Last updated at 10:48, Monday, 09 June 2008

The first time Robert Bailey and Amanda Amor gazed at the soaring mountains and dramatic winter landscape of Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies, Robert knew it would be the place where one day he would propose.

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

Four years later he got down on one knee and surprised Amanda with the perfect proposal in the magical setting of an ice castle on frozen Lake Louise.

And this wasn’t the end of their love affair with the Canadian Rockies; in 2007 the couple exchanged vows in an ice castle on the lake surrounded by beautiful peaks and the breathtaking Victoria Glacier.

The couple, who met in February 1999 and live in Thornhill, near Egremont, enjoy outdoor activities and it was on a skiing holiday in 2003 that Robert proposed.

Every year Lake Louise becomes home to a skating rink and ice castle, which usually lasts until March.

“It is a very special place,” said Robert, who had secretly designed a platinum engagement ring and had it made by Deborah Cowin at The Necessary Angel in Keswick. “We love it there and so it seemed the perfect place to propose.”

Their love of the outdoors has seen them end up in a few scrapes – in 2004 Amanda broke her hip while mountain-biking in Grizedale Forest; then, in December 2005, they went back to Banff and Lake Louise for a skiing holiday and, on Christmas Day, Amanda dislocated her knee, forcing her to take three months off. This did give her time to start thinking about the wedding though.

“We thought about getting married in Cumbria,” said paediatric nurse Amanda, 38. “We looked around several places but it wasn’t what we wanted.”

It seemed fitting that they should return to the magical place that held special memories for them both.

In 2006 Robert and Amanda went back to Banff and Lake Louise for Christmas and met wedding planner Hazel Anderson. They started to plan their wedding for December 22, 2007.

But nothing could prepare them for what was to come.

The following June they went on holiday to the New Forest. Deciding to stick to less strenuous activities, they went on a rigid inflatable boat trip along the coast near Poole in Dorset.

As the boat hit a wave they were lifted out of their seats, but just as they were returning to their seats the boat hit another wave.

Robert, 37, felt the impact on his back, but he didn’t think he was badly injured until he was taken to hospital in Poole where doctors discovered he had broken his back.

“Although my T12 vertebra was crushed and fractured in two places I was very lucky,” he said. “I narrowly missed being paralysed.”

Robert, an engineering team leader at Sellafield, had to wear a body cast for eight weeks after enduring an 11-hour ambulance journey back home.

Despite the severity of his injury he was determined to get back on his feet.

He said: “There wasn’t any point that we thought about cancelling the wedding.

“I wanted to do everything possible to get it back on track. I wanted to be able to ski following the wedding. I had this goal to work towards.”

With support from Amanda, Robert’s brother Mark and his wife Vicki, their son Samuel and various close friends, including Stuart and Ann Burns and Beryl McAlister, Robert recovered sufficiently for the wedding to go ahead.

“I had a lot of fantastic support,” he said. “It is a story of triumph over tragedy.”

Amanda and Robert booked a two-and-a-half week skiing holiday with Inghams, staying at the Banff Springs Hotel and the wedding took place while they were there.

The night before the wedding, Robert, Mark and Stuart went to watch an ice-hockey match in Calgary while Amanda, Ann, Vicki, Beryl and 20-month-old Samuel enjoyed an Italian meal at Castellos Restaurant Banff Springs.

On the wedding day itself, Robert and Amanda met in the Chateau Lake Louise while a harpist played in the background. They decided they wanted to go outside for the ceremony.

Amanda wore a Jonathan James couture full-length ivory silk dress with a crystal decorated bodice, tailored bolero and Liza Crystal Tiara from The Wedding Barn in Appleby. As the temperature outside was -15C, she also wore blue Helly Hansen long-johns and white Caterpillar boots.

They were taken out to the ice castle and exchanged vows in front of their six guests and ice-skaters on the frozen lake.

Their platinum and diamond inset wedding rings were designed by the couple and hand-crafted by Deborah at The Necessary Angel.

As a surprise wedding day gift to Amanda, Robert also designed and commissioned Deborah to make a platinum with diamond inset pendant to match her engagement and wedding rings.

Following the ceremony, Robert and Amanda enjoyed a horse-drawn sleigh ride before joining their party for a champagne and cream tea reception at the Chateau Lake Louise.

They then returned to the Banff Springs Hotel for their evening reception at the Banffshire Club, a Michelin four-star restaurant.

“We wanted to get away from the norm but still keep it stylish and relaxed,” said Robert. “Being able to get married in such a special place was wonderful.”

During his speech, the best man Mark announced his wife and maid of honour Vicki was pregnant. She has since given birth to daughter Tansin.

After the meal, the party went to the Rundle cocktail lounge where the pianist played What a Wonderful World while Robert and Amanda enjoyed their first dance as man and wife.

The day following the wedding Robert and Amanda were both out on the slopes. Although Robert wasn’t fully recovered from his back injury, he was able to spend a few days skiing.

First published at 12:33, Tuesday, 03 June 2008
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk