Wedding Coordinator life

I just found out this week that so far, there are only 10 weddings scheduled for my parish this summer. Only 10! When I first came on board as the wedding coordinator in 2003, there were over 30. How did we lose 2/3 of our weddings in only 4 years?

I wonder this means for us as a parish. Does this mean that young people are growing up and moving away from the parish and not even coming back for their weddings? And if they aren’t even coming here for their weddings, then they certainly are not living here and having children here. So what does that mean for our parish school? And what does it mean for the parish as a whole as contributions drop and older parishioners move away or die? I think this is a troubling sign.

Personally it also affects my bottom line! As a wedding coordinator I made $50 per wedding. There are 3 coordinators but clearly if the 3 of us split 10 weddings that’s not a lot of money. I might be able to pick up some as a flutist providing wedding music, but even when we had 30 weddings a year I could only manage to pick up 2 or 3 weddings to play for. In my experience, couples these days are putting more money in things like the stretch limo and the luxury reception than into the actual marriage ceremony.

Next weekend I am supposed to speak at the pre-cana weekend and they only have 15 or so couples signed up. Gee whiz, that’s almost like an empty room!!! Are the services and ministries I have provided to the engaged and married coming to an end? am I being called somewhere else? and is this just with my parish or is this an issue on a larger level?