According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of civil ceremonies dropped by almost a fifth to just 7,169 in the UK in 2008, compared with 8,728 in 2007. The latest figure is a drop of more than a half since 16,106 ceremonies in 2006, the first full year after the law was changed. The number of true wedding ceremonies is at a record low as more and more couples cohabit and it seems the civil ceremonies are proving less popular than their supporters had hoped. When Government officials drew up the new laws for civil partnership they estimated that five per cent of the population was gay or lesbian and predicted that 62,000 gay couples would register in the first five years of ceremonies. The ONS published the number of ‘divorces’ for the first time. There were 180 dissolutions last year.

Pray: for the church’s sacrament of marriage to remain as the bedrock of true committed relationships. (Ac.14:22)

More: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article6738671.ece