While they will not perform a religious ceremony for non-church members, there are very few churches will turn away their members seeking to get married. Most parishioners must follow whatever special rules the church requires of them, but the local priest will perform the ceremony once all requirements have been satisfied. When getting married at the church, there are a few arrangements that must be dealt with just like any other venue.
Churches are expensive to run and the cost of hosting the wedding ceremony must be covered. The couple is generally given a price that is a bare bones estimate of the cost to rent the church. It includes electricity, heat or air conditioning and a small maintenance charge. The church official performing the ceremony is paid separately. Because they want their members to be welcome for this important religious ritual, churches really do keep the cost as low as possible. Profit is never an issue at this time.
There are many events that take place at churches. Weddings are only one of the special services held. Because an adequate amount of time must be allotted for each service, the wedding time must be reserved. Some churches offer an area for a reception line as well as the wedding ceremony. This area must be included in the church schedule and rental.
Churches are open many hours of the day, but delivery of flowers, candles and wedding decorations must be scheduled. A local church may host a baptism in the early morning and then host a wedding in the late morning. It would be unfair to the family attending the baptism to be interrupted by a flower delivery. This is the reason churches require a strict schedule for events, their set up and clean up.
