Wedding Tenting

Tenting is common at Duke. Students wait in line for days, weeks or even months, in order to guarantee that they will be able to claim their spot on the bleachers for basketball games. That means that tents don't look out of place on campus. So what were these tents doing next to the chapel, so far from Krzyzewskiville?

Earlier this week, the tents' owners, who were reading in the shade nearby, were actually waiting in line to claim their spots on the schedule so they could have their weddings in the chapel a year from now. The enthusiastic young lady I talked to, a Duke staff member, was hoping to have her wedding there on October 10th, 2009 and she'd been camping out for several days. This isn't unusual and I've known alums who have done this, too.

Duke Chapel is absolutely beautiful. I have such fond memories of my MFR's showing it to me for the first time, when I was just a toddler. The stained glass the the gothic architecture are gorgeous and I've been to several wonderful concerts there. I've also been to several weddings there and I'm afraid I don't quite understand its popularity for them. It's huge, so even if you have a large wedding, the chapel will be almost completely empty. It's comparatively dark, too. The schedule is very strict, so you have to get in and out of the place promptly. I wouldn't recommend leaving the groom waiting long, so the bride should be pretty sure that he's the right one, at least two or three days in advance.

That said, it's nice to see people who have such dedication and a clear idea of what they want. If they put the same effort into their marriage as they have into their wedding planning, I imagine they will go far, indeed. Best wishes to the happy campers!

More information on scheduling your wedding in Duke Chapel.