Evening Press leader

The age-old convention of the church wedding is on the wane. Fewer couples are choosing to walk down the aisle, opting instead for one of a myriad of other venues now licensed for marriage.

This may alarm traditionalists but most people will consider it a change for better, not for worse. It gives this generation a choice denied to their predecessors.

For practising Christians, a church wedding has always been the perfect way to celebrate and formalise their union. Non-churchgoers faced a dilemma: opt for the white wedding in church, ignoring any nagging sense of hypocrisy; or marry in a civil ceremony at a register office which, however well appointed, was considered by some to be an uninspiring backdrop.

That was why the decision to end this duopoly five years ago was so welcome. Hundreds of places across the country are now licensed to host weddings and thousands of couples are taking advantage of their new freedom of choice.

In 1995, 29 weddings took place in York outside churches and register offices. Two years later that figure had increased fourfold, and the numbers continue to grow.

Figures released today show that North Yorkshire is leading the way with unconventional weddings.

This should be no surprise. We only need consider the quality and breadth of the "approved premises" in this area to realise why they are so popular. In York alone, they range from the historic, such as the Merchant Adventurer's Hall, through the grand, like the National Railway Museum, to the sporting, with York Racecourse a good example. Choosing the location for the service is now as bewildering as selecting the bridesmaids' dresses.

Those traditionalists who preferred the old way of doing things should comfort themselves with the thought that marriage itself is still proving surprisingly popular. That is what matters.

Whether they tie the knot next to a steam locomotive or before the 3.30 handicap makes no difference except to the couples themselves.

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