- Westminster is the most loved-up area in England and Wales, with 3,137 marriages taking place per 100,000 people.
- Other marriage hotspots include Kensington and Chelsea, Rutland, Northumberland, Monmouthshire, and Shropshire, which average over 1,200 marriages per 100,000 people.
- London boroughs Newham and Lewisham are the least loved-up places in England and Wales.
With online searches related to weddings peaking every August in the UK, a new study has revealed Westminster as the most loved-up area of England and Wales.
The experts at QR Code Generator analysed the latest available data released in 2024 from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on marriages in 191 registration districts across England and Wales between 2021 and 2022. The districts, which are made up of local authorities, boroughs, and metro districts, were then ranked based on the number of marriages per 100,000 residents to reveal the top marriage hotspots.
Westminster topped the study as the marriage hotspot of England and Wales. Approximately 6,630 marriages were registered in the London borough between 2021 and 2022, at 3,137 per 100,000 people. With over 150 ceremony venues in the area, and Westminster Abbey, which has hosted 16 royal weddings, Westminster has proven popular for both opposite and same-sex marriages, averaging 3,008 and 129 per 100,000, respectively.
Another London borough, Kensington and Chelsea, took second place in the ranking. In 2021 and 2022, the area saw 4,162 marriages take place, or 2,848 per 100,000 residents. These comprised 4,011 opposite-sex marriages and 151 same-sex marriages, with the borough ranking second for both, only behind Westminster.
Rutland has the highest rate of marriages outside of London, ranking third overall with 2,289 marriages per 100,000 people. Marriages totalled 942 from 2021-2022, comprising 914 opposite-sex and 28 same-sex marriages.
Northumberland claimed fourth spot nationally and top in the North East. Approximately 5,118 couples tied the knot in the area between 2021 and 2022 at a rate of 1,578 marriages per 100,000 residents. The local authority ranked fifth and seventh in England and Wales for opposite and same-sex marriages (4,948 and 170, respectively).
Monmouthshire rounds out the top five marriage hotspots and places number one for Wales. Those living in this South Wales region are the most loved-up in the country, with 1,507 marriages taking place for every 100,000 people.
Cheshire East is the only area in the North West to feature among the marriage hotspots. Taking sixth place, the rate of marriages per 100,000 people is 1,465. Of the 5,957 marriages registered, 5,805 are from opposite-sex couples and 152 from same-sex couples.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly took seventh place among the top marriage spots. Exactly 8,070 couples officially tied the knot in 2021 or 2022, with the area averaging 1,402 marriages per 100,000 people. The area was a hotspot for both opposite and same-sex marriages, ranking ninth and sixth, respectively.
Islington is the final London borough to feature in the ranking, claiming eighth spot. Between 2021 and 2022, the area averaged 1,385 marriages per 100,000 residents, more than every other London borough except Westminster or Kensington and Chelsea.
Shropshire is the ninth most popular area for marriages. From 2021 to 2022, 4,477 marriages occurred in the region at a rate of 1,368 per 100,000. During this period, 125 same-sex couples and 4,352 opposite-sex couples got married.
Powys is the last area to be named in the top 10 marriage hotspots in England and Wales. In 2021, 740 marriages were registered in the Welsh area, while 986 marriages took place in 2022. The rate of marriages per 100,000 people in Powys was 1,289.
Table: The areas of England and Wales with the highest rate of marriages per 100,000 residents
The London boroughs of Newham and Lewisham have the lowest rate of marriages in England and Wales, with 274 and 287 per 100,000 residents, respectively.
Despite not ranking among the top marriage hotspots, Brighton and Hove has the third-highest rate of same-sex marriages, behind Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, at 95 per 100,000 locals.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator PRO S.L, commented on the study:
“With the rising cost of living, weddings are becoming increasingly expensive for happy couples across England and Wales. It is interesting that the top marriage hotspots like Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea are also some of the wealthiest areas nationwide.
“While London boroughs dominated the study, North Yorkshire ranked as the top county for marriages, averaging 1,593 per 100,000 residents. The region proved the most popular county for opposite-sex couples and second for same-sex couples, behind Cumbria.”
Sources: Marriages in England and Wales: 2021 and 2022 – Office for National Statistics
Methodology:
- Data was gathered from the Office for National Statistics on marriages between 2021 and 2022 in 191 registration districts across England and Wales.
- Both opposite-sex and same-sex marriages were totalled for each district and compared with the mid-2022 population size, according to ONS.
- The areas were then ranked from highest to lowest based on marriages per 100,000 residents.The full table is available here.
Feature Image by ANURAG1112 from Pixabay
