Weddings at St. Catherine’s at Bell Gable in Fayetteville, Arkansas
A beautiful chapel in Northwest Arkansas, perfect for weddings and elopements
St. Catherine’s at Bell Gable in Fayetteville is one of the most unique and affordable wedding venues in Northwest Arkansas. The chapel is inspired by gothic European churches and chapels. Having actually been in a few myself, it totally delivers on that experience.
Table of contents
How much does it cost to rent?
Price range: $250-$2250
The chapel can seat about 30-35 people
Full wedding receptions are not available on the property but they offer post-ceremony wedding toasts
Max number of guests for a wedding cake and drink toast is 50
A 1902 Mercedes Benz is available for photo shoots.
Unique opportunities for pictures you can’t get anywhere else.
The chapel will start offering courthouse weddings in 2023. True elopements for only the couple for 30 minutes, available between 9 am and 3 pm Monday through Thursday for $100. Beats going to the actual courthouse in my opinion! St. Catherine’s is basically a ceremony-only venue, they do offer wedding toasts and cake though. But for an actual reception, you will have to book a 2nd venue.
The best season for a wedding
Usually, in my wedding venue reviews, I’ll say spring and fall are best. That is still mostly true but the chapel is also really beautiful in winter. The architecture, the actually lit candles, and the Tim Burton-esque-looking woods behind the chapel give it a lot of appeal. The chapel is also super dark, which adds to the wintery appeal to me.
Wedding packages
Packages are based on guest count and they consider a 31-50 person wedding large and the hourly rental for that is $750. I set the high point for a rental at $2250 for a large wedding, which is then followed by portraits and a wedding toast. For a 3-hour rental in total. Smaller guest counts are between $350-$640 an hour. For more information, check out their website.
Accommodation near the chapel
St. Catherine’s is in west Fayetteville, so you shouldn’t run into any issues finding a hotel or a short-term rental for your family or yourself if you are traveling. Here are a few highly-rated hotels nearby.
Graduate, 70 N East Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701 — (479) 442-5555
Homewood Suites by Hilton Fayetteville, 1305 N Palak Dr, Fayetteville, AR 72704 — (479) 442-3000
Inn at Carnall Hall, 465 Arkansas Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701 — (479) 582-0400
My personal opinion on the venue
St. Catherine’s is an amazing option to have for couples that want something unique. If you have vintage or gothic vibes, then this is the venue for you! That being said, you will be a bit limited if you choose to have your wedding there. Having a photographer and a videographer in there would be too much. I don’t even bring my 2nd photographer there because the chapel is so small, it would just be a distraction.
I’ve only had good experiences with the owners but I have heard of and read some negative reviews. They are firm because they are often doing 2-3 weddings a day which means they just need to be pushier on time management. They charge for rehearsals and I’d recommend doing one so you can give them your plan, your vision, and how you want your day to go. Leave nothing up to chance and tell them exactly how you want your day to go.
Photography at St. Catherine’s
Now that the negativity is out of the way, let’s focus on photography! St. Catherine’s is definitely one of my favorite (and most challenging) venues to shoot in. It is crazy dark in there but that’s exactly why you should want it. Just know that not every photographer has the gear to work there. I love that there are tiny stairs with an organ and a platform to get an overhead shot. It’s a unique ceremony shot no other venues can offer, because of the angle. Didn’t I also mention candles? St. Catherine’s is also the only venue I know of that lets you have candles! The grounds are fantastic for pictures as well. In spring, the chapel takes on a whole new look, something from a fairytale — with all the lush vines, covering the building.
Timeline for photography
Here is a sample timeline for an 8-hour wedding photo package. With no first look, your ceremony starting at 5 pm, and sunset at 6:50 pm.
3:00 PM Getting ready photos at another location
4:00 PM Detail photos, jewelry and accessories
4:30 PM Arrival at Chapel, photos of guests
5:00 PM Ceremony
5:30 PM Family and group shots
6:15 PM Wedding portraits
7:15 PM Arrival at a separate reception venue
7:25 PM Grand entrance
7:30 PM First dance
7:45 PM Dinner and speeches
8:30 PM Cake cutting
8:45 PM Dance floor opens - candid photos
9:30 PM Night time wedding portraits
10:45 PM Private last dance
10:55 PM Grand exit
Get in touch to book your day