There are different types of wedding ceremonies. Some couples wish to get married in a church or chapel, others would like to have their ceremony in a large green meadow in nature. The free wedding ceremony is in vogue, but why is the budget item wedding ceremony so high? Why does a free wedding cost so much more, even if it looks simpler?
For the comparison, it is best to start with the church wedding. For this type of marriage, at least one person must be a member of the church. In addition, for church weddings, one must have already performed the civil marriage ceremony. For a free wedding, no civil marriage ceremony needs to be performed. The free wedding ceremony can be performed by two people at any time, regardless of whether the couple is also married under civil law. Of course, however, the free marriage ceremony alone is not legally valid before the law.
If we look at the cost of the service in the church, it is usually quite a bit less. If the bride and groom are members of the church, they pay very little for the church or chapel, and sometimes nothing at all. The costs are already covered by paying church tax. However, it depends on whether a chapel is owned by a foundation, for example, costs of CHF 500 to CHF 700 may be incurred. However, this varies depending on the parish, community, or foundation.
Depending on the style or architectural style of the church, decorations can also be spared. It is often sufficient if the pews are discreetly decorated with flowers or flowers (with or without cubes) are placed in front of the altar. In many cases the church is already lavishly decorated and the church as a location is too large for the number of guests, so that additional decorations would often be lost. Nevertheless, in certain churches it is expected that some of the floral decorations are left in the church as a kind of donation. Again, this varies from church to church.
Now, however, a few facts about the free wedding ceremony. Couples choose to have a free wedding ceremony for different reasons, even though the budget item wedding ceremony is higher with it. It may be that both do not belong to the same religion, that it is already the second wedding ceremony, that one cannot identify with the religion, that one would like to arrange the whole process freely, that one does not want to get married according to civil law or that one simply likes to be outside in nature. To dispel a misconception, a free wedding ceremony does not necessarily have to take place outdoors. It can also take place in a hall, a room, a restaurant or hotel, or even in a chapel or church – if the church allows it.
However, we would like to show you here why a free wedding ceremony is associated with more costs:
- The search for a perfect location is often associated with more effort, as public rooms/places in Switzerland cannot simply be used for a wedding ceremony without clarification. Another point is that forests, lakes, or meadows are often privately owned or belong to the municipality. Therefore, you often need a permit to use them.
- Free wedding venues at existing locations can often only be booked if the banquet or at least a larger aperitif takes place in the location afterwards. In this case, a minimum consumption may be required.
- A bad-weather option is usually more difficult to find and must be booked or organised additionally, for example a marquee. Sun protection must also be provided.
- A professional wedding planner invests on average between 20-30 hours for the preparation of a wedding ceremony with preliminary talks, ritual clarifications, writing of the speech and of course the presence on site.
- The biggest budget item next to the wedding planner is certainly the infrastructure. While seating is available in a church, furniture and sometimes sanitary facilities must be rented for a free wedding ceremony.
- The floors are often not suitable for the bride’s shoes. Therefore, it may be necessary to organise an additional floor, for example a carpet.
In order for a free wedding ceremony to have the necessary ambience, it often needs a more elaborate decoration. Wedding arches or other floral or decorative backgrounds are often used to frame the bridal couple and the wedding area. For the rental of a wedding arch decorated with flowers and/or a cloth, you can expect a price between CHF 600 – CHF 900. The price varies depending on the desired flowers and the complexity of the decoration.
What is often forgotten is that the priest or minister in the church does not have to be paid additionally by the couple. This cost is also covered by the church tax. With a free wedding ceremony, costs can be saved if a family member or friend does the wedding speech. However, if a professional wedding officiant is booked, further costs must be expected. Depending on the experience of the person, these can amount to between CHF 1’800 – CHF 2’800.
A free wedding ceremony is certainly in vogue, as there is also a lot of scope for your own wishes regarding the procedure, the decoration, and the location. We personally love free weddings, as there are very beautiful and unique places in Switzerland that can be used for this. Creativity can be given free rein to realise one’s own ideas and make every wedding ceremony something unique. We are happy to advise our bridal couples on budgets and costs. A free wedding ceremony does not necessarily have to be expensive due to the additional materials. A ceremony can be organised and realised within different budgets. We will be happy to advise you. Please contact us – we will be happy to convert your question marks into points.
Your Liebesding-Team
