CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 22

CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS

IV^pST POPULAR SEASON

So. far this month only two marriages have been performed by the Registrar in Wellington. As a -rule,- by this time tho' number is about twenty. Next week, however, something of ai rush, is expected. "People hold off until, the last minute," a "Post" reportdr Ayas informed. "They are usually working right" up to Christmas, then they get, married so that they can have their honeymoon over the holidays." Marriage in the registry'office costs just, twice as much as marriage by a clergyman, so far as the statutory fees are concerned, but it is cheaper in the long run. wj|ipn wedding breakfast and sonic recognition of the clergyman's services arp * taken into consideration. Nevertheless most couples prefer ,to have their marriages solemnised in church) as'the figures show very conclusively. Last year up to December 13 the number of notices issued for marriages in church was. 844, as compared with 338 marriages by. the Registrar. This year the corresponding,^figures are 884 and 298 respectively; Sixty-nine licences hayd' been issued this month', "and' there is still-plenty of time to reach the total of 135 for last December. The Christmas period is easily the uiost popular time of the year for weddings. The experience in Wellington has. been that the number of ceremonies performed drops after Christmas, but'rises a gain, abput Easter, and then falls to a low level during the winter months. About November the number starts to increase once _ more until the' peak is'reachejil at Christinas, MEMOKIAL GARDEN