Wednesday 6 June 2012

Money!

I have a young couple coming this morning to talk about their wedding which will be on Saturday. We have met before and have a rehearsal fixed for Friday but they are anxious about the wedding fees.....could they pop in? Yes of course they can . It brings us face to face with a problem that must affect us all at times.
 Its not the costs they are worried about so much as what its all for....
Our fees table shows the amounts  and where they go to ...What goes to the PCC and what to the diocese.  Its this they find so difficult...so far their adding up is short of the fee to the diocese.
Explaining what we charge and where it goes to is one of the jobs I like least.
We encourage them to find their own organist and pay them direct if possible, otherwise there can be a wait!
The whole thing of asking for money and explaining what its for I find difficult....  I hate trying to explain that the £70 for the organ is not same as the £70 for the organist!
And then theres  the heating, the sound system etc.
I know we need the money and that its all for a good cause but its still embarrassing.
I must attempt to develop a hard shell  if possible.  I would rather,  though be like the Queen and not do money!
Later.     The couple were charming and took no persuasion at all.....Thank you God.

1 comment:

Ray Barnes said...

I really sympathise with this one Jean. As I work in the parish office and assist the parish administrator, it often falls to my lot to show our list of fees to prospective brides etc.
Why oh why do we feel guilty asking for money when everyone else in the world seems to find it so easy?
So far, no-one has ever objected when an explanation is given, but occasionally it does result in their deciding not to have bells or the choir.
A pity, but as you say, one has to grow a shell or we'd be offering the servioes of everyone concerned free of charge, and it is after all their living too.