A church in Kent has started charging married couples for late starts to their wedding service.
Rev. John Corbyn, 59, the vicar at Holy Cross church in Bearsted, Kent, has introduced a deposit scheme in which an engaged couple hand over a £100 cheque on top of other wedding fees, which is returned to them should their ceremony begin on time.
Speaking to Kaya Burgess, religious affairs correspondent at The Times, Canon John explained that after a trip to Uganda, where he encountered a similar incentive practice, he returned to discover two weddings had started more than 25 minutes late. He said: “I came back to find that in my absence two weddings had been very late, by up to 25 minutes, with no explanation or apology. My team was feeling a bit ill-used. The £100 is distributed among the local actors, like the organist, verger, bellringers, and the choir. If there’s only two dozen of them they only get a fiver.”
So far, only one couple has lost their deposit as a result of an avoidable delay. Those suffering unavoidable delays, such as being stuck in traffic, do not lose their money.
Canon John says the incentive has had the desired effect, adding: “In 2017, everyone started within 10 minutes. Brides are generally invited to arrive 10 minutes early, so they’re not out of breath, they’re composed and we can have a little chat. If they arrive 10 minutes after the service start time, then things are already 20 minutes adrift.”
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