ROMANTIC Huddersfield folk are bucking national trends when it comes to tying the knot.

More and more people in the town are getting hitched - which goes against the national average of declining marriage trends.

Huddersfield's superintendent registrar, Barry Corney, the man responsible for overseeing civil ceremonies in the area, said he couldn't explain the statistic.

Last year there was a 6.5% rise to 640 in the number of marriage ceremonies in Huddersfield.

But nationally, civil ceremonies have declined 30% over the last 20 years.

Mr Corney added: "We are not sure why it's happening.

"One reason we think could be a factor is the university and the influx of young people in the town who want to get married."

Mr Corney, 49, has been in the same trade for 28 years and had spells in Leeds and Bury before coming to Huddersfield in 1989.

He said the biggest change to weddings happened 10 years ago, when new laws meant people could get married in a place of their choosing.

Mr Corney said: "The changes meant that not only could people get married in hotels etc, but could also have their own readings."

He said civil ceremonies contained two legal declarations which have to be stated, but they can then include passages of the couple's choosing.

He added: "Whatever people want to put in the ceremony has to be seemly and dignified and can't be religious. Other than that it's fine.

"It can be poetry or whatever. People have had readings from Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter."

Mr Corney said the old-fashioned problem of wedding day jitters and nerves had not disappeared.

He added: "In my time of carrying out weddings I've never had anyone stand up to object, but I have had two or three times where someone has been stood up.

"People still do get very nervous. One particular occasion was a woman who was so nervous she couldn't repeat the words - so she just took out her false teeth and put them on the desk. She was fine from there on in!"

Mr Corney, who has married thousands of couples, said Valentine's Day would be busy.

He added: "There is usually a lot of interest about Valentine's Day, especially if it falls on a weekend. This year it's a Monday - and we still have 10 ceremonies booked.

"My tip for a happy day would be not to plan too precisely. If you are on a strict timetable you will always be looking at your watch and worrying. It is supposed to be the happiest day of your life."