In the Daily Telegraph's report we are told that wedding planners have warned that the changes could force couples to cut their guest list and go without flowers to find the extra money. Yes – wedding planners – another unnecessary expense perhaps?
My own approach is to pass on the fees for the registration of the wedding (£40), the organist (£100-130) and leave people to give a donation. (A historic Catholic Church might need to charge a fee for using the Church, especially if people regularly come from outside the parish just because the Church is good for photographs.) I always tell people that they can get married here for the same cost as in the Register Office if they can’t afford anything more, or just want a quiet wedding: I want people to get married. In fact, most people’s expenses on things like the photographer, the car, the reception (and sometimes the “wedding planner”) dwarf anything they have to pay to the Church, Catholic or Anglican.
8 comments:
A fine post Father. Common Sense Incarnate ...
Pax
The problem is that for many Anglicans marriage is not a one-off, but a recurring expense.. ;)
Mundabor
If I want to get married or baptize my baby in the pretty church across town to which I have never contributed, I have no problem with being charged whatever fee the market will bear. However, as a regular and generous (at least compared to the average family in my parish) contributor to my parish, I have a real problem with a fee to use "my" church or to have a sacrament administered by a pastor my contributions help pay.
RAnn - there are different arrangements for the remuneration of priests in different places. In many dioceses in England, donations at Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals are part of the priest's income - we do not receive a salary.
If the priest has a salary, then contributions on those occasions will go towards the parish. A small contribution would be reasonable for those special services in addition to the regular offertory donations.
I personally prefer it if there is not a fixed fee. You can then tell people that it is customary to make an offering but if they can't afford to do so, that will be OK and nobody will ask for anything.
I am afraid when I married it was a wedding in Church and sandwiches in the Church Hall. I was nowhere near the £20,000 mark Sadly today too much money is wasted on pre-nuptual parties and hen-doos. I think this is something the Church must address since the decision to marry in Church or not is part and parcel of the wedding budget. I know a Catholic Church that charges the bride and groom £300. This is a disgrace - the Church should not be a business. It is there to adminster the sacrament, which should be free with the exception of helping priests in thier work by a donation is part and parcel of our catholic upbringing.
I am a Roman Catholic pastor of many years. Inasmuch as, Catholic weddings are down as well as funerals, to say nothing of church attendance it's not surprising that small details like what constitues a "fee" or, donation should be the ongoing topic on whatever continent. As a matter of fact, MOST couples getting married today are unlikely to make any sort of substantial donation to the parish at all especially when compared to the overall expenses of their wedding. It's not necessarily bad will on their part they just don't really think of it. The same applies to Baptisms, etc. Hence, the alleged, "fees." We can only look to the manner in which people give to their respective parishes. George Washinton might well have been a Catholic for all the churches he's visited over the years.
John - I think £300 would not be excessive if that fee included the organist and the registrar. The important thing is to make it clear that if people cannot afford such a fee, they can get married anyway. It is also important that if people are spending £10,000 plus, they should give a proportionate donation to help keep the Church on the road, rather than using it free, as though it had no need of finance to keep going.
St. John Cantius in Chicago charges $2000 for non-parishioners and $750 for parishioners. This is only for use of the church. The organist is an additional $200 and each member of the choir is another $100.
Post a Comment