An ice day for a white wedding...

“Rick always used to say we will get married on the 12th,” says Claire Mironiuk, “but he would finish of the sentence with ‘of never!”

“So I thought it would be fab to get married on December 12, 2012.”

Scaffolder Richard Lindsay proposed to Claire after she arrived home from her job as a hairdresser at The Works Hair and Beauty in Walton-le-Dale.

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She says: “It was a Saturday evening and Rick had me a bubble bath ready with candles – he’s so romantic anyway I didn’t think anything of it.

“He told me to dress up and come down when I was ready.”

As Claire reached the bottom of the stairs Richard, dressed in a suit, blindfolded her and led her to the 
living room which was set up like a restaurant, complete with candles and roses.

After their meal of seafood and champagne Richard pulled out a beautiful diamond ring.

“I shouted yes and I couldn’t believe he had got me the ring I had always wanted,” says Claire, “I must be worth it!”

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The couple set about planning their dream wedding but a chance conversation with a client led Claire to a 
spontaneous decision.

“She said I’d always wanted a 
spontaneous wedding and 12/12/12 was four weeks away.

“I called Stanley House which we had fallen in love with and hoped they had my date – luckily they said yes.”

Another call to a registrar who had one slot left sealed the deal.

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“They had five o’clock left and as I’d always wanted a late wedding, it was fate,” adds Claire.

And unlike most brides-to-be, Claire found her perfect dress almost instantly.

“It was one of the first ones I tried on,” she adds

“The lace glistened like ice – ideal for the winter theme.”

The couple exchanged vows at Stanley House Hotel and Spa, 
Mellor, in an intimate winter ice-themed ceremony in front of just 26 adults and three children.

“My sister Kirsty, who was my chief bridesmaid, set the room up as a surprise,” says Claire.

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“As I walked down the aisle to an instrumental slow version of 
Fairytale of New York there was soft glittery snow down and an ivory arch with blue ribbons and snowflakes on – it was beautiful.”

As they were pronounced husband and wife, the father of the bride had a surprise for the newlyweds.

“We went outside and my dad had set up a snow machine,” says Claire, “It was magical, even though it was freezing I didn’t feel the cold I was that excited.”

The room for the wedding breakfast had also had a touch of Kirsty’s handiwork with snow flake confetti, candles, Christmas twig lighting adding to the icy theme.

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More family members and close friends arrived following the meal to wish they bride and groom well and to join in the celebrations.

“The morning after Rick and I enjoyed breakfast as a married couple and had the spa to ourselves,” says Claire. Our day was just perfect.

“Perfect date, perfect wedding, 
perfect husband!”