Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions

Cost of cermony

Does anyone know an average cost of a Catholic wedding cermony? Without a mass included? How much is the music and how much do you usually give the priest??
Love & Joy, Kristin :)

Re: Cost of cermony

  • I think you need to post this on a local area board.  Different churches charge different amounts, and it can vary dramatically by what state or region you live in.  Your best bet is to call the church you're interested in, and simply ask what their fees are.

    Links to local wedding boards are on your left.
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • That depends on the church and quite often, if you are a member.

    The church we used was on Cape Cod although bride was from NYC.  There was no charge for the church but we had to pay $250 for the soloist and organist, using them or not.  We used them and added a flutist and trumpeter.

    The priest refused a gift, the uncle of the bride was a deacon of the church so he got a gift
  • Many of the churches in the city, particularly the older chapels and cathedrals, can run from $800 to $1000...often whether you are a parishoner or not.  There is an incredibly wide range of prices, as PP stated, from basic "donation basis" to set and established fees.

    We are in the NW suburbs (Lake County) of IL...are parishoners of the church (18 years) and our "requested" church fee is $200.  We will make additional/separate donations to the music ministry and to the altar servers as well.  We will also send a private gift to our parish priest.

    Your best bet is to email/visit the parish office secretary.  They are very accustomed to answering such questions.
  • this varies by church and location.

    i am having a Catholic wedding (outside of a Mass)

    The organist is $250. You arent allowed to bring in other musicians, and there is no hookup for an ipod or anything-which is odd because they built on the church very recently (its huge and amazing)

    Each altar server is $20 and there will be AT LEAST 2.

    And the Priest gets a (monetary) gift....he is also invited to our RD
  • our church fee was $100, priest fee $100. we gave the priest $200.

    organist was $265

    we gave each altar boy $40.  it was a good chunk of their day to be there, and i know their family doesnt have much.

    we are regular parishioners.
  • This varies soooo much. I have heard the range of "no fee for parishoners" to a rumor of over $2000 for a "destination" church. The only way to know about a particular parish is to ask.

    Mine is $800 for the church, $150 for the musician (Catholic church requires live music at masses with music, which is why PP's church was not built to use an iPod plug-in), probably $200 in other fees, plus about $500 in Marriage Prep classes and stuff. Does it add up to a lot of money? Yes, but our faith is really, really important to FI and me, so we wouldn't have it any other way.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Ditto PPs, it varies by church.

    For us, the officiant is $250, church setup and ceremony coordinator is $100, organist is $200, and then we are making a donation of ~$500 since there is no set "ceremony fee".
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_cost-of-cermony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:ee5f5904-8786-40ec-8d8c-8c524ede617dPost:805d2348-ffce-4932-94e2-a42837d55d0c">Re: Cost of cermony</a>:
    [QUOTE]This varies soooo much. I have heard the range of "no fee for parishoners" to a rumor of over $2000 for a "destination" church. The only way to know about a particular parish is to ask. Mine is $800 for the church, $150 for the musician (Catholic church requires live music at masses with music, which is why PP's church was not built to use an iPod plug-in), probably $200 in other fees, plus about $500 in Marriage Prep classes and stuff. Does it add up to a lot of money? Yes, but our faith is really, really important to FI and me, so we wouldn't have it any other way.
    Posted by bibliophile2010[/QUOTE]

    wow being catholic sounds expensive. im glad i serve God and not a religion cuz i dont think i could afford it. i mean no disrespect but all those fees dont sound like anything God would ever expect you to come up with to do things His way. im getting married at my church, having music played via a sound system and receiving marriage prep classes for free. FREE. of course i will give monetary gifts to my pastor and anyone else involved, but not as much as you are talking about! where in the bible are such enormous fees talked about?? doesnt sound biblical to me. God dearly loves you and doesnt want you broke. think and better yet, pray about it before you pay all that!! I love my God, my savior Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit that leads me. I am close to God and know that all that money doesnt sound like God's kind of fees but like mans kind of fees. hopefully this doesnt start a huge debate. just pray on it like i said, grace and peace be with all you brides!
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_cost-of-cermony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:ee5f5904-8786-40ec-8d8c-8c524ede617dPost:69bb0aa3-e7ae-438f-a854-fd3f6f331cb8">Re: Cost of cermony</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cost of cermony : wow being catholic sounds expensive. im glad i serve God and not a religion cuz i dont think i could afford it. i mean no disrespect but all those fees dont sound like anything God would ever expect you to come up with to do things His way. im getting married at my church, having music played via a sound system and receiving marriage prep classes for free. FREE. of course i will give monetary gifts to my pastor and anyone else involved, but not as much as you are talking about! where in the bible are such enormous fees talked about?? doesnt sound biblical to me. God dearly loves you and doesnt want you broke. think and better yet, pray about it before you pay all that!! I love my God, my savior Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit that leads me. I am close to God and know that all that money doesnt sound like God's kind of fees but like mans kind of fees. hopefully this doesnt start a huge debate. just pray on it like i said, grace and peace be with all you brides!
    Posted by lizrollins[/QUOTE]

    And where exactly DOES the church find the resources to provide a facility for a wedding?  Your post sounds very pious indeed, but I work in a church.  And while we trust that God has a plan for us, we also trust that we need to have a way to provide for those who worship with us and use our facilities and services.

    This may surprise you, but churches pay electric bills.  And heating bills.  And water bills.  And they have to pay the custodian to open the church for your wedding.  And to clean the church and the bathrooms for your wedding.

     They also have to pay the secretary who will type up and run off your programs, and create the wedding certificate of marriage that the church will give you.  They have to pay the organ tuner or piano tuner who will make sure that the instrument is in tune for your ceremony. They have to pay for the sound system and microphones that you'll be using.

    The church has a minister on staff to lead the church every day of the year.  Sure, you're going to give a "donation" to the minister on wedding day (at least I hope you are), but the church who makes that minister available to you has to pay that person a yearly salary.

    I'm an organist.  Should I not have a set fee and just hope (pray?) that people will give me appropriate remuneration?  I have spent years honing my craft.  I practice weekly, and purchase my own music.  You're not paying  just for the hour that I'll be playing, but for the years that led up to me BEING ABLE to play for your wedding.

    Your analogy that such "fees" are not in the Bible is just specious.  You know what else isn't in the Bible?  Brides wearing a big white wedding dress.  Wedding parties.  Limousines.  Bouquet tosses. Showers.  B-parties.   Three tier wedding cakes.  Favors. Honeymoons.  Garter tosses.   Letter press invitations.  Aisle runners.

    You sound wonderfully idealistic and frankly, completely unrealistic.

    But a hearty good luck to you.
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • trix1223, perhaps i have alot more volunteer work done at my church then catholic churches have done. i myself am not a paid janitor there. i volunteer every month to clean my church. and we do not have an organ but different sound systems and instruments for music. i actually did know that my church has bills to pay and it is paid by weekly tithes and offerings from the people attending church. musicians volunteer, "janitors" volunteer, secretaries are volunteer and my pastor willingly gives free counseling. and i did state that i am giving him a gift. where do all the tithes and offerings people at your church pay in each week go to? and i know catholics have lots of services throughout the week. i thought thats where atleast some of that money should go. like i said, pray about it first and listen to the God who loves his people. maybe i am just extra blessed to go to a chuch that offers all the free services that i mentioned. i think God truly has His hand on us there. trix1223, we love the same God you know. He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for you, i and anyone else willing to believe in Him. i am not your enenmy. more and more grace and peace to you and all the brides who are dealing with all these issues!
  • Our church was 1300.  It is a beautiful historic cathedral in the middle of the city, so I know it costs them a ton to keep it up.  That also covered our pre-cana and flowers in the church.  Considering this was only a fraction of our budget, but yet the most important part of the day, I was happy to pay it.  

    Our organist was $300, we gave the priest $200, and the alter boys each got about $25.  

    Talk to your church.  Only they can tell you what they will charge.  
  • Please only answer my question I post. Please don't insert your opinions that aren't relevant or attack anyone else on here. I don't have time to read all the negative posts. Thank you.
    Love & Joy, Kristin :)
  • You may also find more information about the range of fees by posting this question on the Catholic Board (it's under "Cultural Wedding Boards").

    I'm getting married oustide the Mass at my university's Newman Center, which charges $150 fo rthe facility.  The priest from the nearby parish where I'm a new member is presiding, and he hasn't mentioned a fee for his services, though his parish typically charges $400-$800 depending on membership status.  Since I won't be paying the parish that pays his salary, I'm planning to give the priest about a $500 donation, which I think is well-worth his time and expertise in providing us with 7+ hours of pre-marital preparation, not too mention the time he'll spend at the rehearsal and writing the homily.  The registration fee for our Engaged Encounter is $250.  We will be using friends who are professional musicians or with whom I sang in the choir when I was a student and will of course offer to compensate them but don't expect them to accept.

    To Liz: I understand how you may question the fees some churches charge, but the Catholic Church does not deny a couple the Sacrament of Marriage based on inability to pay. Of course, "inability to pay" also means that the couple recognizes the religious ceremony is the most important part of their wedding and they also cannot afford "extras" like a gown and cake.
    "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!" (Isaiah 43:1)
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_cost-of-cermony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:ee5f5904-8786-40ec-8d8c-8c524ede617dPost:cc30c372-5aad-4ec6-92de-0ba6821989da">Re: Cost of cermony</a>:
    [QUOTE]Please only answer my question I post. Please don't insert your opinions that aren't relevant or attack anyone else on here. I don't have time to read all the negative posts. Thank you.
    Posted by rhymingwhiston[/QUOTE]

    Kristin, you're new here, so please allow me, as kindly as possible to explain something to you.

    You put a message out on a public message board, and people are free to respond and offer their advice, opinions, and even to comment.  Sometimes the threads take off in a different direction, and that's okay too.

    What is absolutely not okay, and will not earn you any positive responses on these boards is to tell people what they can and can't respond to and how they should answer.

    GL
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • PP are right - it does vary so you should call your church and see what their fee is. Most churches will work with your budget within reason. Also - you CAN get married during a regularly scheduled mass for FREE. The reason there is an extra fee to have a separate ceremony is because the church typically does not have the budget to cover extra ceremonies like weddings and funerals, so the overhead involved is an added cost to them.

    I would also like to add that if you were to have your ceremony at another location, you'd easily accumulate similar fees when you figure the costs to rent a location, hire an officiant and musicians. So, it's really not all that different than most ceremonies.

    From what I've seen on the Catholic board, it's an average of about $500, but I've seen some over $1,000 (mine included).
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_cost-of-cermony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:ee5f5904-8786-40ec-8d8c-8c524ede617dPost:69bb0aa3-e7ae-438f-a854-fd3f6f331cb8">Re: Cost of cermony</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cost of cermony : wow being catholic sounds expensive. im glad i serve God and not a religion cuz i dont think i could afford it. i mean no disrespect but all those fees dont sound like anything God would ever expect you to come up with to do things His way. im getting married at my church, having music played via a sound system and receiving marriage prep classes for free. FREE. of course i will give monetary gifts to my pastor and anyone else involved, but not as much as you are talking about! where in the bible are such enormous fees talked about?? doesnt sound biblical to me. God dearly loves you and doesnt want you broke. think and better yet, pray about it before you pay all that!! I love my God, my savior Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit that leads me. I am close to God and know that all that money doesnt sound like God's kind of fees but like mans kind of fees. hopefully this doesnt start a huge debate. just pray on it like i said, grace and peace be with all you brides!
    Posted by lizrollins[/QUOTE]

    Had any one of the numbers I had originally posted been a problem, I know that there are scholarships and aid available to pay for them, because the Church would never deny someone the sacrament because of finances. That said, there are costs (materials, rentals, instructors, etc.) associated with each of the things I listed above. My parish is an old, pretty one, so lots of people want to get married there. They have lots of expenses and limited collections (because the God who doesn't want us to be poor provides enough, but not extra, for most of our members; they give what they can).

    I didn't need to pray before I payed it because, as I mentioned, my faith is extremely important to me (as it is to my fi). I have spent plenty of time in prayer discerning marriage and marriage to my now FI. I attend mass multiple times a week, and volunteer with and at my parish many more. There was no need to pray about the price of having a sacramental marriage in my home parish, because I understand where it comes from. I'm spending much more on stuff I care way less about: dress, flowers, reception, etc. That stuff won't matter at the end of the day -- getting married in my Church and in my parish will matter for the rest of this life and the results will, hopefully, carry me into the next.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • liz - though you claim to not be disrespectful, you are indeed insulting those in this post by insinuating that we worship a religion and NOT God, simply because we are covering our OWN costs. Should we not contribute our part to something or someone who is helping us? I would feel like I was taking advantage or pilfering if I didn't help cover the costs of my own wedding. Because it isn't FREE for the church to do my ceremony - they incur costs. I understand that volunteering time and money is the ideal, but it isn't the fault of the Church if they do not have an abundance of volunteers to pay for extra services, just so that the bride and groom don't have to. We paid $100 for our pre-cana classes, which were taught by volunteers. The cost went towards reading materials, videos, books, elecrticity and heat for the hall and the snacks and drinks provided to us. I'm pretty sure the church didn't make money off of that. Most churchs operate at nearly a deficit every year.

    Like biblio said, no church will ever say you may NOT be married if you can't afford to pay the fees. But, the couple should be willing to cut down their affair to something simple, that doesn't require much funding or overhead (ie getting married during a regularly scheduled mass). Additionally, when the average wedding costs upwards of $20,000 it is a bit ridiculous to think that $500 to cover your ceremony costs is a bit much.
  • a couple can get married at the weekly mass usually at no charge.  however, most brides dont want to do this.  they want a private ceremony on a saturday.  that's why you pay.
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