Wedding Costs Escalate Amid Plans to
Raise Traditional Church Wedding
Fees by 50%
Angry clergy are said to be fighting Church of England plans to raise wedding fees by 50% as they fear it will put more young couples off marriage.
The cost of a traditional wedding is set to escalate from around £300 to £450 under the new scheme.
“The huge wedding finance costs of the ceremony are thought to be one of the main reasons why the number of marriages registered in England and Wales are at their lowest figures since 1895.”
Many members within the Church believe the nationally set fees have been kept too low for years.
They additionally believe the true cost to cash-strapped parishes is around two or three times the amount which is currently charged.
Plans to raise the cost will come up against fierce resistance from many clergymen.
A senior cleric said; “This is madness. We are trying to attract people through our doors but this will only send them away.”
Traditional Church weddings have fallen by 40%, to 50,000 a year, over the past decade.
In response to the decline, the Church has launched a campaign to re-establish some of its lost market share, most of which has been captured by civil ceremonies in stately homes or hotels, which account for 100,000 weddings a year.
“The strong emergence of civil ceremonies has been a big blow to the church,” said Mr James, of Bad Credit Loans 4 You.
“However, intent on winning back their lost market, the Church is looking at every angle to persuade couples into have a more traditional ceremony and the Royal Wedding will do wonders for publicity.”
Last year, the Church relaxed rules which previously denied couples the chance to be married in a parish unless either of them lived there.
The new regulations mean couples can marry in any church with which they have a ‘demonstrable’ link, such as a grandparent who was married there.
Church leaders believe allowing couples a greater choice of venue will mask the hike in fees, as they will have the opportunity to choose a more suitable or photogenic setting for their wedding.
They also want the fee to reflect the ‘real cost’ of time taken by the vicar, administration plus heating, lighting and church maintenance expenses.
“Many members of the clergy believe fees should be kept to a minimum,” stated Mr James of Bad Credit Loans 4 You.
“They want to ensure the message which is sent out conveys the opinion that everyone is welcome in church for such key events and not just those who can afford the escalating fees.”
Under draft proposals discussed by the Archbishop’s Council, the cost of marrying in church is set to rise from £321.50 to £450 or more.
The current fee raises around £14 million annually and covers; £262 for the service, £3.50 for the marriage certificate, £44 for reading banns and £12 for a certificate which confirms they have been read.
Half of the fees go to the diocese, with some then coming back to the vicar in his or her pay packet, whilst the other half goes to the parochial church council.
Additional extras such as flowers, an organist, bell-ringers or a choir are charged on top of this fee.
The average wedding is estimated to cost £20,000 including the reception and honeymoon, which is why many people require engagement ring finance and wedding day loans.
A basic funeral service held in a church costs £102, with a churchyard burial an extra £198.
A vicar currently makes no charge if he or she presides at a ceremony in a private or local authority cemetery or cremation.
But changes to the Church’s approach towards their fees could also see them charge more than £100 for vicars to offer this service.
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