Weddings By Numbers 2022

July 31, 2023by GMcLean0

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) have released their yearly life vital events report for 2022 – we take a dip into the numbers to give you the headlines on all things marriages and weddings

Pictured above captured perfectly by Cara Frew Photography

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) recently released their yearly report on vital life statistics in Scotland for 2022, which included the number of marriages that took place.

Marriages

2022 saw a large increase in couples tying the knot, comparable to the post-war booms of 1919 and 1945. There were 30,033 marriages in Scotland in 2022, 24% higher than in 2021 and the highest number since 2012, as we saw off all but the last of the main pandemic year rescheduled ceremonies.

Aside from the 103% rise in 2021, mainly due to COVID restrictions in relation to weddings in 2020, the only comparable year on year rises were in the post-war years (28% in 1919 and 31% in 1945).

The status of each party also makes for interesting reading. 75.9% of males were bachelors, 1.9% were widowers, 21.8% were divorcees and 0.4% were previously in a civil partnership. The female break down was 77.2% spinsters, 1.8% divorcees, 20.7% widowers and 0.3% were from a civil partnership. These figures are on a par with that of previous recent years.

Ceremony Types

10,548 Humanist and other non Christian marriage ceremonies were recorded in 2022 and continue to overtake religious marriages with 6,664 recorded for these. The Church of Scotland conducted 1954 marriages with the Roman Catholic Church conducting 940. Civil marriage ceremonies make up the rest with 12,821 recorded. As noted, due to the pandemic reschedules, all recorded marriages by type showed an increase. It is expected that 2023 will return numbers to a near normal level and comparable to that of those recorder in 2019.

Humanist ceremonies continue to grow in their popularity year after year. Too often, other ceremony types are delivered in the same tone, by the same sort of officiant, using the same tired script, skimming over the most important element of the ceremony – the individuals at the heart of it. Humanist ceremonies give couples more choice and flexibility and are 100% legal in Scotland as Humanism has been a recognised belief body since 2005. The Fuze Foundation is recognised as this.

Here at Fuze Ceremonies we have been creating unique and bespoke Humanist Wedding Ceremonies since 2012 and tied the knot for thousands of happy newlyweds – We have 55+ celebrants in our team covering the length and breadth of Scotland. We boast in excess of 1500+ FIVE STAR Trustpilot reviews and a NEW Podcast channel, Say I Do With Fuze Podcast, covering all topics humanist ceremony related and beyond.

Same Sex

1,112 same sex marriages took place in 2022 with the split 401 male couples and 711 female. These numbers include those who have converted their previous Civil Partnership to a legal marriage of which there were 48. In addition the remaining status of each party was 918 single, 142 divorced and 4 widowed.

Age

The average age of a male who married for the first time was 35.1 and 33.5 for a female, both slightly up on last year. The average has now been in the 30’s since 1999 for a male and 2006 for a female with the average age increasing every year. In fact, you would have go all the back to the 1970s to see the average age of men and women getting married in their 20’s.

31 males and 61 females between the age of 16-19 were married in 2021. 7,873 males and 7,978 females aged between 30-34 were married which continues to be the most popular age bracket. At the other end of the scale, 4,059 males and 2,927 females aged 55+ were married.

Civil Partnerships

The total number of Civil Partnerships that took place in 2022 was 529, up 118 against 2021. Following the 2021 law change to allow mixed sex couples to enter into a Civil Partnership , this has continued in popularity with 529 mixed-sex Civil Partnership taking place versus 411 in 2021. The other same sex breakdown was 56 for male and 45 for female.

Getting Ready To Get Legally Married In Scotland

Not only is Scotland stunningly beautiful, it is also one of only a few countries where couples are free to marry anywhere their hearts desire. Our team of Celebrants are authorised by the Register General of Scotland to solemnise marriages and are chosen for their creativity, energy, personality and genuine love of life. Each member of the team has benefited from our comprehensive Celebrant training programme and is fully insured and disclosed.

The National Records of Scotland website details every step to be taken and the forms needed to apply for a marriage licence. Of course our amazing Celebrant team will guide you all the way during the process and talk you through this important element of your big day.

Check out our blog – You’ve said ‘YES’ to your Celebrant – DON’T forget the legal stuff!!

weddings humanist fuze ceremonies

Fuze celebrant Wendy Dallas keeping the happy couple and witnesses right during their wedding

Add our smiles to yours

No two couples are the same so no two ceremonies should be the same. At Fuze we work alongside our couples to make their ceremony script is unique, personal and bespoke. It’s your day your way with us, so let us add our smiles to yours. To check our amazing celebrant’s live availability for your special date click here!