This is the moment a happy couple joined tens of thousands across the country – by getting married on 10.10.10.
Catherine Knight, 24, and Aleksej Zigalovs, 23, tied the knot at 10.10am on 10.10.10 after a year of planning their £700 wedding.
It is estimated 31,000 marriages took place across Britain to mark the date, which is considered lucky as the number 10 means completion and perfection in Chinese.
A date like 10.10.10 also only happens 12 times every 1,000 years, although there will be similar days in 2011 and 2012.
Shops assistants Catherine and Aleksej, who have been together for three years, exchanged touching vows in front of 55 friends and family at Bristol Register Office.
Catherine was led down the aisle by proud mum Verine Cunningham, 52, a carer followed behind by sister Nicola Morgan, 34 and Nicola’s children Kiyah, 12, Kamanah, seven and Kamaria, two.
Nicola’s daughters Kiyah, 12, Kamanah, seven and Kamaria, two were bridesmaids while son Kymani Morgan, 11, was the proud ring bearer.
After the touching ceremony, Aleksej, who is from the Ukraine, and Catherine, from Bristol, enjoyed a three course meal of tapas, chicken and mousse with their guests.
Middle child Catherine, who is the first of her siblings to get married, said the date had been chosen because all their guests could attend.
She said: ”When I booked the wedding I did think ‘10.10.10’ did have a bit of a ring to it. It will be easy to remember our anniversary too.
”We have been so excited about the wedding for so long, but it has been very stressful as well.
”Aleksej proposed in 2009 and we wanted to marry a bit sooner but it didn’t work out. Still, it is lovely to be married now.”
The couple met during their Freshers Week at Bedfordshire & Luton University in 2006, when Aleksej spotted Catherine across the room and asked her to dance.
Aleksej proposed to a ”stunned” Catherine three years later after taking her on a romantic trip to Dublin for her 23rd birthday.
Catherine added: ”We started dancing together and that was it.
”We had been joking about getting married and when he proposed I just didn’t expect it.
”It was absolutely tipping it down with rain and everything was really grey and dreary. Then he proposed and everything was just wonderful.
”I said yes straight away.”
Aleksej and Catherine are setting off for a three day honeymoon today and have planned trips to the Ukraine to see Aleksej’s family and Jamaica, to see Catherine’s next year.
If he’s ukraian. Her name would become zigalova not Zigalovs. It’s a slavic name so most names ending with “lov” all ladies become “lova” eg ” Pavlov” becomes “pavlova” for ladies! Get it right!