Church weddings decline in Australia

(Aug.24,2010) In Australia, the number of couples choosing to marry in a church service is in decline. A new survey shows that only one in four couples, opt for a "traditional" church wedding, with the majority preferring a personalised civil ceremony, according to a recent survey by the Australian Marriage Celebrants Bureau. Both civil celebrants and members of the church are pleased that couples are still wanting to make a life-long commitment to each other, reports the Geelong Advertiser.
Fr.Kevin Dillon, of St Mary of the Angels Catholic Parish, in Geelong, says less people are having church weddings, because these days, less people are connecting with the church. He also believes that less people feel the need to be married in a church, because pressures from family and society are not there, as they were 30 or 40 years ago. "The point of some couples celebrating their union with a church wedding, is because they feel God has a special place in their lives, and that his presence should be felt in their union," Fr. Dillon said. He stressed that "The choice to be married in a church depends on the couple’s connection with the church."