THE number of couples tying the knot in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire has dropped dramatically.

Figures show the decline has been sharpest in East Renfrewshire, where the number of marriages plummeted by a whopping 61 per cent between 1991 and 2015.

Just 331 weddings took place in the Barrhead area in 2015, compared to 851 back in 1991.

And it would also seem that love isn’t in the Renfrewshire air as the number of couples there who said ‘I do’ in 2015 was 761, compared to the 1991 figure of 895.

That represents a 14 per cent decline.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest a small revival in East Renfrewshire, where there were 343 marriages last year - up by 12 on 2015.

Of these, 329 involved couples of the opposite sex, while 14 were same sex couples.

A total of 759 couples were married in Renfrewshire last year - two fewer than in 2015.

Just 29 of those involved same sex couples, with one male couple entering into a civil partnership.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said the fall in the number of marriages is “more of a social trend than a religious one.”

He added: “Many couples wait for longer periods than in the past before they get married.

“The Catholic Church encourages couples thinking about marriage to undergo a period of preparation and to discuss their plans with their parish priest.

“Marriage preparation courses are regularly organised in parishes across Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.”

A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said: “A range of factors impact the number of marriage notices registered in East Renfrewshire, including the wide variety of options which are now available to couples when choosing to take their vows.

“Our registrar service remains well-used and popular, with our registrars regularly performing ceremonies in a number of venues and locations.”