Wedding churches are being reserved apace for summer of 2009
Reservations for the most popular wedding churches in downtown Helsinki are now being made for the summer of 2009. The receipt of online reservations started at the Helsinki Cathedral Congregation on Monday.
”Year after year, the most popular wedding venue has been the Old Church”, says secretary Heta Laurell from the Helsinki Cathedral Congregation.
The Old Church, in the small park between Bulevardi and Löönrotinkatu, is not only the oldest but perhaps even the most beautiful church in Helsinki.
In order to be able to increase the number of Saturday ceremonies, the length of time for a wedding has been shortened to 30 minutes per couple. Moreover, a decision has been made to continue wedding ceremonies until 18:00 on Saturday evenings.
”However, there are always a few scattered moments without reservations in all churches, which is why it could be worthwhile to enquire about a reservation even at a later date”, Laurell reports.
All hope is not gone for the summer of 2008, either, even if a reservation was not made as long ago as last May.
Many Helsinki churches still have vacancies for the coming summer months. One of the most popular churches in the centre, Mikael Agricola Church near the Kaivopuisto Park, still has plenty of space left.
Furthermore, it is possible to set up a wedding at relatively short notice in one of the six churches belonging to the Malmi Congregation. These churches are situated in the northern and eastern districts of Helsinki, but it is also possible to ask a priest to come and conduct the ceremony outside of the church itself.
In Vantaa, all Saturdays of the medieval Church of St. Lawrence are fully booked for the coming summer.
According to secretary Hilkka Bärn, some cancellations are still likely to be made, but people are usually not eager to ask for them.
”There are plenty of empty slots at the Tikkurila Church, but apparently, people are not interested in them”, adds Bärn.
From the beginning of next September, it will be possible to make reservations for ceremonies to be held at the Church of St. Lawrence next year.
In Espoo, the most popular wedding church is the Espoo Cathedral, a medieval stone church which was built in the late 15th century. The receipt of reservations for the summer of 2009 will begin at the turn of August and September.
According to secretary Maija Hynynen, there are only a few vacant slots for weddings around this Midsummer.
Today, more than one-third of Finns enter into matrimony at a municipal administrative court. Another increasingly popular habit is to ask a district registrar to come and conduct the marriage ceremony at the venue chosen for the wedding reception.
According to registrar Paula Ojaniemi, the most popular venues for civil marriages in Helsinki include the Kayaking Club's hall, Merimelojien maja, the traditional restaurant Katajanokan Kasino, and Hotel Torni.
On the other hand, it is possible to set up a beautiful wedding even in the bosom of nature or at home - anywhere within the bounds of imagination.
”The most exotic place where I have conducted a wedding ceremony was a hot-air balloon. After the ceremony, the bride and the bridegroom jumped off - with parachutes on their backs”, Ojaniemi reports.
Regardless of the place of residence, it is possible to order a registrar from any municipal registery office to conduct a wedding ceremony, provided that one pays him or her the travel expenses in addition to the wedding fee of EUR 200.
The city administrative courts of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa report that there are still vacant slots for a wedding ceremony even in the coming summer, provided that the occasion is not strictly tied to a certain day.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 7.5.2008 - TODAY |
 Wedding churches are being reserved apace for summer of 2009 |
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