IT’S the perfect date to remember and means there will be no excuse for either of them to forget a wedding anniversary in years to come.

Newlyweds Lynn Samways and Richard Fletcher from Southbourne, chose to tie the knot yesterday at exactly 12.12pm on 12.12.12.

“We wanted a date that would be easy to remember,” Lynn explained. “Originally we were going to get married on December 11 next year at 2pm so the date and time would have been 11.12.13.14 but we thought this date was even better because we have been together exactly 12 years.”

Her husband Richard, 49 added: “We’re not OCD or anything we just like to be different.”

The couple who met when they were working at a print firm, are planning to go on their honeymoon to New Zealand next year.

“We will have a few days in France but I couldn’t get any more time off so it will give us something to look forward to,” Lynn added.

Their wedding ceremony took place at Bournemouth’s Langtry Manor Hotel and was attended by 46 guests. The hotel’s wedding and event manager, Pat Elcock, said: “The couple were planning to get married next year but after they came to see me eight weeks ago they decided to bring the date forward by 12 months so it was quite a rush but it all came together in the end.”

The bride added: “I wanted to get married in green as it’s my favourite colour but someone told me it was unlucky so that put me off. My dressmaker managed to make my dress and two bridesmaids dresses in just under a week.”

The Bournemouth couple were not alone in choosing the once in a lifetime date to get married.

According to a survey, 10 times as many couples got hitched yesterday compared to the same date last year.