What is the most popular day to get married?

Marriage rates have shown an upward trend since 2001

Friday 8 August was the most popular day to get married in Northern Ireland in 2008.

The detail is contained in new government statistics on marriage.

There were 139 marriages on that date compared to 100 marriages on a typical summer Saturday.

As well as 8 August being the most popular day, August was also the most popular month to get married with over 1,400 marriages taking place.

The total number of marriages registered in Northern Ireland in 2008 was 8,510, a small decrease on the 8,687 marriages registered in 2007, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency said on Thursday.

Marriage in 2008 8,510 marriages 86 civil partnerships 2,773 divorces

The highest number of marriages ever recorded in Northern Ireland was in 1970 (12,300 marriages); in the following thirty years the number of marriages declined reaching a low of 7,300 marriages in 2001.

Since 2001 the number of marriages has shown an upward trend.

Just under 2,800 divorces were registered in Northern Ireland in 2008, a decrease on the 2007 figure of 2,900 divorces which was the highest number of divorces recorded in Northern Ireland in a single year.

During 2008 there were 86 civil partnerships registered in Northern Ireland, this compares with 111 civil partnerships in 2007.

A NISRA spokesperson said that: "The statistics show the continued increase in ages of those getting married with, on average, both men and women today aged over 30 when getting married.

"This is significantly older than their counterparts three decades ago."