A couple who met on a dating site are getting married just one month after first meeting. Christopher Rimmer and Viktorija Vakulenko, both 34, met on Christian Dating for Free - a site that brings Christian people looking for love together.
The couple, both church ministers, started chatting around a month before Easter and met for the first time on April 22.
And after starting to discuss marriage from their very first date, Christopher decided to pop the question.
He proposed to Viktorija, originally from Latvia, on the spot where they had one of their first dates.
Christopher, originally from Liverpool, has lived in Southport since he was 12.
He said: “The view in the Pavilion was just beautiful, it was a beautiful day.
“I went and spoke to the staff and said I’m going to propose in the next 15 minutes, can you get the video on a phone.
“They were very nice and they made our day special.
“They even blessed us with a bottle of Prosecco.”
Christopher had had an account on the dating site for a few years.
And after being encouraged by her sister, Viktorija made an account and a week later began chatting to her soon-to-be husband.
The couple said they were both praying to be married and had both given up before then.
Christopher Rimmer said: “That’s why we were using the Christian dating site because that’s what we wanted: to meet someone to get married. I think this is cheesy, but I actually fell in love with her profile.
“We were chatting on the site but then I added her on Facebook and was looking through her pictures.
“And I said who is this in these pictures? Who is this girl? I need to meet this girl. One day, I just decided to call her and she was shocked and said you sound so British and I said English and you sound so Latvian."
Christopher said the couple's shared interests included the sciences.
He added: "We're both really geeky, we like science and astronomy and space and stars. We also both like fashion, but our main common interest is faith, that's around everything for us."
Prior to the proposal, a few of the couple’s loved ones knew they were talking about making it official. But they were still equally shocked as they were excited when they heard the news.
Christopher said: “We were talking about it from April 22, but I wanted to do it properly.
“I asked for her hand in marriage in Russian and I don’t speak Russian, so I learnt some Russian and made her dad smile anyway. They’ve been really supportive and caring.
“They see how happy she is, which is good.
“I told my dad we’re getting married and I literally saw the colour drain from his face.
“He’s fine now, though, he’s adjusted.”
Christopher and Viktorija are set to tie the knot on June 15 and will honeymoon in Barcelona.
When they return, they plan to open their own church in Southport under the organisation Covenant Life Ministries International (CLMI).
The couple also added how they can't wait to be established in Southport as a family with Viktorija’s two children, Christopher, aged seven, and Grace, two.
Christopher said: “We’re ecstatic. If you would have told me six months ago I would be getting engaged and opening a church in Southport, I would’ve said you’re on another planet.”
Owners of Southport Pier Pavilion, Natalie and Joanne, said: “We were ecstatic that the couple chose our pier as their special place, and we wish them all of the luck and happiness in the world.”
