Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on marriages in 191 registration districts have revealed where couples like to say ‘I do’ the most, with Shropshire ranking as the ninth most popular area per head of population.

The data, collected between 2021 and 2022, is based on the number of marriages per 100,000 residents in the area. It states that 1,368 marriages took place in the county per 100,000 residents.

A total of 4,352 opposite-sex marriages took place between 2021 and 2022 in Shropshire, with 125 same-sex marriages.

Powys ranked 10th – one place behind Shropshire in the ranking. The county had 1,289 marriages per 100,000 residents, including 1,685 opposite-sex marriages and 41 same-sex marriages.

Top of the ranking was Westminster in London. The region had 3,137 marriages per 100,000 residents. Kensington and Chelsea, then Rutland, made up the top three.

Shropshire and Powys ranked behind Islington in eighth, and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in seventh, and Cheshire East featured sixth on the list with 1,465 marriages per 100,000 residents.

Monmouthshire ranked fifth with 1,507 per 100,000 residents, and Northumberland was fourth with 1,578 per 100,000.