An ice wedding

Jan 7 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WHEN it comes to a choosing a magical setting for your wedding day there can be few more perfect, or unusual, than the location chosen by newlyweds Martin and Laura Bruniges.

The Honley couple’s special day came complete with ice sculptures, reindeer and the stunning backdrop of the Northern Lights as they were married in the Arctic Circle in temperatures of -10°C (14°F)!

The pair exchanged their vows in sub-zero temperatures in the heart of the Arctic Circle in front of a small gathering of family and friends.

There were a couple of hitches along the way. There wasn’t enough snow to complete their planned ice chapel and the bride’s wedding dress nearly didn’t make it on the plane.

But the couple’s day had a fairytale ending in the form of a dazzling light display.

“The hotel manager had told us we wouldn’t see the Northern Lights, but then just after we’d finished the speeches they came out,” said Martin, 28.

“They were amazing. We were so lucky to see them as a lot of people don’t get the chance. The whole day was unbelievable, definitely the best day of our lives.”

The couple’s wedding was the perfect end to their four-day trip to the picturesque Kakslauttanen igloo village, which they took with Laura’s parents, Sandra and John Rattigan, and Martin’s parents Jeff and Linda Goodridge.

The couple spent the night before the wedding in separate log cabins and on their wedding day Laura, 27, travelled to the wooden chapel on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Laura, a warehouse supervisor for Elland-based Lick UK, nearly didn’t have her wedding dress as the party had trouble getting it on the plane because it was so large. It was too big to go in a suitcase, so had to be carried on by hand.

Martin, who works for Huddersfield-based Cummins Turbo Technologies, said: “We were meant to get married in an ice chapel, but there wasn’t enough snow so it couldn’t be completed, so we had to have the wooden chapel instead.

“But we did manage to get a few ice sculptures.

“All the party then went on husky rides and snowboarding. We had an amazing time and with it being spread over four days there was a good atmosphere because we all got to spend so much time together.

“It wasn’t too cold either, about -10. Usually it’s -20°C or so. But we did have to have plastic flowers because real ones wouldn’t have lasted in the conditions!”

The couple share a passion for snowboarding and their love of snow and the great outdoors lead them to choosing such an unusual location for their wedding.

Martin said: “We got engaged last March in Canada when we went up to the summit of one of the Rockies.

“It was really steep, but I still managed to drop down on one knee. Laura then had to take off her glove to put on the ring in -15°C conditions!”