Thank you for considering our museum for your special day! The following describes in more detail what to expect when renting our space, and how we suggest to best use the time. If you have preferences on how to customize your time differently, please discuss with the Event Coordinator so we can adjust accordingly with staff. 

Rehearsal:  

Most rehearsals take place at or after 5:00 p.m., the day before the ceremony. Please plan to finalize the rehearsal and ceremony times at least 3 months in advance of the reservation.  

Rehearsals from start to finish are 1.5 hours total (allowing 15 minutes before and after to accommodate for late arrivals, setup and cleanup. Any additional time needed will be charged starting at $50.00 per ½ hour). The rental party may use this time to bring décor to store overnight in the museum offices, or to do light setup in the Senate Chamber. Note: any setup the night before will be out in the open to the public when the museum opens at 10 a.m. the next morning. Please do not setup décor that is valuable or fragile. If you do not hire a wedding planner, we recommend designating a person in your wedding party to the role of decorating on the ceremony day. Our staff set up equipment belonging to the museum only. 

Wedding Day:  

When the contract time starts, the wedding party may officially come inside and leave personal belongings in the House Chamber, a room setup for the wedding party. This room, located on the second floor across from the Senate Chamber, will have chairs for the party, a table, & water. Once arrived, it is a good time to take the majority of interior photos before the ceremony. This is also the time to setup decorations in the Senate Chamber and configure any AV needs with our staff. We recommend coming to the venue dressed and photo-ready. Bathrooms are located on the ground floor only, so guests should plan accordingly to use the facilities before the ceremony. 

The next phase is when guests begin to arrive, approximately 1.5 hours into the rental time. By this time, most of your pre-ceremony photos have been taken inside the building, and the wedding party waits in the privacy of the House Chamber. Our staff direct guests to the Senate Chamber, elevator, or restrooms as needed. Please let our staff know in advance if your guests need additional assistance at our accessible entrance. We have a wheelchair on site and can also assist with carts, strollers, and other special needs. Once guests are seated, let the ceremony commence!  

After the ceremony, the newlyweds may come down one level to our Governor’s Office, where we setup a photo op to sign the marriage license in this room. At this time, we recommend assigning a few friends to begin taking down décor or equipment brought in.  

While the newlyweds are signing the marriage license, our staff direct guests to line up outside on the photogenic West terrace to form a receiving line, where they may congratulate the newlyweds. Doing so also works well to signal guests that they may begin to leave for the reception. This way, the space is cleared out, and any time left over in the contract may be used to take final photos inside the museum, without the added chaos. 

After the rental, if there are some items too cumbersome to pack up, you may use the museum offices for storage up to 3 days after the ceremony. We understand the last thing you want to think about after your ceremony is what to do with a bulky rental piece. 

Equipment List 

The following is a list of what we have on site and are happy to provide, or, move around as discussed in advance with Event Coordinator*  

  1. Chairs (the room is arranged into 4 sections of 165 chairs. During times of social distancing requirements, the room fits 45 chairs safely spaced 6 feet apart. It is preferred that the seating arrangement remains unaltered as much as possible). 

  2. Steinway Piano (located at the front of the room off to the east of the stage. The piano cannot be removed from the room). 

  3. Water for the rental party  

  4. Trash and recycling bins** 

  5. 2 small wooden tables for décor 

  6. 2 medium tables for décor 

  7. 2 large wooden tables for décor (tables can moved out of the Senate Chamber) 

  8. 4 easels (1 wooden, 2 black, 1 gold) 

  9. White and black table cloths 

  10. 2 ivory lace table cloths 

  11. Napkins with Old Capitol logo 

  12. AV in Senate Chamber:4 lapel mics; 2 handheld; 2 podium mics; projector; screen; speakers; HDMI connections for laptops; hearing loop 

  13. 3 total Music stands (officiants tend to prefer to use the music stand instead of the podium) 

  14. Wooden podium  

  15. Feather pens 

  16. 8 standing cocktail rounds  

  17. 8 six-foot folding tables 

* Aside from the chairs and the piano, guests are not obligated to use the equipment in this list if it does not match your unique style. Feel free to bring in your own or rented décor and equipment.  

** Please dispose of anything you do not wish to take home with you in the proper receptacles. Our staff will empty trash/recycle bins after the event. 

 General Housekeeping and Museum Etiquette:  

 You are renting one of the most recognized, beloved, and historic sites in the Midwest. To say we hold this space dear to our hearts is an understatement. Please let guests know to use common sense around the building and artifacts. Mind the signage. Ask our staff questions if unsure. Or, ask our staff about the unique history! Every detail in the building, from the renowned reverse spiral staircase, to the chairs and artifacts, are one-of-a-kind and have a story to tell. 

  • Reminder: absolutely no food/beverage in the Senate Chamber. The carpet in this room is vintage wool and difficult to clean spills and stains. 

  • Benches & chairs that may not be sat upon are marked with appropriate signage. 

  • You may take photos within some of the exhibit spaces, behind some barriers even, so long as this has been cleared with our Event Coordinator and is supervised by an event staff during the photo op. For suggestions on unique places for photos in the building, please discuss with the Event Coordinator.  

Names of rooms: 

  • Senate Chamber: 2nd level where the ceremony takes place 

  • House Chamber: room across from the Senate Chamber on the 2nd floor for wedding party 

  • Governor’s Office: main floor photo op to sign the marriage license  

  • Gift Shop: located just behind the front desk, to the left of the main entrance in the Keyes Gallery 

  • Offices: located on the Ground floor and can be used to store décor in advance 

  • Restrooms: located on the ground floor only 

  • Elevator: to access the elevator from outside, please come to the South entrance between Schaffer Hall and MacLean Hall.  

  • To access the elevator from the main front entrance, head straight to the back of the museum, located in the Treasurer’s Office on the right 

  • To access the elevator from the 2nd floor, it is located inside the Senate Chamber 

  • Entrances: The main entrance faces the Pentacrest and downtown Iowa City. This is the East side of the building, facing Clinton Street and Iowa Ave intersection. The West doors on the terrace facing the river are *not* an active entrance. Please direct guests to the East entrance. 

  • Accessible Entrance: located on the South side of the building, between Schaffer and MacLean Halls