Couple buck new wedding trend

Tracey Bormann and Michael White have chosen to marry during their Sunday service.

Claudia Baxter

Poll

Where would you like to get married?

This poll ended on 01 January 2011.

Church

26%

Park

5%

Beach

10%

Backyard

5%

Garden

47%

Mountain top

5%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

WHEN Michael White and Tracey Bormann officially become man and wife next month, it will be under the eyes of God.

The couple, who will marry on September 19 in a church service at the Woodcrest auditorium, are defying an Australian survey that shows only one in four couples are planning to tie the knot in a church.

They will also attend Sunday worship before the ceremony.

Mr White said there had never been a question whether they would have a traditional service.

“We deem God an important part of our lives and future marriage and we wanted to share that with our families,” Mr White said.

The service will include personal touches such as people close to the couple saying prayers during the service.

Ms Bormann said the service would be presided over by friend, Springfield Christian Family pastor Phil Cutcliffe.

“I have been in Phil’s church for 11 years,” Ms Bormann said.

“I live in the same street and it was through Phil that I became a member of the church.

“It was important for me that Phil be the one doing the service.”

The study of 1500 Australians found gardens topped the spot for the most popular wedding location (38 per cent), closely followed by the beach (20 per cent).

Other locations included boats, parks, the home and for one unromantic respondent, the office.

The study was commissioned by Australian Marriage Celebrants.

President Keith Lammond said while in the 1970s 85 per cent of weddings took place in churches, the figure had dropped to 35 per cent in 2010.

“Today, many couples feel uncomfortable pretending to have a religious belief in order to marry in a church,” he said.

Ipswich celebrant Jayne Payne said choosing a celebrant meant couples were able to put their stamp on the big day, with rituals such as mixing red and white wine to signify becoming one person, exchanging roses or lighting candles to signify their burning love.

“They are not anti-God or anti-church, they just want to be able to create a ceremony which is a little different and creative instead of a traditional church ceremony.”

Fellow celebrant Dawn Louise said celebrants were also the first choice for people marrying for the second time.

“They had their first wedding in a church with all the trimmings, and the second time around they are exchanging vows the way they want to, as opposed to meeting family expectations,” she said.