IT is the biggest day in many couples' lives and comes with a hefty price tag that can leave even the most ardent bride and groom feeling faint.

However, new figures show the number of Scots tying the knot is on the rise, with last year seeing the biggest number of weddings since 2005.

Even though recent research found the average cost of a wedding has risen to £16,164, more than 30,000 marriages took place in Scotland in 2012 – an increase of 4.8% on 2011.

Overall, 30,534 weddings took place in churches, registry offices and other venues as couples decided to get hitched in style despite tough economic times. And far from being on the wane, the number of marriages has now increased for the third year in a row.

The figures are contained in the latest statistics produced by the National Records of Scotland and have been welcomed by those in the marriage business.

Reverend Sally Foster-Fulton, convener of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council, said: "Marriage is a lifetime adventure and we welcome the news more couples are living out that promise."

In 2011, Humanist ceremonies overtook those of the Catholic Church to become the third-most popular in Scotland, behind registry offices and the Church of Scotland. Leslie Mitchell, chairman of the Humanist Society of Scotland, said: "I think it's great people are entering into relationships and taking them seriously at a time when there is a lot of pressure on them."

As well as more marriages, more same-sex couples entered civil partnerships, up from 554 in 2011 to 574 last year.

Tim Ellis, the new chief executive of National Records of Scotland whose job combines the role of Registrar General and Keeper of the Records, said: "In historic terms, the number of marriages in 2012 was relatively low. However, the total number of marriages has been rising since 2009 and in 2012 reached 30,534, an increase of 4.8% on the 2011 figure."

Meanwhile, the number of births dropped to 58,027, down 1% on the previous year.

The statistics also showed a "not unexpected" rise in the num-ber of deaths, because it was at a record low in 2011. They rose 2.4% last year to 54,937 but that was the fourth-lowest number of deaths recorded in more than 150 years.

Mr Ellis said: "Although deaths rose in 2012, they are not high in historical terms. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1990s there tended to be between 60,000 and 65,000 deaths per year, and larger numbers before then; far more than in recent years when the annual totals have been below 55,000."