Making a Church donation

What you need is for those already booked a church with set fees to say how much they were and then take an average. Take off your fixed fees and donate that. Scotland brides though as I think it may be different up there

I know in England its around £450 (although i think its cheaper in Scotland) so was thinking of donating £250 but I dont know if that seems abit mean. If im honest I dont know how much they will be expecting and dont want to disappoint them.

Hi Curley,

We are having a church of England wedding and our costs are as follows:

• the fee set by law payable to the church: £392
• your marriage certificate: £4
• having your banns read at the church where you will marry: £21
• your banns certificate: £13
• organist: £75
• heating: £5per hour.
• church bells: £100.

Hope this helps? x

Church fees really vary.

My CofE church in 2011 was £650 for the service, banns and church hire, £200 for the organist, £280 for bells, £19 each for the certificates and £34 at our parish church for banns.

A friend of mine just got married at our local Catholic Church and the suggested donation was "10% of the cost of her wedding dress".

Didn't realise they differed so much. Isn't it meant to be the cost of heating etc during the ceremony and a bit of a thank you to the priest/vicar?

£280 FOR BELLS!!!?

Thank you, the donation will not include the price of the organist, banns and all certificates.

I wish they had just said a price!

That would be £52! I got an amazing bargain lol. Im getting married in August so not sure if heating will be necessary.

I'm getting married in a church in Wales in August, and we've been told it will be £400, including the fee for the organist. The Rev. did not mention any extras needing to be paid for reading if the banns. Not sure we have to pay extra for the choir though.

Our church only has one bell, so we aren't planning to have bell ringing.

I'm in a CofE church and for everything it comes to £670. That covers heating, the bells, certificates and banns readings. I think it's a good idea to get an everage take off what you have to pay and donate the rest.

We had a blessing in chapel, having already had a civil wedding, so no legal fees etc involved, and paid the organist separately. We donated £300, though we basically plucked that figure out of thin air!

Funnily enough this was the figure I originally thought when i first read the email.

We are having a CofE wedding and the cost of the marriage service is £385, plus extras such as the bells (£175) and heating (£50).

We were asked to make a donation of £100 to the church when we first booked our wedding!

I would hate that- not knowing how much was enough. You don't want to seem tight but you also don't want to over spend.

Is there anyway you can find out what others paying at your church are paying? Are thrte marriage prep classes where you could have a sneaky ask?

Would love to but the Church is a 7hour drive away! I might ask my wedding planner up there as its a very small place (I know her aunt is a member of the church) she may be able to give me a clue.