Radio Veritas president Fr. Anton Pascual lamented the association of getting married with opulence and extravagance.

Based on the results of the recent Veritas Truth Survey, the majority of the respondents said the expenses and high costs involved are the main deterrents to getting married in a church in the country.

The survey which was conducted on 1, 200 respondents showed that 32 percent said the high costs involved are a major deterrent to having a church wedding; 24 percent said there are simply too many requirements; while 16 percent said it is because of the process and required interview.

Eight percent of the respondents traced the problem to the wedding attire; 6 percent to conflict of faith; while 14 percent were undecided.

“The real reason for a church wedding is to celebrate a solemn Sacrament; and as a religious ceremony it acknowledges that marriage is an act of God. Sadly, the survey reveals that a Church wedding is being associated with opulence which may not be the case,” said Fr. Pascual over Radio Veritas.

Based on the results of the survey, 38 percent of the male respondents said the enormous expenses involved are a major deterrent to getting married while the female respondents at 24 percent pointed to the requirements.

Fr. Pascual said marriage should never be associated with opulence and extravagance. It is about the readiness of the couple to get married based on Christian teachings and tradition.

“Weddings may be celebrated in a simple yet meaningful and blessed manner. What matters most is that marriage is not a contract between a man and a woman, but a covenant between three. The third partner is Christ, and when He is given no room in a marriage, there can be no assurance for a happy Christian home,” Fr. Pascual stressed.

Pope Pius XI in his encyclical “Casti Connubii,” stressed that marriage is sacred because it is a covenant with God.