Houston, TX 'Good Things' Part 2

*Scroll down to previous post for part one...*

This is where Steven and I got married-the A. D. Bruce Religion Center on the University of Houston Campus. We decided that we wanted to get married where we met, which was in a math class at UofH in 1989. However, I was already graduated and gone and didn't want anything else to do with a math class, so the campus chapel it was!


The door to enter the building is smack in the middle. The wing to the left is all classrooms. The chapel is to the right, and takes up that whole 'wing'. See how it is all very tall windows held up with the narrow posts/beams/insert proper architecture vocab here? It is like that all the way around the building...front, side and back! Because of this, it has a very outdoorsy feel from the inside.


See what I mean? This is a picture of the "Altar" from farther down the aisle. It is not very tall, and, there are several feet behind it, between the there and the windows, and I think that has a lot to do with the open, outdoors feeling. When you are standing there, you can see the outside-with all the grass and trees and squirrels-all around you.


Here you can see almost the whole inside. I really want you to notice the white columns that are along both sides and then start to arch around. They go up to the ceiling, but not across all the way, until closer to the altar. The columns stand just along the outside edges of the pews, then there is about a 3 ft. wide walkway between them and the windows, which is gorgeous! I love standing in that area.




This is what I mean about the walkway...

When the ceremony was over, Steven and I were told to walk back down the aisle then, not to exit the room, but to go over to our right side (into that walkway) and wait for everyone else to exit so we could go about the business of "The Taking of the Pictures". (Which I found hilarious! The way we were modeled on the steps before the alter and basically had to stand like wax figures while various groups were moved in and out for the photos.) ANYWAY...while we were standing off to the side, and all alone, the photographer took a candid shot of Steven and I, which is actually my favorite photo from our wedding. Of course, I don't have it on me-it's packed up in a book somewhere. Somewhere I need to get to and take out some pictures and have copies made to hang and place around our house after almost 16 years!

So, that was the Chapel part of the building. Now, maybe I should have started the tour at this point, entering the building at the front door but, too late, I'm not going back...anyway, these are a few of the highlights of the lobby.

As you walk in the door to the building, there is a staircase to each side of you. Very art deco-ish.


I am fascinated by all of the little tiles...some are just like regular tile, and some are almost see-through.




They don't really look that translucent in pictures, though...


Then there is one little stained glass window above the door that leads to the chapel. It's a shame, though, that there isn't any sun or light at all, really, to shine through it and show off all of the colors.


But with a bright flash, this is what you can get...



That's about it. The rest of the building consists of one office and classrooms. Oh yeah...in case you were wondering, the classrooms are where the bride and groom, bridesmaids, etc...change their clothes and do all that 'pre-wedding' stuff. It's not all that glamorous and huge and fairy tale, but, that's not what we wanted anyway. If I could go back I probably wouldn't even have worn a wedding dress. I think I'd do it in blue jeans, which is just about the only thing I ever wear anyway. So that's the tour. Hope everyone, including GreenishLady, enjoyed it!