Wedding Forum - Increased Prices just arrived from Church...

Our Church was costing us £550 for the things we wanted. We were warned there would be a "slight" increase in 2011 which we understood and paid the £250 deposit back in July last year. Our new prices came through the post today and now the exact same things are costing us £662!!! Can't believe an increase of over £112 can be desribed as slight. The worst part is our wedding is 2012 and we are aware there will be another increase that year so I have no idea how much it will finally cost. Anyone else having this problem?? xxx

Aw hun!! That's awfull!

I can't say from experience about church prices, as we're having a civil ceremony, but I know our catering prices are going up a lot and I am a little worried about it. That's mainly due to the VAT increase though, so there's not a lot we can do about that. As for other things we've booked such as cars, photographer etc we've had it written into our contracts that the prices will stay at the price it was when we booked. Maybe that would help? x x

That's ridiculous!! I can't believe they're being so funny about it. x x

We were told that as our wedding was so far off to expect yearly increases, but told they would be only slight increases. If they increase it by £112 this year, I'm dreading next year! xx

im sorry i cant help much (haven't asked my church how much it will cost) but it does seem quite a big jump. I would have only expected a 10% jump max (£605). I know my reception costs went up, but they only went up my 50p a meal (about 2%). and the drink / buffet prices never changed at all. So i like you would be worried at a 20% increase

THATS SHOCKING!!

I would not be happy at all! have you asked exactly what the price increase covers? I mean yes prices increase year by year for inflation but thats just silly!

If you could get a breakdown of exactly where your money is going that might help. And I would imagine that if you pay a deposit in 2010 then you should only be paying 2010 rates!!

no offense to religious people - but the church really takes the mick sometimes!!

Rhiannonollie - so true! And even if it was to cover inflation - that's only gone up 4%! Grrrrrrrr.

We booked our church last year and the cost was £450 but they told us that because we are getting married this year we will have to pay this years charges which will be £500 at the most so i cant see why your one has gone up that much, thats ridiculous x

I think it's ridiculous what priests/vicars charge!!
I'm a church goer and our priest asked us to just make a donation. There are some greedy people out there - men (or women) of the cloth or not!
I would ask for a breakdown of costs :0S

so basically the organist and heating is whats caused the big jump!

Why the organist!!?? from £25 to £60 phew! thats a big increase !!

And the heating thing isnt fair either really! because surely they need to keep their own building heated. they cant expect you to oayt £75!!!!!!!

At the OP, that does sound like a pretty hefty increase year on year.
As for the heating being three times what is was a year ago - now I know heating prices have gone up, but nowhere near 150% (if my poor off the top of my head maths is correct).

What I've started to do with my album packages is say to the B&G - my attending fee is £x, we can talk about albums after the wedding. This way I cover my back as far as my own costs are concerned given I'm taking bookings for something I'm quite often doing only 18 months in the future.

Also it means that the B&G can commit to my services on the day without committing to a large financial expense upfront. If they find after the wedding they have more or less available in the kitty than thought, they can adjust their album budget accordingly as suits them.

Prices do increase, but I think with a lot of the things Stevie_Dee has mentioned, I think the Church are padding out their bottom line (certainly sounds like the organist is..)

Basically an assistant to the Vicar.

wow that is shocking cant believe they can describe over £100 as slight god hope its not the same increase next year xx

That's absolutely scandalous!! We're paying £150 all in for the church - £100 for use of the church (not our church or it would have been £50) and £50 to the priest. Our local chapel is £40 to priest and donation to church. 2nd collection is bad enough but to add that on! Terrible.

Alex - we've done the same with our photographer at our request - we expect to be getting a certain album but dont want to overcommit just now. Then you dont really mind the price because you expect inflation... just not when you've already agreed a price (with the church no less!) lol x

I wonder where your priest/vicar lives - in a massive mansion by the sounds of what they charge!!!

Isn't christs love free!
grrr this makes me angry - this is a reason why I am sooo glad that I am not religious and will not be getting married in a church!

Do u know for sure whether u have people actually pulling the ropes to ring the bells? Many churches are wired up now - I know at our church it is a case of pushing a button and the bells ring out. If thats the case for u could u not query it. Just blooming annoyed for u!

when we paid our fees i had to write 2 cheques, 1 to the vicar and then 1 to the church itself although i really do feel its an awful lot of money our prices from last year to this year only went up by a few pounds xx

suzie bear!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING - he then asked the guests for donations!!! that is well out of order. I would have been fuming as well. I understand the church asking for donations to its regular sunday goers but not to guests at a wedding.

Having said that if I was a guest at that wedding I would not have donated a single penny. I dont believe in it. i'd rather keep the money I could have given them and either give it to the bride and groom themselves or give it to a charity such as a childrens hospital or something!

Our verger is costing us £100, we have to pay £100 for the organist, and £100 for organ maintenance, but the organ is unique and apparently famous and costs over £1mil for maintenance. We also have to pay £50 for permission for our photographer. The whole church is going through a muli-million pound restoration though so they do need to raise funds - and to be fair, the costs have actually been reduced this year to be more accessible as previously a single verger would have cost £150! I don't begrudge paying this money - it costs a small fortune to run and maintain a church, and if we want to use the church then we should pay for the privilege.

Mcewan07 sounds like you have a lovely minsiter, or maybe he is just a genuinly nice person.

For the most part the stories that I hear are shocking. Why do churches need to have an organ that costs £1m for maintenence - why not sell the thing and give the money to people who really need it - or use the money to build facilities, groups, activities for the less fortunate - for the disabled, for the blind, or for 3rd world countries.

It really gets my goat when i watch things like the Pope parading around in his gold and his expensive clothes and his palace etc etc - seriously was Jesus not a poor man that would give his last penny to someone who needed it.

The whole thing is sooooo hypocrytical!

I cant stand it. Yes churches need up keep - but a £1m for an organ! please!!!!

sorry I dont mean to be angry at every church ever or every religious person.
I get so angry at specifics sometimes and i seem to rant and tar everyone with the same brush! This is of course not my intention.

I guess when you get into the swing of a rant you lose focus. I by no means know much about any church to be honest in terms of how they use their money etc. But what I do know is that personally I would want to make sure that my money was going towards a guaranteed good cause.

its the same as if I won the lottery - i would most likely set up my own charity group so that i knew exactly what the money was going towards - so that I can have piece of mind that the money was spent on what was really important.

I know there are many many amazing charities out there that do a fab job.

Any who im going off topic.

Sorry if I offended - I was mostly refering I guess to the state visit of the pope whenever that was (end of last year!?)
It annoyed me that tax payers had to pay for it - but only Catholics could go see him!!

So although they said it was a 'state visit' only the catholics really benefited and we all paid!

You didn't offend me Rhiannon, it is true that we can all get lost in a rant at times. No harm done though x

I think that is lovely for him to have said that.