There has been a dramatic shift in the number of civil versus religious wedding ceremonies on Prince Edward Island in the last six years.

The percentages have flip-flopped. In 2012, about 60 per cent of Island weddings had religious ceremonies. In 2017, about 60 per cent were civil.

"I think it's going to continue that way," said marriage commissioner Marlo Dodge.

"When you have a marriage commissioner you can get married wherever you want, whenever you want. You can tailor the ceremony to the way you want."

'Fear of the unknown'

Churches on the Island have noticed the trend.

The Roman Catholic Church has recognized the falling number of church weddings as a worldwide problem, holding an international symposium on the issue a few years ago.

"It is a concern for the whole church," said Rev. John Molina, who in addition to being a parish priest is a judge on the Atlantic Canada marriage tribunal.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the shift to civil ceremonies as an international issue, says Rev. John Molina. (CBC)

Molina wonders if sometimes couples don't understand what flexibility is available in a church wedding. He said people don't generally come and ask about alternatives within the ceremony. Their minds are made up without any discussion.

"It may be a fear of the unknown," he said.

"They haven't sat down with the pastor or the priest to say we want to get married and we want to know what we can do."

Witnessing before God

Rev. Barbara Cairns, the minister at West River United Church in Cornwall, has had discussions with people considering a church wedding but opted for civil. Cairns said she tries to be flexible, but there is a place where the line has to be drawn.

"In the church there are some certain structures and rules we must follow, and one of them is we are witnessing this before God," she said.

It is important for couples to have a ceremony that honours who they are, says Rev. Barbara Cairns. (Stephanie Kelly/CBC)

Cairns said she was approached by a couple that wanted to hold a civil ceremony in the church, but turned them away for the same reason.

"You could be a Jewish rabbi and use the church here, or Muslim, it's just we want it to have some kind of religious component," she said.

Been there, done that

Dodge has seen a lot of couples entering second marriages.

"They've done the church wedding," she said.

"They really don't want to do it again. It's just lost its glamour."

While church weddings are in decline generally, some churches such as St. Dunstan's in Charlottetown, remain very popular. (Charlottetown Diocese)

Molina is concerned that perhaps people entering into a civil marriage aren't taking it as seriously as a church wedding.

"Maybe if you are getting married in the church, the Catholic Church or any other Christian church, people will think, 'Oh, now this is for the rest of our lives and we are not sure.' That may be an idea," he said.

While the United Church has seen a decline in wedding ceremonies, it is not a particular concern for Cairns.

"I would rather them go and be married somewhere else than pretend, 'Oh yeah, we're all for that,'" she said.

"I don't feel threatened by it. I think marriage is a good thing. People getting married is something to celebrate, whether they're doing it at the justice of the peace or a commissioner in the church. [What's] most important is people are having their values represented in the place they choose to go."

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