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Home / New Zealand

A white wedding like no other

By Lucy Vickers
11 May, 2007 05:00 PM3 mins to read

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Miss Pizza marries Mr Meat Pie in the promotional mock wedding. Photo / Richard Robinson

Miss Pizza marries Mr Meat Pie in the promotional mock wedding. Photo / Richard Robinson

KEY POINTS:

The bride in white, the groom in his best bib and tucker and the vicar in his robes, standing framed by the arched stained-glass windows of the stone Anglican chapel.

So far, so normal. But forget the traditional vision of a wedding - this is a vastly different story.

It is one of sacred vows sold for commercial gain - the bride and groom are a pizza and a pie, and the service is a commercial product launch in which the only authentic ingredient is the venue.

Now, St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland Central is under fire for taking its community outreach and fundraising drives a step too far.

Lyndsay Freer, director of Catholic Communications, said such events made a mockery of religion.

"Certainly in a Catholic church we would not allow it to be used for a commercial purpose of that kind."

A spokeswoman for a North Shore Christian group, who did not want to be named, said the group did not agree with drinking inside the church.

But St Matthew's has a policy of opening its doors for events and all it asks for is a donation.

Last year, the church made $130,000 from hosting 52 events, including weddings. The average donation is about $1500 an event.

Vicar Glynn Cardy defends its policy. "It's not bringing the church into any disrepute or walking over any sacred ceremonies.

"Our approach is that we are there for the community and we are keen that people can come in and enjoy the space, not just for worship.

"Yes, St Matthew's is a sacred place, but we believe sacred is not restricted to church things. There is something sacred in doing crazy things, and laughter."

Anglican bishop Richard Randerson supports Mr Cardy's view.

Last year, St Matthew's hosted a champagne launch with pews cleared for a lit-up disco dance floor, with trapeze artists writhing overhead and flutes clinking in the aisles.

It also co-hosts with the SPCA an annual service for animals. A function for music station Juice TV had a bar.

But yesterday's fake match for a fast-food company took the cake. Miss Pizza was walked down the aisle to wed Mr Meat Pie before an actor dressed as a vicar. The happy couple exchanged vows and rings - a pea and a pineapple.

It was all in aid of a new flavour of pizza being introduced by the Domino's chain.

The pizza creator, Louise Turner, said the idea of the ceremony was fantastic.

"I like that it's a play on the words 'Meat pie marries the Pizza'."

Mr Cardy said: "It's just a bit of fun. We do some bizarre things. People can't take things like this too seriously."

But he said St Matthew's does have boundaries - it would never host anything objectionable or offensive and it does not tolerate "hate groups".

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