ROB LIVESEY has married more than 10,000 people in the last 25 years, including his mother and sister.

City of York's head registrar was today celebrating his "silver anniversary" in a career which began at Manchester Registry Office on December 10, 1979.

He has conducted an estimated 200 marriages each year since then, and was the youngest head registrar in the country when he took over at York in 1990.

The 47-year-old, who heads 11 staff, admits he was "very nervous" conducting his first wedding and still feels anxious beforehand.

"I always keep my book with me," he said. "If you get a bit blas, you might make a mistake. For each individual couple it's their special day, so you have got to take care."

The way weddings are conducted have changed dramatically in Rob's time. Earlier this year, he presided over the country's first supermarket ceremony at Asda at Monks Cross, York.

"In the early days, it was about getting as quick a turnaround as possible. In Manchester, we would do 50 weddings on a Saturday," he said.

"Nowadays, we try to do what the couple want. From 1995 onwards, you have been able to put poems, readings and music into the ceremony. It's nice to be part of it."

In his time, Rob has seen plenty of weddings where one person did not turn up, one where the couple disappeared when he left the room to bring in the guests, and there was one occasion when the bridegroom was so drunk he fell over and knocked himself out for two hours.

But he singles out the weddings of his mother and sister as the most memorable at which he has officiated.

"I do fancy dress weddings quite regularly, particularly medieval-themed," he said.

"I did one where the manager of a Yates's Wine Lodge had two drag artists as the maid of honour and bridesmaid."

Despite his hectic schedule, Rob found time to get married himself - to another registrar, Sylvana. However, the couple, who have two children, opted to have their wedding in a church.

Updated: 11:13 Friday, December 10, 2004