him and get his approval. Still going to work on a backup plan just in case.