Price of a church wedding set to rise (From The Argus)
Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Price of a church wedding set to rise
3:40pm Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
Rev Archie Coates of St Peter's Church, Brighton
The cost of church weddings is set to rise but Sussex vicars said they hope it will not force people away from the altar.
The Church of England will increase the cost of a church wedding from just under £350 to more than £400.
The decision was made by the church’s General Synod just before a week of events to celebrate and encourage marriage.
The Reverend Archie Coates, of St Peter’s Church, in Brighton, said he wanted to see more done to make it easier for couples to get married under the eyes of God.
He said: “We should be doing everything we can to encourage people to get married and to get married in churches.
Important
“If that’s what it costs the church then I can accept the prices rising, but I don’t think it should be a way for the church to make more money.
“I know £400 is quite a small proportion of what a lot of people spend on their wedding day, for what should be the most important part.”
The Reverend Daniel Smith, vicar at St Peter’s Church in West Blatchington said he felt the price of church ceremonies were still relatively small compared to the overall costs of weddings.
His church is this week marking National Marriages Week by inviting their congregation to share their memories of holy matrimony through the decades.
Rev Smith said: “I don’t think the rises will have that great an effect.
“Across the board the numbers of weddings are down somewhat, but I don’t think that when people are willing to spend £10,000 on a wedding that this will make a massive impact.”
On Sunday members of the congregation brought in their wedding dresses and photos to mark the celebration. Rev Smith’s wife Zoe who organised the event said: “We wanted to do something to celebrate National Marriage Week.
“We have got about 50 pictures dating back to about 1830. It is nice to see the same tradition with a few changes through the years.
“Fashion has definitely has an effect on the dresses.”
UglyAmerican says...
7:48pm Wed 15 Feb 12