Cost of church weddings set to rise

The cost of Church of weddings could be set to increase by 40% from next January after members of the Church of England voted in favour of hiking the current fees which would see the cost of banns increased from £296 to £415 alone.

This standard fee will only cover the basics including lighting and admin, however it doesn’t cover for extras such as heating costs, vergers, organists and bell ringers as these will all be charged on top of the basic £415 fee.

The church argues that the new fees for wedding ceremonies will more accurately reflect the reality of the cost of a wedding in the modern age, while those who oppose the wedding fee hike insist that the church should not be putting up its rates during this period of austerity when many couples will already be feeling the pinch.

There are concerns that many poorer couples will turn their back on a church wedding altogether if the fee increase goes ahead. With a standard registry office ceremony costing as little as £100, it’s difficult to see how the church will compete when there are much cheaper options available to couples.

In figures released last month, the number of weddings in the UK which took place in church over the course of the last year actually increased for the first time in 8 years, with a rise of 4%.

Would the proposed wedding fee increase put you off marrying in church? Or do you think the rise in cost is justified to ensure the upkeep of our churches? Let us know your thought using the comments box below.

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Posted by Sean Nash on Feb 9 2012. Filed under All News, General News, TV and Media, Wedding Venues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry