St. Mary Cathedral sits on 10th Street a few blocks from the Capitol, and it runs a wedding its own way. The cathedral supplies the coordinator, the wedding monitor, the organist and the cantor, and it expects every photographer and videographer to be approved ahead of time. Plan around that structure and the day is calm and predictable.
Hero photo: Saint Mary Cathedral
Who runs the day
The cathedral's wedding fee covers a wedding coordinator, a wedding monitor who runs the rehearsal and supports you on the day, a music director with a cantor, a florist who delivers two large arrangements, and facilities staff for the bride's room and the sacristy. The cathedral says outside wedding planners may attend as guests only and may not assist with tasks at the cathedral, and it communicates only with the couple.
For us that means a short list of people to check with, and one rule above the rest: the cathedral's planning page says all photographers and videographers need approval from the wedding coordinator, with a vendor form for each person filming or shooting that day. Get those forms in early.
Photo: Saint Mary Cathedral
Mass or ceremony, and the clock
The cathedral's music guidelines put a ceremony outside Mass at about 30 minutes and a full Mass at about an hour. Our timelines match. A late summer full Mass ran 3:30 to 4:30. A May ceremony began at 1:30 and ended at 2:15.
Music is sacred and traditional only. The fee includes one organist and one cantor. Extra musicians have to be approved two months out at added cost, and the guidelines say surprise musicians are not allowed on the day. One couple's timeline simply read: music coordinated by the cathedral's music coordinator.
Photo: Saint Mary Cathedral
Getting ready and family photos
Couples here often dress at the cathedral itself. In August 2026 the bride arrived at 2:00, was in her gown by 2:30, and photos with bridesmaids and family ran from 2:30 to 3:00 while the groom's side took theirs from 2:35. Guests started arriving at 3:00 with the prelude.
After the recessional, family photos happened inside: 4:35 to 5:00 on one day, a planned 30 minutes on another. The front steps are worth saving a moment for. One May couple had the wedding party and family cheer them down the cathedral stairs before boarding the shuttle.
Leaving downtown
Every wedding we filmed here moved on to a reception elsewhere, and the drive shaped the evening. Guest shuttles to a reception roughly 50 minutes out left at 4:30, while the wedding party followed at 5:05. Another couple used a shuttle staged near the cathedral to reach the Capitol for portraits at 3:10, then went on to their hotel reception.
For parking, the cathedral validates Capitol Tower Garage tickets on weekends, street parking is available, and two spots in front of the cathedral are held for the couple.
A real day here
A late summer Saturday we filmed here (August 2026)
| 2:00 PM | Photo and video arrive; bride arrives to get ready at the cathedral |
| 2:30 PM | Groom arrives; bride into her gown |
| 2:30 PM | Bride's photos with bridesmaids, parents and siblings |
| 2:35 PM | Groom's photos with groomsmen, parents and siblings |
| 3:00 PM | Guests begin arriving; prelude begins |
| 3:15 PM | Guests seated |
| 3:20 PM | Wedding party lines up |
| 3:30 PM | Full Mass begins |
| 4:30 PM | Recessional; guest shuttles leave for a reception about 50 minutes away |
| 4:35 PM | Immediate and extended family photos at the cathedral |
| 5:05 PM | Shuttle leaves with family and wedding party |
| 5:55 PM | Wedding party arrives at the reception |
Sample timelines by season
Church ceremony times stay fairly fixed, so the season mostly changes what happens after you leave Saint Mary Cathedral. Here is how the rest of the day moves with sunset. Treat the times as a starting point.
Spring
| 10:00 AM | Coverage begins with getting ready |
| 11:00 AM | First look with dad and a bridesmaid reveal; groom with his parents |
| 12:00 PM | Guests seated; couple hidden |
| 12:30 PM | Nuptial Mass begins, first sight at the aisle |
| 1:30 PM | Recessional; family photos at the altar |
| 2:00 PM | Wedding party and couple leave for the reception venue |
| 2:45 PM | Couple portraits and wedding party photos on the grounds before guests arrive |
| 5:30 PM | Cocktail hour |
| 6:30 PM | Grand entrance and dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Golden hour portraits, about 15 minutes |
| 8:00 PM | Toasts, first dance and parent dances |
| 8:30 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 11:00 PM | Send-off |
On a May date, a 1:30 ceremony left time for a shuttle to the Capitol for wedding party and couple portraits before the reception.
Summer
| 11:30 AM | Coverage begins with getting ready near the church |
| 12:15 PM | First look at the church, then couple portraits outside |
| 12:45 PM | Wedding party and family photos before guests arrive |
| 1:30 PM | Couple hidden; guests seated from about 30 minutes before |
| 2:00 PM | Nuptial Mass begins (about an hour) |
| 3:00 PM | Recessional; extended family photos at the altar |
| 3:30 PM | Wedding party leaves for the reception |
| 5:00 PM | Reception doors open, cocktail hour |
| 6:00 PM | Grand entrance and dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Toasts, first dance and parent dances |
| 8:05 PM | Golden hour portraits at the reception, about 15 minutes |
| 9:30 PM | Send-off |
In late August the timeline listed sunset at 7:56 PM, so golden hour portraits happened at the reception, hours after a 3:30 Mass.
Fall
| 12:00 PM | Coverage begins with getting ready; the couple stays apart |
| 1:00 PM | Bride with her bridesmaids, groom with his groomsmen, in separate rooms |
| 1:30 PM | Guests seated; prelude music |
| 2:00 PM | Nuptial Mass begins, first sight at the aisle |
| 3:00 PM | Recessional; family and wedding party photos inside the church |
| 3:35 PM | Couple and wedding party by shuttle to a downtown portrait stop |
| 4:00 PM | Couple portraits and wedding party photos, about 45 minutes |
| 5:30 PM | Cocktail hour at the reception |
| 6:30 PM | Grand entrance, first dance, dinner |
| 6:40 PM | Quick sunset portraits at the reception |
| 7:30 PM | Toasts and parent dances, dance floor opens |
| 10:00 PM | Send-off |
Winter
| 8:30 AM | Coverage begins with getting ready |
| 10:00 AM | Separate portraits; no first look |
| 10:30 AM | Guests seated |
| 11:00 AM | Nuptial Mass begins |
| 12:00 PM | Recessional; family photos at the altar, then wedding party photos outside |
| 12:45 PM | Lunch for the couple and wedding party; rest at the hotel |
| 2:45 PM | Couple portraits at the reception venue before guests arrive |
| 3:30 PM | Cocktail hour |
| 4:30 PM | Grand entrance and dinner |
| 5:00 PM | Golden hour portraits, about 15 minutes |
| 5:45 PM | Toasts, first dance and parent dances |
| 6:15 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 8:45 PM | Send-off |
Photo: Saint Mary Cathedral
Common questions
How long is a wedding at St. Mary Cathedral?
The cathedral estimates about 30 minutes for a ceremony outside Mass and about an hour for a full Mass, depending on communicants and pacing.
Can our wedding planner run the ceremony?
The cathedral says outside planners attend as guests only and may not assist with tasks at the cathedral. Its own coordinator and wedding monitor handle the rehearsal and the day.
Can we bring our own musicians?
The organist and cantor are included. Additional or outside musicians need approval two months before the wedding and carry added fees, and the music must be sacred and traditional.
Where do guests park?
The cathedral validates Capitol Tower Garage tickets on weekends, street parking is available, and two spots out front are reserved for the couple.
Planning a wedding here? Send us your date and we will tell you how we would film it.