Becker pointed out that the minister charges 2,000 francs (1630 euros) for regular weddings while for his event in the eastern Swiss ski resort of St Moritz in 2009, he was required to pay about five times as much.
“I don’t want to be a miser but this is five times the regular fee,” said Becker, who appeared in court in crutches due to an injured foot, Swiss news agency ATS reported.
He married long-term girlfriend Lilly Kerssenberg in a highly publicised ceremony in June 2009.
“The priest wants to rip me off,” he added. “I will not pay this bill out of principle,” he said.
The American pastor Brent Fisher, well-known for performing celebrity weddings in the area had already taken Becker to court in the canton of Graubünden where the wedding was held.
The court had then ordered Becker to pay Fisher 1,988 Swiss francs (€1620).
The case was now being tried by a higher court in the canton of Zug, where Becker is based.
Fisher explained that he was asking more than his usual fee because of the extra work he had to put in for the preparation of Becker’s wedding, including travelling to Zurich to meet a Gospel musician.
He was also billing more for around four hours of extra work as he was interviewed by German television several times in the build-up to the wedding, according to daily Bild newspaper.
A ruling is expected in coming weeks.
AFP/hc
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