Catholic Ceremony Cost

Knottie1455802417

Hello, 
I am having a hard time booking my church and want to see if I am the only one out there.... Both my FI and me are practicing Catholics. We have both received our sacrament of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. I reached out to my home church and attended their orientation, only to find out that the cost of hosting mass for our wedding day would be $2000(for members) I am having a hard time being okay with that amount, as we are trying to receive a sacrament. I can completely understand that the church has costs associated with the mass and it does include certain things like an organist and cantor, etc. Which I am fine with. But I just can't justify the $2000 "price tag."
I reached out to some other churches in the area and they are all under $1000, even the cathedral is less than my church. Unfortunately at all of those churches, you have to be a member to schedule a wedding ceremony there (for at least six months before locking down a date).
All in all, I was not expecting booking the church to be the biggest headache I got while wedding planning. Am I completely crazy for thinking that $2000 is outrageous to receive a sacrament? Anyone seen something like this before? 

holyguacamole79

Yeah, $2000 seems high.  Is your parish in a particularly wealthy area?  I think ours was around $750.  Have you talked to the pastor or wedding coordinator to express your concerns?  If the cost is that much of a hindrance, you could ask about getting married during a regular Mass.

agapecarrie

In some places, weddings are the only thing that keeps an old "picturesque" church open because people don't tithe well (or are unable to). If you compare it to what you are spending for other costs of your wedding, its often a very small percentage. If you wanted to have a simple marriage rite celebrated in a mass that is already taking place then its likely it wouldn't "cost" anything, but a small offering to the priest.

Knottie1455802417

I have an appointment with the father on Thursday and am hoping we can work something out. And the wedding coordinator is trying to work something out as well. I have spoken with some other couples from the church and they were all as shocked with the $2000 as I was, so I am not feeling as crazy I was before. 
Thank you!

Everything will work out the way it is supposed to

ILoveBeachMusic

DD's cost $1000 and that didn't include musicians, cantor or priest. I, too, thought that was kind of high.

banana468

It's not all that outrageous depending on where you are and how popular the church is.

Is it in an expensive area?   

MesmrEwe

I know the Cathedral years ago was $2400 for members to use a side chapel for a wedding if that's any idea.  It has gotten to a "piece of the pie" in many areas (people don't think anything of spending $2000 on a bridal gown they'll wear for one day, or spending tens of thousands of dollars on the wedding, but spend some money on the "main event" and WOAH Nellie!), however you could say "we're here for the sacrament, not the wedding coordinator, nor the musician, we're keeping things on a small budget, we can't afford $2k - what do you need to get the deacon to sign the paperwork in front of some family/friends before we are forced to "church shop" because of a price being put on performing a sacrament?

I think our church charges $475 for 100% of everything (pre-canna, engaged encounter weekend, service, musicians, etc.), which I get the "there's a cost to..." but $2k unless you're having the Cardinal himself receive your vows, it's steep IMO

LadyCatherineDB

Please let us know how it goes tomorrow.

Knottie1455802417

It did not go the way I was hoping it would. The father at the church is new (has been there since July) and he mentioned that he has already seen more than a handful of couples discussing the price of a ceremony there, however he does not plan on reviewing/revising the pricing until January. He encouraged us to move forward with the Dioceses requirements, but we would be unable to set a date until January. We really want to move forward with our planning so we are reaching out to my Fiances mom's church. 
We can have a ceremony in their chapel, which seats about 200 for $400, which seems a lot more reasonable to me. 

Mark 11:15-19

[Deleted User]

Cost at my parish is $600 for parishioners. That amount that you mentioned is outrageous.

Knottie1472489229

That seems really high to me. We're paying $500 altogether--$250 of that is for the musicians.