Are you a soon-to-be bride planning to have your wedding at the Provo City Center Temple? We have spent many hours at this temple, photographing couples on the happiest day of their lives! It has become a very popular temple to get married in, partly due to it’s vintage stained glass and unique red brick which make for the most stunning backdrop in pictures. Plus, this temple has a very special, symbolic history.

The building itself was originally constructed in 1898. It served as the Provo Tabernacle until 2010 when a terrible fire gutted most of the interior. After a complicated restoration process that left the original exterior in tact, it was dedicated in March 2016 as the Provo City Center Temple. It stands in the heart of Provo and is one of our favorite temples to photograph! Here is everything you need to know for  planning your wedding at the Provo City Center Temple.

The Provo City Center Temple

Address: 50 South University Avenue Provo, Utah 84601

Telephone: 801-343-2700

Website: churchofjesuschristtemples.org/provo-city-center-temple/

When The Temple Is Open

Just like other temples, this one is closed on Sundays and Mondays but typically open during normal business hours every Tuesday through Saturday.

Every year, there are scheduled closings for holidays and temple cleanings, which you can find online ahead of time. Here are the scheduled closings for the remainder of 2022:

• Saturday, 2 April 2022
• Monday, 20 June 2022 – Monday, 4 July 2022
• Saturday, 1 October 2022
• Wednesday, 23 November 2022 (Limited Operations)
• Thursday, 24 November 2022
• Monday, 28 November 2022 – Monday, 12 December 2022
• Saturday, 24 December 2022
• Saturday, 31 December 2022

When To Schedule Your Sealing

After you and your fiancé have decided to get married, scheduling a sealing date and time is the first thing you’ll need to do! Heads up: some temples are so busy that it has become common for couples to book their sealing date before even getting officially engaged. This way they are more likely to have a variety of date and time options available for their sealing. 

Sealings are most commonly scheduled for around 10-11 am. However, if you want to have a more personalized wedding day experience (especially if you are getting married on a Saturday) we recommend scheduling your sealing before 10 am or after 2pm! This will equal much fewer crowds and much better lighting for your photos. 

Also, consider the number of the guests you plan to have in the temple with you.

Sealing Rooms Available: 5

Largest Sealing Room Capacity: 50 

How to Schedule Your Sealing

Once you have a date (or two) in mind, contact the temple of your choice by phone and/or email and they will let you know if they have availability on those dates you’re interested in. They will help you schedule a time and will give you instructions for what steps you’ll need to take next. As your scheduled wedding day gets closer, this will usually include submitting a couple of documents, including a copy of your temple recommends and marriage license. Just before your wedding, they will also send you a very specific list of what to bring to your sealing. 

Preparing Your Wedding Guests Who Will Not Be Entering The Temple

Every wedding party has guests that will be in the group pictures outside of the temple, but will not be entering the temple for the sealing.

What Happens In The Temple And Why It’s Sacred

This is the perfect opportunity to explain to children or other loved ones who will not be entering the temple, why you and your fiancé are choosing a temple marriage. You can start by explaining that we believe a husband and wife can be together forever! The sealing ordinance is a marriage ceremony performed in Latter-day Saint temples by a person holding the sealing authority. During this ordinance, a husband and wife make sacred covenants with the Lord and with each other. These covenants assure them that their relationship will continue after this life if they remain true to their commitments. This means that nothing, not even death, can separate them.

When To Arrive And What To Expect 

• Tell your friends and family who will be waiting outside to arrive 30 minutes after the start of your sealing time.
• Make sure that your guests who will not be going into the temple know there is a waiting area inside of the white gazebo just south of the temple. They can enter from the temple grounds or from the south parking garage. Public bathrooms and drinking fountains are located below ground in the white gazebo. This is also where the guests who attend the sealing will wait for the bride and groom to exit the temple. 
• Ask a guest who will be waiting outside to be in charge of putting the boutonnières on the groomsmen and handing out the flower bouquets to the bridesmaids. This should be done after the other guests have exited the temple but before the bride and groom do.

Wedding Day Checklist

The temple will provide you with a list of exactly what you need to bring. But, here is the general list of what you should have gathered and ready to go.

• Temple Recommend
• Marriage License
• Temple Marriage Recommend
• Wedding Attire
• Temple Clothing
• Wedding Bands & Rings
• Makeup Touch-Up Kit For The Bride
• Wedding Bouquet, Bridesmaids’ Flowers, & Boutonnieres

Sealing Timeline For The Day Of Your Wedding

30 Minutes Prior To Your Sealing Time

• The temple will usually ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of your sealing. You and your fiancé will enter in Sunday dress and change into your temple clothes inside of the temple. Your guests will remain in their Sunday clothes, although they will be asked to remove their shoes after entering the temple. 

Your Scheduled Sealing Time

• The sealing itself is typically 20-40 minutes, after which your guests will exit the temple. 

30 – 75 Minutes After The Sealing Time

• It usually takes an additional 15-30 minutes for the bride and groom to change into their wedding attire before they exit the temple as husband and wife! 
• Phones are not used inside of the temple so guests won’t know exactly when the couple will be ready for their exit.
• The bride’s mom (or another helper of the bride’s choice), will exit just before the couple does. This is a great signal to guests and the photographer that the wedding couple is about to exit.

All About Exiting The Temple

Guests who attend the sealing inside of the temple will usually exit from the front doors of the temple on the south side. This used to be where the bride and groom would exit as well. However, since March 2020, newly married couples have been exiting out of the north-facing doors of the white gazebo across from the front doors of the temple.

Where To Take Group Photos

Your photographer should help you in making this decision! But, the north side of the temple has a great staircase that is commonly used for group photos. There are also a few steps on the east side of the temple that make for another great photo spot earlier in the morning before the sun has come up over the temple.

Best Spots To Get Photos Of The Entire Temple

• Keep in mind, the front of nearly every temple faces toward the east with Moroni pointing that direction.
• The time of day will determine if the sun is rising onto the west side of the temple or setting on the east side of the temple. Your photographer will choose which side of the temple to take the photos on depending on that lighting and the shade provided.

All About Your Wedding Dress

Did you know brides may wear their wedding dresses in the temple for the actual sealing ceremony? Here are the exact dress specifications required by the temple. Dresses must be:

• white
• without heavy ornamentation
• have long sleeves
• a modest neckline
• all sheer material lined
• the train must be removable or be able to be pinned or hooked up out of the way

“If there is any question about appropriateness, take the dress or fabric and pattern to the temple for approval. Brides may wear their wedding dresses during the endowment session but must remove the trains for the session. They may not wear gowns with long dress pants in the temple. Many temples have beautiful white dresses for those who might need one for their special occasion. Check with individual temples for availability.”

Because many wedding dresses do not meet these requirements, the majority of brides wear a simple, white temple dress for the sealing. But, the Provo City Center Temple does allow you to bring your actual wedding dress into the temple so that you can change into it prior to exiting the temple! 

What To Do With Your Wedding Flowers

Every temple has a little different requirements, but most do not allow flowers inside of the temple. Many brides will leave their bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere with a sister or bridesmaid that can deliver it at the temple exit just before the bride and groom make their big appearance for all of the pictures. Just make sure they know to keep your bouquet out of the heat and in a vase of cool water so that the blooms stay looking fresh!

Wedding Day Tips To Make The Experience Extra Special 

• Ask a wedding guest (not someone in your immediate family) to be in charge of bringing some water and even snacks for those waiting outside of the temple! A cooler full of ice cold water can make all the difference on a hot day. Better yet, rent a food truck for friends and family to gather at in a nearby parking lot if allowed.
• Ask guests to write down what they remember from your sealing, or other thoughts, feelings, and advice they have for you while they wait for you to exit the temple.
• Set aside 10-15 minutes after your photos but before you leave the temple to reflect on your sealing and write down what feelings and words you remember. It’s such an important part of the day that can easily be forgotten. If you’re short on time, record a voice memo in the car on the way to your next event
• Instead of a cool getaway car at the end of the night, get one for the temple to your next event. Bonus if you can just sit back and enjoy being chauffeured as a new husband and wife!

We would LOVE to photograph your wedding at the Provo City Center Temple! Please contact us to book your wedding day—spots fill up fast. To view more of our work, follow us on Instagram.