Clergy's opinion on wedding chapels by Alyssa Exline, Contributing writer   Northern Nevada is home to well over 50 different wedding chapels to choose from, in which people are able to obtain inexpensive, quick marriages. Although this number is large, it does not come close when compared to the immense number of traditional churches that are located throughout the area. Despite the large numbers of traditional churches, many people choose to be married in the wedding chapels. Clergy from several of these local, traditional churches, such as The South Reno Baptist, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic, Holy Cross Lutheran, St. Peter's Episcopal, and South Reno United Methodist churches believe the quick service provided by the chapel's is what influences many couples decisions to be married there. Weddings in traditional churches can take on average about six months. This time is used for, among other preparations, pre-marital counseling, which most clergy point out is lacking in the wedding chapel marriages. Many clergy believe this to be an integral part of the wedding process due to the intimacy it builds not only between the couples, but with the church itself. This counseling can range anywhere from a weekend encounter in the Catholic Church to any number of meetings designated by the other churches. "I don't know why people don't give as much thought to marriage as they do to buying a house," said Bob Robertson, Chairman of the Deacons of the South Reno Baptist Church. Robertson, who does not place blame on the chapels for couples rushing into marriage, instead thinks it is the couples themselves who make the decision, only using the services provided by the chapels. "Couples can go to the courthouse and do the same thing," said Pastor Minke of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in agreement with Robertson. Father Jeff Paul of St. Peter's Episcopal Church agrees with the other two men, explaining that by the time someone is an adult they will do whatever they want. A chapel does not cause people to rush into marriage one way or the other, instead it gives them the means to act on their own accord. The speed at which couples are able to be married in a wedding chapel has problems in itself due to the higher chance of divorce some clergy believe may exist. "I'm willing to bet the divorce rate of people married in chapels is much higher," said Father Bob Buchanan of Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. Others, such as Pastor John Ruby of the South Reno United Methodist Church and Father Paul, do not believe there is any relationship between wedding chapels and a higher divorce rate. They know only that over 50 percent of all marriages, not withstanding where they are married, end in divorce. One aspect of wedding chapels that all of the clergy agree upon is missed in comparison to a traditional church wedding is the religious side of the wedding. "In a wedding chapel, people are able to get the churchy atmosphere without the church," said Minke. This slightly religious atmosphere is enough for some people who want to avoid an entirely religious ceremony. Buchanan states that the significance of religion does not appear to be as important to many people who choose to be married in a wedding chapel. "If you don't go to church and you are not committed to the Lord, why does it matter where you get married, why does it matter if you even get married at all, you get better tax breaks if you don't get married," said Robertson. Some of the clergy felt that although typically a traditional church should represent a religious affair that was not always the case due to the numbers of people who want to get married in a church, despite a lack of religious background. These people simply wanted the classic, elegant wedding, traditionally held in a church. Some couples never return after hearing about the commitment required for such a wedding, for instance the pre-marital counseling requested by each church. Most of the clergy believe the important aspect to keep in mind when looking at wedding chapels is whether the couples using them are happy. Although most do not feel they are the best way of getting married, they feel that if that is what the couple desires, then that is the best route to take.   copyright May 1998 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost