Weddings at St. James
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! In the Church, Holy Matrimony is a sacred and time-honored tradition when two people come together to make a covenant of marriage. We would be honored for you to have your wedding on our campus and invite you to look over our guidelines and FAQ’s below. Once you’ve looked over things, please reach out to our rector to make an official inquiry.
Please note, Episcopal clergy are only able to officiate weddings that follow the authorized ceremonies of the Episcopal Church which can be found here. You are also more than welcome to use an ordained minister from a commonly recognized denomination (with approval) in our main sanctuary. Other ministers/legal representatives can officiate weddings in our event center and outdoor chapel.
For questions and inquiries, email our rector at willberry@saintjamesji.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely! We welcome all couples to inquire about weddings, regardless of their membership status or denominational affiliation. We do require that at least one member of the couple is a baptized Christian.
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Not at all. If our priest (or any other Episcopal minister) officiates the ceremony, however, the liturgy must follow the authorized marriage ceremonies in The Book of Common Prayer or its supplements.
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Yes but it has to be approved by our rector, and if you are getting married in our main sanctuary, then your officiant must be an ordained minister in a commonly recognized Christian denomination. We do not allow non-denominational ministers or people ordained online to conduct weddings in our sanctuary. Our guidelines are more flexible for the outdoor chapel but approval is still needed by our priest.
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In the Episcopal Church, we recognize that marriage doesn’t always work out, for a variety of reasons, and we offer pastoral grace to people who are in that situation.
If an Episcopal clergy person is officiating the ceremony, couples with previous marriages need to give at least 60 days notice to get approval from our bishop before the priest can officiate. This process is fairly simple and our rector can walk you through it. This isn’t intended as a hoop to jump through but as a process to ensure all previous marriages have been legally dissolve and to ensure the spiritual sanctity of the ceremony. Couples with multiple divorces in the background may have a harder time getting approval but that’s on a case to case basis. -
Yes, tons! We're on James Island and have hotels on the island, ten minutes from downtown Charleston and the beaches. We're happy to share hotel suggestions and driving times during the planning process.
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Yes but outside services must be brought in. We do not currently offer live-streaming internally.
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Absolutely! You’re welcome to take engagement or bridal photos on the grounds at Saint James. Our historic church, oak-lined walkways, and the Creekside Chapel on Ellis Creek all make beautiful backdrops for photos. Just reach out to coordinate a time so we can be sure the spaces are available.
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At St. James we have four spaces that can be used for weddings: our historic sanctuary, our event center, an indoor chapel, and an outdoor chapel by the marsh. You can see pictures from these spaces above! Feel free to book a tour by emailing our tour coordinator weddings@saintjamesji.org
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The Main Sanctuary works great for traditional and larger celebrations and can comfortably accommodate 240 people
The Indoor Chapel is perfect for smaller, more intimate guest lists and can accommodate up to 40 people
And the Outdoor Creekside Chapel has flexible seating under the oaks and can accommodate up to 30 people
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We currently have member and non-member rates for weddings.
For non-members, hosting a wedding in our main sanctuary costs $3,000 plus additional fees for clergy and musicians. Our indoor and outdoor chapel both cost $1250.
A full break down of costs is below:
Main Sanctuary + Event CenterBase wedding fee: $3,000
Organist fee: $500
Officiant fee: $250
Indoor & Outdoor ChapelBase wedding fee: $1250
Officiant fee: $250
Musician fee (indoor only): $500
A refundable deposit of $750 must be paid at least thirty days in advance of the wedding. The organist fee must be paid regardless of whether or not they are used. This is known as a “bench fee.”Receptions at the Event Center cost an additional $1500 if the wedding is in the main sanctuary.
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First, look over the FAQ and make sure to download the guidelines. Then email our tour coordinator at weddings@saintjamesji.org to book a tour!
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You are welcome and encouraged to use your own florist for altar flowers. We ask that you take them with you after your ceremony or, if you notify us ahead of time, you are welcome to leave them for church service the next Sunday.
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Our organist/music director always gets first right of refusal but we do allow outside musicians to be used for a fee paid to the organist. If the wedding is officiated by an Episcopal minister, all music must be “sacred music” or otherwise instrumental. DJ’s or pre-recorded music isn’t allowed in our main sanctuary.
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Absolutely. We have a wonderful event space called The St. James Center which can accomadate as many people as our sanctuary (and even more). Take a look at our wedding receptions and book an event space tour to see the space!
This space can be booked for an additional fee of $3000, unless the wedding ceremony is already in the Event Center.
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We always leave our indoor chapel open as backup in case of inclement weather.
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Start by looking over our guidelines and ceremonies. Then feel free to book a tour (email our wedding coordinator at weddings@saintjamesji.org).
Once you're ready, you or the coordinator will need to speak with the rector to obtain official approval. Then you can sign the agreement and pay the deposit to lock in your date.
We will also walk you through all of this on your tour!
Parking
If you've been to weddings in Charleston, you know parking can be a headache. Not at Saint James. We have two large parking lots (one in front and one in back) so your guests can pull in, park, and head straight to your ceremony. No hunting for street spots, no stress. Accessible parking is available, and we'll let you know which lot works best for your ceremony space when you book your tour.
Thank You For Your Interest
We are honored that you’re thinking about having your wedding a St. James. Please look over the FAQ and guidelines and reach out to our rector, The Rev. Will Berry to get started.