Glass Chapels in Arkansas: A Photographer’s 2026–27 Wedding Guide

Updated November 2026

Arkansas has three true glass chapels: Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, and Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs. All three come from the same architectural family started by E. Fay Jones, and all three host weddings. A few more chapels in the state use big walls of glass without being all-glass, and two favorites sit just over the Missouri line.

I’ve been photographing weddings since 2010, including at least 30 inside glass chapels. This guide is what I tell couples when they ask which one fits: what it costs, how many people fit, the rules nobody mentions until the contract, and how to get photos you’ll love inside a building made of windows. Including after dark.

Bride and groom silhouetted in the glowing doorway of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel after dark in Bella Vista, Arkansas

Arkansas’s glass chapels at a glance

Thorncrown ChapelCooper ChapelAnthony Chapel
CityEureka SpringsBella VistaHot Springs
Seats100120200
Full wedding$1,195–$1,795$1,500$4,000–$5,000
Elopement / small$695 (4 guests, Mon–Thu)$500 (15 guests, 1 hr)$1,750 (15 guests) · $2,750 (50 guests), Sun–Thu
Time block2 hours (1.5 hr option weekdays)2 hours + 1-hr rehearsal; getting-ready space opens 15 min early3 hours
RehearsalExtra, $695IncludedIncluded (3-hr weddings)
Reception on siteNoNoYes, at Garvan Gardens
OfficiantChapel minister included, or bring your ownBring your own; non-denominationalBring your own; day-of coordinator required

Prices as published by each venue, November 2026. Confirm with the venue before booking.

Why does Arkansas have so many glass chapels?

One architect started it. E. Fay Jones, an Arkansas native who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, designed Thorncrown Chapel in 1980 for a retired teacher named Jim Reed, who wanted a quiet place in the woods for travelers to stop. Jones called the style “Ozark Gothic” — a wood-and-glass take on Paris’s Sainte-Chapelle.

Thorncrown went on to win the American Institute of Architects’ Design of the Year in 1981, and AIA members later ranked it fourth among the top American buildings of the 20th century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Couple embracing in front of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel at blue hour in Bella Vista, Arkansas

Jones and his partner Maurice Jennings then designed the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista. Jennings carried the tradition forward: Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs (with David McKee) and Hunt Chapel in Rogers (with Walter Jennings, 2013). That’s why these chapels feel like siblings — tall timber or steel frames, native stone, and glass that lets the forest do the decorating.

What that means for your wedding: the building is the décor. Most couples here spend far less on flowers and staging than they would anywhere else, and the light changes the whole look of the ceremony hour by hour.

Thorncrown Chapel (Eureka Springs)

Thorncrown Chapel, E. Fay Jones’s 1980 glass chapel just west of Eureka Springs, seats 100 and costs $1,195–$1,795 for a two-hour wedding as of November 2026. It’s the most famous of the three, with 425 windows and more than 6,000 square feet of glass rising 48 feet into the trees.

Thorncrown Chapel lit up at night among autumn trees with a couple in the doorway, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Best for: couples who want the most iconic chapel in the state, and who are happy to keep things simple.

The numbers

  • Saturday: $1,795 for 2 hours
  • Friday or Sunday: $1,595 for 2 hours
  • Monday–Thursday: $1,495 for 2 hours, or $1,195 for 1.5 hours
  • Elopement: $695 for 1 hour, Monday–Thursday, up to 4 guests
  • Rehearsal: not included; $695 for one hour if you want it
  • Included: chapel minister (or bring your own), sound system with an operator, pews for 100, and the chapel office as a getting-ready room — it’s the only one, so the two of you can’t get ready on site at the same time
  • Payment: in full when you book; no traditional deposit

Rules that surprise couples

  • Only artificial petals in the aisle; nothing tossed inside or out.
  • No arbors, trees, large crosses or glass vases; the ferns stay where they are.
  • LED candles only (a unity candle is the exception).
  • No food or drinks on the property besides closed water bottles.
  • Drones only with a licensed pilot.
  • The chapel is closed to visitors in January and February, so tour March through December.

Photo tip: Two hours and nothing tossed means your timeline and exit need a plan. Read my photographer’s tips for glass chapel weddings →

Couple embracing in the lit doorway of Thorncrown Chapel at dusk in spring, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Where couples hold the reception: most often the 1886 Crescent Hotel or the 1905 Basin Park Hotel, both in downtown Eureka Springs.

More in my Thorncrown Chapel wedding guide

Book through the chapel office at 479-346-0245 or thorncrown.com/weddings.

Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel (Bella Vista)

The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, designed by E. Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings, seats 120 and costs $1,500 for a two-hour wedding plus a one-hour rehearsal as of November 2026. Built from 31 tons of steel and 4,460 square feet of glass, it rises on 15 fifty-foot arches, with a round window over the entrance that sets it apart from its siblings.

Wide view of a wedding ceremony inside Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel with guests in the pews, Bella Vista, Arkansas

Best for: Northwest Arkansas couples who want a glass chapel 15 minutes from Bentonville, any faith or none, at the best value of the three. Closer to more modern reception and dinner options.

The numbers

  • Wedding: $1,500 for 2 hours + a 1-hour rehearsal; each extra half hour is $300
  • Small elopement: $500 for 1 hour, 15 guests max (officiant, photographer and planner don’t count); no amenities, paid in full within 7 days
  • Included with the wedding: event staff, sound system with mics, piano and organ, two candelabras, kneeling bench, unity candle stand, and getting-ready space starting 15 minutes before your time. Cooper recently finished a new getting-ready building, so the bride can use the new space while the groom uses the original one
  • Bring your own: officiant, coordinator, florist, musicians and reception venue

Rules that surprise couples

  • No drones anywhere on the property.
  • No petals dropped or tossed, and no rice, birdseed, confetti, sparklers or fireworks, inside or out.
  • Battery candles only in the guest area; no rented candelabras.
  • Nothing attached with tacks, nails or adhesive; no balloons inside.
  • No food, alcohol, smoking or vaping on the property.
  • The chapel is non-denominational and welcomes everyone; trails are sloped but accessible.

Bride Prep Photos In The New Getting Ready Building (built in 2026)

Photo tip: Cooper is stunning after sunset if your photographer knows how to light it. See my tips for glass chapel weddings, including after dark →

Couple silhouetted in the lit entrance of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel at twilight among tall trees

Where couples hold the reception: smaller weddings often head to dinner at a local restaurant — with just a handful of guests, almost anything works; bigger groups need a restaurant with event space. Couples also host receptions at local hotels, or at full venues like Osage House, The Ravington or the Momentary in Bentonville.

See a real Cooper Chapel wedding: Stephanie + Drew. Stephanie got ready at an Airbnb near the chapel while Drew got ready at home. After the ceremony, Drew read Stephanie a letter in front of the chapel and couldn’t hold back the tears. Then everyone headed to the Momentary in Bentonville: cocktails in the Tower Bar, dinner and dancing in the Rode House under twinkle lights, and a sparkler send-off as they left for their honeymoon. See their full wedding →

More in my Cooper Chapel wedding guide

Book through the chapel office at 479-855-6598 or cooperchapel.com.

Anthony Chapel (Hot Springs)

Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, designed by Maurice Jennings and David McKee, seats 200 and costs $4,000–$5,000 for a three-hour wedding as of November 2026. It’s the largest of the three, with a 57-foot ceiling of glass and yellow pine, set in the University of Arkansas’s 210-acre botanical garden on Lake Hamilton.

Couple standing in the aisle of Anthony Chapel's glass and wood interior at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Best for: bigger guest lists, and couples who want the ceremony, getting-ready rooms and reception on one property.

The numbers

  • 3-hour wedding, up to 200 guests: $5,000 Friday or Saturday, $4,000 Sunday–Thursday
  • 2-hour wedding, 16–50 guests: $2,750, Sunday–Thursday daytime only
  • 1-hour wedding, up to 15 guests: $1,750, Sunday–Thursday daytime only
  • Holidays (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Halloween, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve): add $500
  • 3-hour slots: 10 am–1 pm, 1:30–4:30 pm, or 5–8 pm
  • Included with 3 hours: rehearsal, bride’s hall and groom’s quarters, security, sound support, garden admission for guests, and a 5-person photo pass
  • Deposit: half at booking; $750 refundable security deposit; everything paid 45 days out

Reception on site

  • Garvan Pavilion & Terrace (open-air, Jones & Jennings design): $3,000, 125 guests
  • Magnolia Room (climate-controlled): $1,800, 80 guests
  • Millsap Bride’s Hall: $1,500, 48 guests, Sunday–Thursday

Rules and calendar traps

  • A professional day-of coordinator is required (except weddings under 15 guests), and they must carry $1M liability insurance naming the University of Arkansas.
  • Garvan Gardens is closed all of January.
  • During Holiday Lights (mid-November through December 31), weddings must end by 3 pm, there are no receptions on site, and the gardens may already be decorated — including a 20-foot tree in the chapel.
  • Saturdays book up first; tours run Tuesday–Saturday by appointment.

Photo tip: Bigger room, same glass — everything that works at Thorncrown and Cooper works here. Read my photographer’s tips for glass chapel weddings →

Book through Garvan’s wedding office at 501-262-9608, GWGweds@uark.edu, or garvangardens.org/weddings.

Glass-forward chapels in Arkansas

These aren’t all-glass, but they’re built to pull the outdoors in — and each solves a problem the big three don’t.

Hunt Chapel (Rogers, Arkansas)

Hunt Chapel in Rogers, designed by Maurice and Walter Jennings and finished in 2013, seats 135 in a 3,000-square-foot stone-and-wood sanctuary that rises 43 feet. The stone came from quarries in Northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma; skylights along the roof, glass arches at the entrance and altar, and clear circular art glass fill it with daylight.

  • Price: $4,000–$5,000 depending on date.
  • Rehearsal and ceremony coordination included.
  • Best for: couples who love the Jones-Jennings look but want more stone and warmth than glass

Address: 5930 S. Wallis Road, Rogers · huntchapel.com

Osage House Chapel (Cave Springs)

The chapel at Osage House in Cave Springs seats 190+ under a stacked roofline of skylights, with walls of glass doors down both sides that can open for an open-air feel. It sits on a 54-acre property with a reception hall, so ceremony and party happen in one place.

Wedding ceremony in front of the tall glass windows of the Osage House chapel in Cave Springs, Arkansas
  • Price: Hall packages listed at $2,500–$12,000, with the chapel added for $750 to $1,500
  • Micro weddings Monday–Thursday: 3-hour chapel rental with tables and chairs for up to 50 for $1,500
  • Best for: large guest lists that want everything on one property, minutes from Rogers and Bentonville

More in my Osage House wedding guide · osagehouse.com

Want sky instead of glass? Sassafras Springs Chapel Ruins (Springdale)

If you love the forest-and-light feeling but want nothing overhead at all, the Chapel Ruins at Sassafras Springs Vineyard in Springdale is the open-air answer. Arkansas stone walls, no roof, and seating for up to 300, on a 70-acre vineyard estate minutes from Fayetteville.

Groom wipes away a tear as the bride smiles during their ceremony at the Chapel Ruins, Sassafras Springs Vineyard, Springdale
  • Rain plan: the covered Veranda becomes the ceremony site when it’s too hot, cold or wet
  • On site: the Stables event center for the reception and the Peacock Room for getting ready
  • Price: packages listed from about $3,500 to $8,000.

More in my Sassafras Springs wedding guide

Just over the Missouri line

Two glass venues in the Missouri Ozarks are an easy drive from Northwest Arkansas and worth a look if you’re open to crossing the border.

Chapel of the Ozarks at Big Cedar Lodge (Top of the Rock, Missouri)

Chapel of the Ozarks sits at Big Cedar Lodge’s Top of the Rock, the highest point in Taney County, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall looking out over Table Rock Lake. It’s three stories, with 23-foot vaulted ceilings and seating for 180.

Wedding ceremony at Chapel of the Ozarks at Big Cedar Lodge, with tall windows overlooking Table Rock Lake
Bride silhouetted in the cross-shaped window of Chapel of the Ozarks under a stormy sky, Big Cedar Lodge, Missouri
  • Price: on request from Big Cedar’s wedding team
  • Best for: a full resort weekend — lodging, rehearsal dinner and reception all on property
  • Drive: about 2 hours from Bentonville

bigcedar.com — Chapel of the Ozarks

Greenhouse Two Rivers (Highlandville, Missouri)

Greenhouse Two Rivers is a 7,000-square-foot all-glass greenhouse on 20 private acres south of Springfield, built by Caleb and Lauren Greenberg (Lauren is a wedding photographer, and it shows). Ceremony and reception happen on site for up to about 300 guests, with an outdoor ceremony site added in 2023.

Bride and her father walk down the sunlit aisle at Greenhouse Two Rivers in Highlandville, Missouri
  • Price: listings start around $2,900
  • Best for: couples who want the glass look for the whole day, not just the ceremony
  • Drive: about 2 hours from Bentonville

More in my Greenhouse Two Rivers wedding guide · greenhousetworivers.com

How to choose

Start with the one thing you won’t bend on. The right chapel usually falls out in one step.

If this matters mostLook at
Lowest cost for a real weddingCooper Chapel ($1,500 with rehearsal)
Eloping with just a few peopleCooper ($500, up to 15) or Thorncrown ($695, up to 4)
More than 120 guestsAnthony Chapel (200), Osage House (190+) or Sassafras Ruins (300)
A non-religious or interfaith ceremonyCooper Chapel or Anthony Chapel (both non-denominational)
Ceremony and reception in one placeAnthony Chapel at Garvan, Osage House, Sassafras, Greenhouse Two Rivers
The most iconic chapel in the stateThorncrown
A December wedding with a party after darkCooper or Thorncrown — Anthony ends by 3 pm during Holiday Lights
Close to Bentonville and RogersCooper, Hunt, Osage House

The real budget: the chapel fee covers the ceremony only. Plan for the reception venue, officiant (bring your own at Cooper), a coordinator (required at Anthony), florals, and transportation between sites.

A photographer’s tips for glass chapel weddings

Thorncrown, Cooper and Anthony are built the same way — tall frames, walls of glass, forest on every side — so they behave the same way in front of a camera. These tips work in all three.

Bride and groom face each other in silhouette as backlight bursts between them inside Cooper Chapel

Light through the day and the year

The most flattering light in a glass chapel is late-afternoon backlight: the sun low behind the two of you, glowing through the glass and the trees. Whether you get it comes down to three things working together — which way the chapel faces, the time of day, and the season.

The sun doesn’t set in the same spot all year. In Northwest Arkansas it sets well north of west in June, due west in late March and late September, and well south of west in December. So a chapel that’s perfectly backlit at 6 pm in September can throw light sideways across the altar at the same hour in June.

Time of yearWhere the sun setsApprox. sunset (NWA)
Late JuneAbout 30° north of due west (WNW)~8:35 pm
Late March / late SeptemberDue west~7:15–7:25 pm
Late DecemberAbout 30° south of due west (WSW)~5:05 pm

Trees and hills cut the sun off before the official sunset time, so the light inside the chapel fades earlier than the clock says.

Sideways light is the tricky one. Late evening light seems like it should be perfect, but when it comes in at an angle it can light one of your faces and only the back of the other person’s head. If thick trees block it, no problem. If the trees are sparse, the light comes through in patches and lands unevenly across the altar.

Groom hugs the bride and flower girl at the altar of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel as the wedding party looks on

None of these are deal-breakers. They just photograph differently, and your photographer should know which one you’ll get before the day, not discover it during your vows.

When each chapel is backlit

Here’s where the late sun lands behind the altar at each chapel, based on which way the altar wall faces.

ChapelAltar facesTrue backlightThe rest of the year
ThorncrownNortheastOnly right after sunrise, May through July (about 6–7 am)Never backlit in the afternoon. Late sun comes from behind your guests and through the side glass, so it lands on your faces instead of behind you. The chapel sits on a north-facing slope, so much of the day it’s in soft, even shade
CooperNorthwestLate May through July only, in the last hour or so before sunset (about 7:15–8:30 pm)Late sun comes in from the left, the classic one-face-lit setup. Plan on it and work with it
AnthonyNorth-northwest, toward Lake HamiltonNever directly behind the altarEvening sun always arrives from the west side. Summer evenings come closest

Times are approximate. Hills and trees cut the sun off before the official sunset, so the light inside fades earlier than the clock says.

Front light and side light aren’t bad light. Plenty of gorgeous ceremonies happen with the sun on your faces or coming in from the side. What matters is how harsh it is. When the trees can’t soften it, direct sun can land on one of you while the other stands in full shadow. That makes exposing for both of you tricky and the edit harder — not impossible, just something your photographer needs to plan for, whether that’s picking the ceremony time, where you stand, or their skill in editing.

The clock is tighter than you think

The two-hour limit at Thorncrown and Cooper can be no big deal, or it can ruin everything. It comes down to what you’re trying to fit inside it.

How most couples arrive: I recommend brides show up with hair and makeup done but without the dress on, so you’re not sitting in it for the drive. The dress goes on at the chapel, along with a few last touches. Grooms and groomsmen arrive essentially dressed — the jacket, cufflinks and boutonniere might go on there, and that’s about it.

Fits comfortably: simple, basic final prep, a ceremony around 30 minutes, a small handful of family formals, and portraits of the two of you.

Starts getting dicey: doing hair and makeup on site, or a big list of group formals.

The part couples forget: guest count changes the clock. A full chapel means more time for people to arrive and find seats, more hugs and chatting afterward, and more time to clear the room before formals and portraits. With a small handful of guests, all of that goes much faster.

Where the real getting-ready happens: honestly, a two-hour block is built for elopements and micro weddings. For most of the glass chapel weddings I photograph, full getting-ready coverage for both of you happens off-site first — at a family home if you live nearby, or an Airbnb rented close to the chapel. Then we head to the chapel for the ceremony and portraits, and the two hours go a lot further.

Bride in a veil holding her bouquet, lit by slashes of hard window light in a dark room

A two-hour block that works:

TimeWhat’s happening
−0:15At Cooper, the getting-ready space opens 15 minutes before your time: bride arrives with hair and makeup done, gets into the dress and handles any touch-ups
0:00Your two hours begin; groom and wedding party arrive dressed
0:05Guests begin arriving; final touches (veil, jacket, cufflinks, boutonniere)
0:20Ceremony (about 30 minutes)
0:50Hugs and congratulations; guests head out (at least 15 minutes)
1:05Family formals (at least 20 minutes)
1:25Portraits of the two of you, inside and on the grounds
2:00Time’s up

Getting-ready space differs by chapel. Cooper now has two areas — its new getting-ready space plus the original — so the bride and groom can each have one, and it opens 15 minutes before your two hours start. Thorncrown has a single room in its office building, so only one of you can use it; the other should arrive fully ready.

Bride's reflection in a salon mirror as her stylist works, getting ready near Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs
Bride getting ready at a salon near Thorncrown Chapel

Do you need a grand exit?

Usually not. At these chapels the officiant pronounces you married, you kiss, hands go up, and you walk back down the aisle — that recessional is your exit. A staged exit would mean coming back inside, letting guests leave while we do formals and portraits, then lining everyone up to send you off again. It’s doable, but I’ve never had a couple choose it, and it isn’t needed.

Long-exposure blur of light trails as a couple celebrates their send-off at the end of the night

Most couples save the big send-off for the end of the reception, when they’re actually leaving for the night. That’s where sparklers, bubbles or a line of cheering guests belong anyway — and since Cooper and Thorncrown ban tossing petals, rice, confetti and sparklers on their grounds, the reception venue is the right place for it.

Portraits on the grounds and beyond

For most couples, the grounds are plenty. Inside the chapel, the outside of the building, the walkways leading up to it, and the wooded overlooks and thick forest around each one give us more variety than you’d expect from a single location.

Bride and groom among tall pine trees in golden backlight on the grounds of Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista

Want a different look? Add about 30 minutes. If you want more, we can drive to a nearby spot after the ceremony. Sometimes that’s more nature. Sometimes it’s something completely different — downtown Bentonville near Cooper, downtown Eureka Springs near Thorncrown, or downtown Hot Springs near Anthony — for a city, urban feel against all that forest.

Five minutes from Cooper Chapel. Every portrait in this gallery was taken within a five-minute drive of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel: lake overlooks, open sky for sunset and moonrise, and a waterfall. If you want an off-site look without losing much of your day, it doesn’t get much closer than this.

The real question is time: how long you want to spend away from your guests, and whether you’re heading back to them at all. Decide that early and we’ll build the portrait plan around it. The more time we have to work and play, the more amazing pictures you’ll get to choose from. But a lot can also be done in a 30-minute window.

The mistake I see most

Underestimating how long hellos take. Mingling with your guests after the ceremony is one of the best parts of the day — if you plan for it. A packed chapel makes it worse: every full pew takes time to fill, time to empty, and if you stop to chat with most of the room on the way out, that time comes straight out of your formals and portraits.

Laughing bride with her bridesmaids outside Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel

The other time trap: the formals list. A short list goes fast: the two of you with the wedding party, with the bride’s family, and with the groom’s family. It’s when the list grows — parents and siblings, then add cousins, then just cousins, then best friends, then the same again on the other side — that formals swallow the clock.

My rule: budget 5 minutes per grouping. Most groupings don’t actually take that long, and that’s the point. The cushion keeps us on schedule, and any time left over goes straight to portraits of the two of you. It’s always better to set aside too much time for formals than too little — and counting your groupings at 5 minutes each tells you quickly how many you can fit.

Family formal portrait with the bride and groom at the altar of Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel

Don’t fear the dark: glass chapel weddings after sunset

You’ll read that glass chapels “photograph badly at night.” That’s only true if your photographer is relying on the chapel’s ceiling lights. Once it’s darker outside than inside, the glass turns into a mirror, the trees vanish, and every light fixture shows up twice. The fix isn’t to avoid the evening — it’s to light the room on purpose.

Why go after dark? For some couples it’s simply the vibe: candlelit, moody and intimate, with the forest falling away into black beyond the glass. I’ve photographed a wedding in one of these chapels that happened entirely after dark, and an evening ceremony opens the door to dramatic low-light images you can’t make any other time of day.

Wide view of an evening wedding ceremony inside Cooper Chapel, glowing warm against the blue dusk outside
Candlelit after-dark wedding ceremony inside Thorncrown Chapel with the night sky beyond the glass

What makes an evening chapel wedding work

  • Decorate with light. Once the sun is down, the chapel gets dark. Fill it with LED candles — the couple I photographed used dozens of them — and the room glows warm on camera. (Open flames aren’t allowed at Thorncrown or Cooper anyway.)
  • Know the chapel’s lights, and bring backups. Some chapels have built-in panel lights. Whether they do or not, I always bring my own video lights, ready to switch on.
  • Let your photographer take charge of the light. At the after-dark weddings I’ve shot, the venue will often set up its lights in a position and pattern that doesn’t fit the look or style that is best. So I move the lights and stands into a better setup. A photographer who’s comfortable taking control makes all the difference. A photographer who is timid or doesn’t know better will simply get stuck with wherever the chapel manager decides to place the light on that day.
  • Embrace the drama. Low light is where some of the most striking images of the whole day happen — moody, glowing, cinematic frames that daylight can’t give you.

Ask any photographer these three questions before booking an evening chapel wedding

  1. Can I see a full gallery — not just highlights — shot after dark in a glass space?
  2. Do you bring your own lighting?
  3. How do you handle reflections in the windows during the ceremony?

If the answers are vague, think through that risk. If they’re specific, the evening can be the most dramatic version of these chapels you’ll ever see.

Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel lit at night with motion-blurred trees and the couple in the doorway, Bella Vista, Arkansas

Frequently asked questions

How many glass chapels are in Arkansas?

Three true glass chapels: Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, and Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs. Hunt Chapel in Rogers and the Osage House chapel in Cave Springs use a lot of glass but aren’t all-glass.

Which Arkansas glass chapel is cheapest to get married in?

Cooper Chapel. A full wedding is $1,500 with a rehearsal included, and a one-hour elopement for up to 15 people is $500 (November 2026 pricing).

Which glass chapel holds the most guests?

Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs, with seating for 200. Cooper seats 120 and Thorncrown seats 100.

Can you have a non-religious wedding in an Arkansas glass chapel?

Yes. Cooper Chapel and Anthony Chapel are both non-denominational and open to everyone. Thorncrown includes a chapel minister with every package, or you can bring your own officiant, and same-sex weddings are allowed. Confirm your ceremony plans with the chapel when you book.

Do any of the glass chapels have reception space?

Anthony Chapel does, through Garvan Woodland Gardens (up to 125 guests at the Pavilion). Thorncrown and Cooper are ceremony-only, so you’ll book a reception venue nearby.

Can you visit the glass chapels for free?

Yes, all three are free to visit when no event is booked. Thorncrown is closed to visitors in January and February, and Garvan Woodland Gardens (home to Anthony Chapel) closes in January. Call ahead on weekends.

What’s the best time of day for photos in a glass chapel?

Honestly, any time of day can work when your photographer knows off-camera lighting and how to use the surroundings. Golden hour is the traditional favorite. My ideal is a schedule that runs from golden hour into blue hour: warm natural-light portraits first, then dramatic lit images and long exposures as night falls.

How far ahead should we book?

It depends on the date. Some Saturdays book more than a year out, while others open up through cancellations. Reach out as soon as you’re considering a chapel and give them the dates you’re looking at. The chapels often host several weddings on the same day, so being flexible on ceremony time helps, and weekdays are much easier to get.

Who designed Arkansas’s glass chapels?

E. Fay Jones designed Thorncrown (1980) and, with Maurice Jennings, Cooper Chapel. Jennings later designed Anthony Chapel with David McKee and Hunt Chapel with Walter Jennings.

Picked your chapel?

Tell me which one and your date. I’ll tell you exactly what the light will be doing during your ceremony — and how we’ll plan the day around it, even if it runs past sunset.

Check my availability →

Still deciding? Grab my free 62-page wedding planning guide, or browse the 20 best wedding venues in Northwest Arkansas, my best Arkansas elopement locations, and the best wedding planners in NWA (you’ll need one at Anthony Chapel).

About Jason — I’ve been photographing weddings since 2010, including at least 30 inside glass chapels. I’m known for epic portraits and real, unposed moments. Fearless Photographers named me the #1 family documentary photographer in the world for 2025 and the #1 wedding photographer in North America. I also teach other photographers how to use light, including at WPPI. Instagram

Comments

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