Cost of Ceremony

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Hello,

My fiance & I are getting married at a church & we're going over the costs. We are not members of the church & fees go as follows:

Use of church: $600

Sound Booth Tech: $45

Custodian:45

**All of the above are required**

Additional costs(optional)

Pastor: $250

Organist: $120

I'm not sure why the pastor fee is an option & not a requirement, but ok.

Has anyone here gotten married at a church(or a place of worship for whatever your religion is) that can verify this is how much a ceremonial wedding costs??? I think its a bit much, but I'd like your thoughts.

[Staashi 371]

Well, if you were members of a church normally those fees are waived or just minimal costs. Why get hitched at a church if you're not members? Why not just have a justice of the peace marry you all?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

The cost of the ceremony is nothing compared to how much it will cost you for the rest of your life.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Moved from Off Topic to "Moving Here and your new life in America" forum as more likely to get useful responses here

[CDAgirlMI 51]

We don't really like the idea of the JOP. I moved here to the U.S., so I understand non-member fees.

I just didn't realize it cost that much.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

We don't really like the idea of the JOP. I moved here to the U.S., so I understand non-member fees.

I just didn't realize it cost that much.

A few options:

• get married in church where your spouse is member
  
• (since you are in MI) ask CCC in Novi if you can get married there (you will need to go to Pontiac to get the marriage licence for this but...); best contact number is 248-486-6326
  

[britbird 4]

I'm not sure what the rule is in your state, but in California you can deputize someone for the day to do your ceremony. Makes things really personal and special - and then you can go get married where ever you like. Might be something to consider. We asked my husband's old school headmaster to do our ceremony and he was outstanding.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I'm not sure what the rule is in your state, but in California you can deputize someone for the day to do your ceremony. Makes things really personal and special - and then you can go get married where ever you like. Might be something to consider. We asked my husband's old school headmaster to do our ceremony and he was outstanding.

In the OP's state (MI), signatures (on licence) of one ordained cleric and two others in the county (where the wedding is performed) make the document official.

(since my 2006 wedding was in that state)

[SuperDuper! 230]

Vegas Style is the way to go. Cheap, fun, exciting!

If it was good enough for the King, itz good enough for me.

May 1, 1967, Aladdin Hotel

[kev_n_jena 89]

That's really expensive compared to our wedding. I think our costs for the small midwestern church wedding were about 1/2 of that.

The organist fee sounds fine, I think we paid 150 or 175. We didn't use the sound system, the organ was fine without it. He was there for the practice also.

The church seems overpriced. I would think more like 250 or 300. The minister let us decide the fee for him. I think we gave him 100-150 and invited him to dinner for the practice and reception.

Custodian fee sounds fine.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Vegas Style is the way to go. Cheap, fun, exciting!

If it was good enough for the King, itz good enough for me.

May 1, 1967, Aladdin Hotel

Trust me....that did cross my mind!

That's really expensive compared to our wedding. I think our costs for the small midwestern church wedding were about 1/2 of that.

The organist fee sounds fine, I think we paid 150 or 175. We didn't use the sound system, the organ was fine without it. He was there for the practice also.

The church seems overpriced. I would think more like 250 or 300. The minister let us decide the fee for him. I think we gave him 100-150 and invited him to dinner for the practice and reception.

Custodian fee sounds fine.

Yea, the fee that really gets me is the church "rental" fee.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Hello,

My fiance & I are getting married at a church & we're going over the costs. We are not members of the church & fees go as follows:

Use of church: $600

Sound Booth Tech: $45

Custodian:45

**All of the above are required**

Additional costs(optional)

Pastor: $250

Organist: $120

I'm not sure why the pastor fee is an option & not a requirement, but ok.

Has anyone here gotten married at a church(or a place of worship for whatever your religion is) that can verify this is how much a ceremonial wedding costs??? I think its a bit much, but I'd like your thoughts.

In which Peninsula (Upper or Lower) are you located?

Pras and I got married at Community Christ Church (aforementioned as CCC) in Novi, and we didn't pay anywhere near that much for our wedding. The cost (including food and decorations) was much less than $1,000.

As I posted earlier, try calling CCC at 248-486-6326.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Saddle Bronc

[CDAgirlMI 51]

We're in Plymouth(a stone's throw to Novi!).

Thanks for the info!!

[SapphireDreams 71]

Catholic Churches work a bit differently. There is no rental fee, you just give a "Donation" in a sum that the couple can afford. The organist fee, custodian fee, sound fine. The Pastor fee seems a bit high... I think that in catholic churches a priest cannot ask outright for a fee for their services, so you just give them a "gift"... might be similar in the church you are looking at..

I've heard of non-member rental fees being up to $1000, so I suppose it's not completely out of the ordinary. That was for a VERY nice, old and beautiful church that people get married for the look/feel as well... so maybe if the church you are looking at is old and nice like that maybe that's why they ask for a high fee. Perhaps you could check out smaller, less ornate churches.