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A great place to say 'I do'

by Taryn Thompson
| July 9, 2014 9:00 PM

COEUR d'ALENE - Love is in the air in Kootenai County and it must give off a strong scent.

Marriage rates are at a 60-year low statewide, but Kootenai County continues to be a popular place to get hitched. The county's marriage rate is more than twice the state average and more people get married here than anywhere else in the state - including Ada County.

Most of the couples marrying in Kootenai County come from out of state to exchange vows, according to vital records and health statistics recently released by Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare.

The department's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics' report "Vital Statistics 2012" highlights the most recent statistics and information on the state's population, birth, death, abortion, marriage and divorce rates.

Coeur d'Alene Resort Wedding Planner Becky Johnson said North Idaho is becoming an increasingly popular venue for destination weddings. People have come from as far away as Australia to marry at The Resort, she said.

"I always ask couples, 'What brought you to Idaho?,'" Johnson said. "We've had people literally from all over. Sometimes they've vacationed here as kids. Some just get online and do research and say, 'This looks amazing.'"

Kootenai County doesn't just attract brides and grooms because of its natural beauty - it is also a place where couples can marry quickly.

Marriage licenses can be used the day of purchase and up to a year afterward. On the Washington side of the border, there's a mandatory 3-day waiting period.

Statewide, the marriage rate per 1,000 persons was 8.2 compared to a rate of 19.4 in Kootenai County. The 2,759 marriages in Kootenai County in 2012 were down by 153 from 2011 and represented a decrease of nearly 800 marriages from 2007.

Other highlights from the vital statistics report:

* Idaho's overall population, at nearly 1.6 million, increased by about 11,000. Kootenai County's population alone increased by nearly 8,000. There were 1,746 live births in Kootenai County.

* Births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high in Idaho in 2012 with more than 27 percent of all children born out-of-wedlock. In Idaho's five northern counties, 855 children were born out-of-wedlock. Nearly 600 of those children were born in Kootenai County.

* Divorces statewide decreased by about 2 percent. Kootenai County, however, saw a very slight increase. With 811 divorces, the county had the fourth highest rate of divorce in the state. Region 1 - which also includes Boundary, Bonner, Benewah and Shoshone counties - had Idaho's highest rate of divorce.

* Cancer was the leading cause of death in Kootenai County in 2012, responsible for 316 of the 1,262 deaths reported. Heart disease was the second-highest cause of death.

* There were 89 fewer abortions among Idaho residents in 2012 compared to the previous year. Kootenai County saw an increase of three abortions, from 192 to 195. That number decreased significantly from 2007 when 265 abortions were reported in the county.

* The entire Idaho Vital Statistics report is available online at http://healthstatistics.dhw.idaho.gov

Tying the knot in Idaho

n Youngest bride: 14

n Youngest groom: 16

n Oldest bride: 91

n Oldest groom: 94

n Most Marriages : July 21, 2012, and Aug. 4, 2012 (244 each day)

n Fewest marriages: Jan. 16, 2012, and Nov. 22, 2012 (1 each day)

n Most popular month to marry: August

n Least popular month to marry: January

SOURCE: Idaho Vital Statistics 2012