200 euro for pre-marriage course?! - Page 3

[quote="Columbo1":e1n4mk17]to be fair to OP is not complaining about [u:e1n4mk17]having to pay[/u:e1n4mk17], she is trying to find the cheapest course- shopping around....can't see anything wrong with that??[/quote:e1n4mk17] Thanks Columbo1, that's exactly it. For me, the Mass is the most important part of the day. I'm just querying as to why some places are dearer than others (just like I would with anything else). Anyhow, it looks like we're going to go with Mount Argus, which is €120 for a full-day Saturday course from 9am until 5:15pm. I think that's pretty fair. I spoke to my parish priest at lunchtime, and he has said it's okay to attend, which is the main thing. Thanks for your help and suggestions, everybody.

€200.00 is still a lot of money nonetheless... however I chose my catholic ceremony and am delighted in doing so...so Lux and MrsDodders you are right.

I did the course and paid the money but I still think its overpriced. 200 is a lot of money, I don't mind paying something but I think that 200 is too much. Of course people should complain about the cost if they think its too high, its a service like any other. I'd also complain if I thought the cost of my car insurance was high, its no different.

I'm happy to pay the donation to the priest/ church circa €300- seems fair and right. I'm happy to do a pre-marriage course- seems fitting and sensible. However I think pre-marriage courses are very over-priced. I understand that they are run by organisations that are somwhat separate to the church so I can't blame the church for the actual cost but I think these organisations are taking advantage of people because they know that people have to do the course if they want a church wedding. On another topic, the €150 to the state really pisses me off- why don't they just call it marriage tax? Sorry that's a bit of a separate rant but it just annoys me.

Girls if any of ye are close to drogheda i would defo recommend the course there. Its held in the boyne valley hotel and it runs from 7pm to 10pm on a friday night and thats it and its costs 100euro. Im from dundalk and the one here goes for an entire saturday and its 150euro. It was the cheapest and the shortest one around.

[quote="teapotty":183o398y] On another topic, the €150 to the state really pisses me off- why don't they just call it marriage tax? Sorry that's a bit of a separate rant but it just annoys me.[/quote:183o398y] The thing that annoyed me about the state appointment was that you have to bring your birth cert which you which you get from the HSE, and the appointment is with a HSE office. I don't see why they can't have a computer system where they can just look it up??

We did the Accord course which cost €200 - to be honest, we didn't mind paying it because Accord offer free counselling services for people who can't afford it etc so the money goes back into their services!