More couples are considering marrying in church, according to the Church of England.

Visitors to the Your Church Wedding website increased by nearly 50 per cent in 2011, from just under 273,800 in 2010 to 410,000 the following year.

There has been growing interest in church weddings after a change in the law in 2008 to make it easier to marry in church.

The increase in visitors to the Your Church Wedding website has coincided with an increase in visitors to the Church of England stand at wedding shows around the country.

The Church of England said more couples were visiting the stand to ask questions about church weddings.

The Rev Rosie Harper, who is part of the church weddings team, said: “Church of England weddings increased by four per cent in 2010 and it’s great to see more couples wanting to find out all about marrying in church.

"We’d love to be a part of their big day, so we’d encourage everyone to come and talk to us.”

One couple married by Rosie and featured in the Your Church Wedding video on YouTube at said: “We weren’t sure as to whether it was appropriate that we would be to be allowed to be married in church and we were delighted to find that it wasn’t going to be a problem, and that our local vicar was very happy, in fact insisted on marrying us.”

Friendly and knowledgeable vicars who love conducting weddings will be available to answer questions at the following shows this autumn:

The Wedding Fair, Bluewater, 21-23 September
UK Wedding Show, St George’s Hall, Liverpool, 22-23 September
National Wedding Show, Earl’s Court, London, 28-30 September
UK Wedding Show, International Centre, Harrogate, 29-30 September
National Wedding Show, NEC, Birmingham, 5-7 October
UK Wedding Show, Newcastle Racecourse, 7 October
UK Wedding Show, Manchester Centre, 20-21 October