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 The fee vicars charge for a wedding is to be increased by almost 50% across the board Church of England leaders have announced.
Th e price increase is designed to eliminate the varying charges imposed by different churches throughout the UK, where the hidden costs of elements such as a choir and an organist can easily double the bill, some have reported the bill nearing £1,000.
The reform will mean a couple getting married in a church will have to pay £425 for the privilege, rising to £462.50 if the fees for the marriage certificate and reading the banns in advance are included. The aim of the change is to ensure churches across the country all charge the same.
Currently around 55,000 couples marry in the Church of England and its sister church, the Church in Wales, each year. The current standard charge is £284, rising to £321.50 for these additions - but the final cost can be much higher. At the moment, many will charge £40 for the verger, (even though this should be included in the basic fee). Couples are also likely to be asked for £100 for the choir and another £100 for the cost of Bellringers.
 Organists often charge a further £100 or £150, and some will demand double if the ceremony is being filmed. Administrative fees and charges for costs such as heating are also supposed to be included in the standard charge, but are sometimes asked for in addition. £70 is often asked to thank parishioners if they have arranged the flowers.
The number of weddings in the Church of England has more than halved since 1980, and many couples who would once have chosen a church wedding now prefer civil ceremonies in ‘approved premises’ like stately homes. It is still however worth over £35 million pounds in revenue to the church, an amount they are hungry to hold onto.
Secretary general of the General Synod William Fittall said: 'For the privilege of being married in your parish church, you will know the fee will be the same everywhere. ‘We have got 16,000 church buildings and 13,000 parishes, we don’t have comprehensive information but there is enough evidence to show that some churches charge very, very substantially.
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Wedding Magazine 
