St. Luke Catholic Church is following the guidelines set out by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Right now (6/16/20), that means the following: - Everyone attending the ceremony is required to wear masks inside of the Church - Those attending the wedding will be seated every other pew, and distance will be put between parties within each pew - Pews are sprayed down with hospital grade disinfectant between every event / mass / etc - Use of hymnals is prohibited, all music and responses will be printed in a one-time-use program - We're refraining from doing a full mass, so you will not be lining up to receive communion - Church staff will do everything they can to limit points of contact, including propping open doors, placing programs for you to pick up instead of handing them out, etc As with everything else, as the situation evolves the above is subject to change. We'll update these sections as we learn more.
We want to share a list of practices our venue/caterer put in place: - Staff are required to STAY HOME if they show any symptoms - Staff will go through a 3-point station that includes temp check, hand scrub & sanitation before they begin each shift - Kitchen & service staff must wear masks and gloves - A certified "Serve Safe" representative will oversee all kitchen & service procedures - Staff will be specially assigned to wipe down & sanitize communal areas - Venue will maintain an open-door policy where possible to minimize touch points - Venue will optimize distancing in controlled situations such as fewer guests to a table, bar lines, dance floor dimensions, etc - Service staff will be divided into two teams: serving & clearing, to minimize unsanitary touch points - Management & kitchen staff will be required to stop & wash hands every 20mins - Caterer will provide sanitation products & place in prominent areas for guests This'll be the cleanest wedding that ever was!
The Church: Masks are currently required inside St. Luke. Check back for updated information closer to August 15th, or bring your mask just in case. The Church also has disposable masks, so if you forget yours we've got you covered...literally. The Library: Masks are currently required inside the library at all times except for when you are seated at your table. You may bring your own mask, or you may use the ones the library has on hand for you. All catering and staff are also required to wear masks throughout the event.
Thankfully, both our Church and the Central Library are pretty massive spaces that allow you to spread out. Church: On a normal day, this high-ceiling-ed church seats around 800 people. Guests will be seated every other pew with 6ft of distance between families, leaving space to hold about 200 people (more than we invited in the first place). We don't expect more than about 75 attendees, so no one should feel too close together. Library: This is another space with exceptionally high ceilings. The reception space measures 13,194 square feet and is able to fit 450 people seated and 700 standing. And since we're no longer expecting more than about 75 people, there will be plenty of room to spare.
Parking at the church and library will be available free of charge (yay!). The library's underground garage will open for use during the reception beginning at 5:45pm and comes complete with a guard for extra downtown security. Please note, though, that if you plan to park at the library prior to 5:45pm, you will be charged the standard library garage fee of $1/hr. BONUS: If you accidentally on purpose get a little too toasted at our open bar, no worries! The library allows you to keep your car in the lot overnight for free. Staying at the Hilton Garden Inn? We've been told it's much cheaper to stay at the garage across the street from the hotel than to park at the hotel itself.
Please make sure you show up to St. Luke Catholic Church for the ceremony, not St. Luke's Methodist Church. It wouldn't be the first time someone made this mistake, so double check that your map app of choice has you headed to the correct location (exact address is found on the "Venues" page).
If you've ever attended (or planned) a Catholic wedding, you already know this to be the norm. St. Luke holds 4:30pm confession on Saturdays, so they need us wrapped and out of the space by 4pm. Add to that the fact that the library doesn't close to the public until 5pm, and you start to get the picture. While the wedding party is taking pics around town, feel free to explore the city, grab a small-ish bite, or check out one of Indy's awesome museums (take a peak at our "Things to do" page for more ideas).
All are welcome to attend the ceremony, but because both the bride and groom have been blessed with large families we have to limit those attending the reception. If your RSVP is for two, we respectfully request that you make alternate plans for the kiddos that evening. We do have some local babysitters we can tap into, so if you need recommendations don't hesitate to reach out.
It's about a half hour drive from the church to the library, depending on traffic. Cliffs Notes: you won't be walking. There will *not* be a shuttle between the two, so if you don't have access to a vehicle (or a sober driver!) please plan to carpool or use a ride share service—Uber & Lyft are both widely used across Indianapolis.
Food is important, and we certainly don't want anyone getting hangry! Dinner will be served around 7:30pm, so we suggest eating a hearty lunch and/or snagging a snack in between the ceremony and reception—whatever is going to tide you over best.
Absolutely! When you RSVP, you'll have the ability to choose between chicken, vegetarian + gluten free, and vegan + gluten free meal options. You're also able make additional dietary requests. Then we'll pass those along to our caterer who will do their best to can take care of you.