Is the chapel privately owned? Yes, the chapel is privately owned and remains in the Carter family.

Is the chapel open to the public? The chapel is open at sunrise and closes at sunset. The interior is only accessible via Port Aransas Museum tours. Unauthorized access, including after hours, is prohibited and trespassing. After hours permission may be granted upon approval.

Do we provide rentals?  We do not provide tables and chairs.  Please contact your rental company or caterer for these items.

Smoking?  No smoking. The entire property is a smoke free environment.

Candles/Fire?  No candles or flames please.

Decorations?  Please keep the chapel clean and leave it as it was found.  No items or decorations may be taped, glued or fixed to the walls or altar.  No glitter, confetti, rice, faux flower petals or the like are permitted.  No food is permitted in the chapel.

Time needed for set up and take down?  Wedding preparations, ceremony and departure/cleanup must all occur within the two (2) hour rented timeframe. There is risk of loosing part of the deposit if the property is not totally cleaned. If additional time is needed before or after, that will require additional rental and checking with booking. Please note there are multiple weddings scheduled per weekend, so we ask renters to be courteous and stay within their two (2) hour timeframe unless prior arrangements have been made. 

Wedding services in the chapel?  A small wedding may be performed in the chapel.

How many people can the inside of the chapel hold? About 25-30+. See Below:
Seating: Inside seating fits 18-22.  Usually there are 3 adults per bench for a total of eighteen 18.  
Back of Chapel (Standing Room Back): Additional standing room available in the back comfortably allows for about 6 more adults.  Onlookers from the doorway and windows and/or aisle may increase the number of guests. 
Altar (Standing Room Front): The altar typically accommodates an officiant (1), marrying couple (2) and about 4-6 bridesmaids and groomsmen, for a total of 7-9.
Total: We typically say the inside capacity is between 25-30 people total.  These are the comfortable numbers, with additional standing in the aisle, doorway, windows and tight seating allowing for more.

Parking?  Parking is available in the empty lot on the corner of Avenue B and 11th Street.  Please do not park in neighboring lots or rental house spaces.

Wheelchair accessible?  The historic chapel is located on a natural sand dune with some 22 stairs to the top.  It is not accessible to wheelchairs.

What are the viewing days and hours for tours? The chapel may be toured via the Port Aransas Museum every first and third Saturday.  Please contact the museum for more information: https://portaransasmuseum.org/

May we request a private tour or different day and time to tour? The Port Aransas Museum offers tours upon request.  Please contact the museum for more information: https://portaransasmuseum.org/

May we rent the rental house below the chapel? The cottage below the chapel stairs, located at 203 S. 11th St., is available for rentals by the wedding party.  BeeGee’s Coastal Quarters, Airbnb, or VRBO rental services are available for booking.  The vacation rental is known as “Chapel Cottage.”  It is a fully updated house built in 1949 in “Old Town” Port Aransas.  The house includes two (2) bathrooms and sleeps eight (8). It is within walking distance to the beach and in close proximity to favorite local restaurants of Port A.

May wedding photographers access hours beyond the wedding for exterior photoshoots? Yes, however, please call to schedule photoshoots to guarantee access. Access to the chapel is closed to the wedding party within two hours of the ceremony ending. Ownership reserves the right to exclude from the premises photoshoots taken during other unscheduled hours of the day if conflict arises. Closing (sunset) and opening (sunrise) times apply regardless.

May we schedule interior photoshoots?
Yes, these may be scheduled with the Port Aransas Museum at 361-749-3800 or director@portaransasmuseum.org. Please note these must be coordinated in order to prevent scheduling conflicts with other weddings.

May photographers and artists access the chapel and flagstone path? Yes! We welcome artists and artistic / fine art photographers!

Where may we stand to take photos? No accessing is allowed on the dune beyond the designated flagstone path. No access to the private residences is allowed. Walking into the dune grass will be considered trespassing. Dune grass (sea oats) is a protected native plant. Please DO NOT walk on the sea oats (aka dune grass).

Are the sea oats protected? Yes, sea oats (Uniola paniculata L.) are protected under the Texas Natural Resources Code, specifically Section 63.001, which prohibits the removal or destruction of these plants on coastal beaches. Additionally, sea oats are “protected native plants” Tex. Parks & Wild. Code Ann. § 88.002.  See more in the USDA Fact Sheet, USDA, and TPDW Title 5. Wildlife and Plant Conservation.