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?
Re: Catholic Ceremony Cost
Thank you!
Everything will work out the way it is supposed to
Is it in an expensive area?
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
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