“I normally have about 120 weddings a year,” said Church, who is celebrating 45 years of marriage to his wife, Judi, this year. “I use it as a gauge on the economy. For the last two years, weddings have been down. We didn’t even hit 100 last year and this year it was slow until the last two months when things picked up, so I think the economy is picking up a little bit.”
Since it was a special ceremony, the Wests had their wedding fee waived and received dinner from Bullwinkles Top Hat Bistro, cupcakes from Mission Cakes and flowers from Church’s Flower Shop, which was founded by the Church family in 1946.
Church is available for weddings by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. He has wed a couple in a synchronized sunrise ceremony that took place at a park just as the suns rays appeared over the horizon and at the wedding of a local high school band teacher who had the drill team raise flags as the couple marched between the flags in the school parking lot.
Another couple wore baseball uniforms and then hurried off after the wedding to a baseball game and one wedding was in a hospital room where a city employee with cancer wed months before his death.
“I had to perform two weddings the first day I started as mayor in 1992,” said Church, who dreamed of being mayor in 1958 after attending The American Legion Buckeye Boy’s State. “I was a little afraid and they were short ceremonies, but then I talked to Marion Grimes, a Shriner and great guy, who has passed away, but was mayor of Greenville. He gave me the service that I use today.”
The residents of Miamisburg receive an added bonus from the weddings performed by Church. Ceremonies have generated more than $140,000 in fees.
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