Church fees.....

msapril0730

I never looked at the church as a business until we started planning our wedding. I know they have bills and ppl to pay, but I never thought we would pay so much to use the church for two hours. If you don't mind sharing...... How much is the church rental fee? We are paying $1200 and that's the member fee for my FI! My family church only asked for a $100 donation, Fi really wanted to get married at his family church so that's where it will be.

JKeyes2011

WOAH that is expensive!
My church would let me use it for free, but its just too small for all the people we are inviting. The church I REALLY want is $500 and I really can't see dishing out that kind of money just to use the place for 2 hours.
The place we think we have is where my MOH attends church and they might let us use it for free because her dad is the assistant pastor and I'm really close with their family and I help out at their church sometimes.

But $1200 that is A LOT!

passionate81

My church would have been a donation but it's too small so I decided to got with my pastors nephews church which is also one of our affiliate churches and they are only charging us $175 which I think is awesome!!!

ufsweetiebear

Our church didn't charge anything (and neither of us are technically members any longer). We're making a donation once we receive our joint checks so it'll be our first "official" donation as a married couple.

msapril0730

I feel its alot but my FI only had this one request. We originally budgeted for $500 and I thought we would be under budget on that but we doubled it! I feel like we should negotiate the price with them because of the date mix up, but I feel kinda funny about price haggling with the church.

shesheduke

I feel your pain sister, my family have all been members at our home church for over 40 years (my grandma started the family membership) and they want us to pay $2,000 for the sancutary which I think is beyond ridiculous.

They have a much smaller chapel on the third floor but it does not have an aisle for the bride to walk down and that is $350. Then we have to pay $100 for our pastor to marry us. The $2000 includes a pastor just not the pastor. I am so done about this that i dont know what to do. It will really hurt my grandma if we dont get married there but $2k is not in teh budget by any means. FI's family church is a hot mess and he refuses to get married there so I am on the hunt for a new church that we can both join adn have our wedding at.

Since our date is 09.10.11 I again have to deal with the competition for the date but I have no given up yet. So I feel you 100% church is more of a business when it comes to weddings seriously.

flasweetheart

I feel your pain with the church.  My church where I have been a member for 28 years(since I was 3) wanted $1300 yes you read that right.  When I was talking to the senior pastor and was saying I wasn't getting married there I told him just cost wise it didn't work.  He told me that if I wanted to get married there then I would be getting married there. His reason being because I have been going to church there longer than he has been the pastor there and since before most of the buildings that we have now were built. They ended up waiving the organist fee( my family is very involved in the music ministry), the facility fee, and the pastors fee.  We are ending up only having to pay $300 which covers the sound tech, custodian and a few other things, but everything else is still included.  You may want to talk to the pastor or whoever does the booking for weddings to see if there is a way they can make it work for your budget.

TysWife2Be

The churches that I was originally looking at were on average $2500-$3000 and I thought that was INSANE...

The church we are getting married at now is only $700...THANK GOODNESS!

Kita8242

Wow!!! My church has a refundable $300 charge since we are members but we plan to donate the $$ to the church. My father thinks it should be free bc thats what you pay tithes for. I didnt know. But THOUSANDS OF $$$ IS CRAZY!!!

msapril0730

Wow these churches are really expensive. We have a premarital session this Wednesday so we are going to talk with the pastor.

prettymami2

DCApril I am in the DC area also and honey can I tell you that my fee is $1250. $500 for non members and this includes the Reverend on that day and the counseling sessions and then $750 to use the church. My total is $50.00 more than yours. They are a business and want to get paid for their time.

I ran into a friend that i new at the bridal expo this past weekend and their fee was $400.00 but they were memebers.

chayb87

Wow these prices are crazy.  FI is in the military so we are using the chapel on base, which is free, but we have to hire a coordinator through them since they know all the rules for using the chapel, but they are only $100 or so.

msapril0730

FI's church requires that you use their coordinator and musicians which is part of that fee. We also have to pay for security and custodial fees

flasweetheart

@ Msapril are the security and custodial fees in addition to?  My church the fee included everything the church decided to waive the facility fees and then because of my relationship with my pastor and our director of music they are waiving thier fees also.  It also includes a coordinator to work with my coordinator for just the church ceromony and to run the rehersal.  So I am really paying for custiodian, security and the sound tech.  When you sit down with your pastor just ask if there is anyway any of the fees can be lowered?

ellone400

thats about average here between 1200 to 3,000.00 to get married  in a church.

hisSparklett

The church we are looking at will be $600 but $300 will be refunded after the wedding as long as they don't have to do major clean up. It includes a church hostess, audio/visual guy, and something else I can't remember right  now.