A ROMANTIC mass ceremony was held at Worcester Cathedral in which around 100 couples renewed their wedding vows on Valentine's Day.

A short service was organised for couples to be able to recommit their relationship and reaffirm their love.

The service was led by Canon Georgina Byrne, with curates from around the Diocese leading the prayers and reading the famous passage from Corinthians about love.

The passage said: "Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.

"It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Couples also sang traditional wedding hymns: Lord of All Hopefulness and Love Divine.

The Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester, gave a short address saying that Christian marriage has come in different shapes and sizes over the centuries.

“What lies at the heart are two people who have discovered one another and decided to spend the rest of their lives together," he said.

"Whatever form the wedding takes, the familiar words of St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians still apply. In a world of lunacy, violence, stupidity and greed, marriage is a good life – it is worth celebrating and worth thanking God for year after year.”

Paddy and Valerie Firminger from St John’s, who have been married for 32 years, were one of the couples who attended.

Mrs Firminger said: “We had both been married previously, but our former partners have now died so felt it was appropriate to renew our vows in the sight of God. It was a very moving service.”

Wendy and Chris Milne-Bennett, from Malvern, also attended.

Mrs Milne-Bennett said: “We’ve been married for 26 years and have been thinking about renewing our vows. We heard about this service and decided it was a great opportunity to come along and renew them quietly without any fuss.”

Heather Stearman brought her husband David from Pershore as a complete surprise.

“We’re celebrating 20 years this year and I thought it would be a special thing to do," Mrs Stearman said.

"Our son and daughter came early to save us a seat at the front and I surprised David.

"It was a lovely service which brought tears to my eyes.”