Around 15 enthusiastic couples, together with friends, turned up at St. Mary's, Pembroke, at 5.15 pm, on Saturday, February 8, to affirm their vows as part of National Marriage Week's Big Promise.

They were not alone. It would seem that around the country at least 1,400 other couples renewed their vows simultaneously and in so doing may have set a new Guinness World Record.

The current record holders - Miami University in Ohio, involved 1,087 couples. That record was set back in 2009.

There are still numbers to be collected and verified, and the Guinness World Record has very stringent rules that needed to be followed, so Marriage Week have submitted the details of their World Record attempt and are awaiting official approval.

"The numbers are probably even larger than these official statistics would suggest," said Pastor Rob James, of Westgate Evangelical Chapel, Pembroke.

"We decided that we did not want to be part of any record attempt just in case it detracted from our clear intention to highlight the importance of marriage and the blessings that can flow when God is at the heart of it.

"That is why we gathered together to renew our vows in His presence. I am grateful to the Vicar of Pembroke, Rev. Roger Jones, for hosting it and for guiding the service in such a great way. Rev Tom McManus also took part, thereby ensuring it was a very encouraging inter-church event," he continued.

Dave Percival, national co-ordinator for the Big Promise, observed: "The simplicity and dignity of each Big Promise ceremony held sends a clear message.

"The vows are the essential part of being married - not the fancy wedding, amazing reception or exotic honeymoon. Marriage matters to every one of these couples, and should matter to all of us in society as the bedrock of stable family life.

"The Big Promise has provided many couples with the chance to celebrate what their marriages mean to them with those in their local communities.

"Many couples spoke of how much more their vows meant to them second time round because they truly understood what their vows meant."