Local churches won't host weddings for couples that aren't members of their congregations, and a Japanese company that has just introduced "church-like" weddings is taking heat from the local religious com-munity for its attitude toward a sacred ceremony.

Last Saturday, 300 engaged couples traveled to Villa d'Roman, a "church-like" villa in Pudong, to witness one of the company's wedding ceremonies.

The ceremony was presided over by an American student dressed in a priest's vestments, despite the fact he is not a member of the clergy. His clothing, along with the religious music played during the ceremony and the holy look of the villa, complete with a steeple and stained-glass windows, upset many local churches and worshipers.

Their complaints to the religious affairs office will probably force the company to change its ceremonies.

"Apparently, the company has violated the 'Shanghai Management Regulations of Religious Affairs,"' said an official with the office.

"They have no right to use religious decoration."

The company's general manager, Wang Zhiyang, said he will talk to the committee and offer to make some concessions.

"For instance, we will rewrite the oath, play wedding-related music instead of religious music and we won't use a pastor to perform the weddings."

The company has already set up a billboard outside its "church" reading: "This is a wedding chapel. Please be advised that we do not hold religious services here."

"When we originated 'church weddings' in Japan, many Japanese were against it and thought it was a cultural invasion. Now this kind of wedding service is very popular and widely accepted by Japanese couples," said Wang.

Local couples are already showing interest in the services, with more than 10 weddings booked for January and February, according to the company.

"Several years ago I took part in a wedding ceremony at a local church. I was greatly touched by the quiet and pure atmosphere. We are not religious, but we do want a church wedding," said 27-year-old Zhang Yan. "Traditional Chinese weddings in restaurants are too noisy," added Zhang, who doesn't see what all the controversy is about.

"It's only a ritual. I don't feel it has anything to do with blasphemy," Zhang said.

A full-blown wedding at the villa, complete with service, "pastor," a choir, flower arrangements, lessons on Western wedding customs, champagne and a banquet for 150 guests costs 48,888 yuan (US$5,890).

That's a reasonable sum in Shanghai, where 80 percent of the 80,000 couples that marry every year spend between 30,000 yuan (US$3,614) to 50,000 yuan on their wedding.

Surprisingly, the banquets don't include Baijiu - a potent white liquor consumed in large quantities at most local weddings. A Chinese wedding without Baijiu, now that's blasphemy.

(eastday.com December 28, 2002)