The number of couples choosing to tie the knot in the Anglican Church increased by 4% in 2010.
The figures come as a welcome sign that moves to make getting married in churches easier, are working
However, while marriages may be increasing, other statistics published this week reveal that fewer and fewer people are attending church services.
58,700 couples chose to have a Church of England wedding in 2010. The increase appears to have been helped by the Church's 2008 decision to relax its rules on marriage.
Under the revised scheme, couples can marry in any parish where they have lived for six months or where their parents or grandparents wed.
A new website designed to help explain church weddings to engaged couples - http://www.yourchurchwedding.org/ has also been credited with helping to increase the number of traditoinal weddings.
Meanwhile average Sunday attendance in the pews of 16,000 churches fell by 2 per cent between 2009 and 2010. The Church blamed poor weather for the fact that congregations for Christmas Eve/Day services were down 5 per cent.
January 20th, 2012 - Posted & Written by Sam Hailes
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