Nicolai Holm Nielsen his and future husband Torben Holm Nielsen took a trip to the North East days before their wedding in Denmark to purchase Nicolai’s dream wedding band
Nicolai Holm Nielsen (left) and future husband Torben Holm Nielsen (right) from Denmark who bought a wedding ring from Mik Witkamp at Tynemouth Market(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
Meet the Copenhagen couple who travelled to Tynemouth Market to pick the “perfect” wedding ring. Nicolai Holm Nielsen and his future husband Torben Holm Nielsen took a trip to the North East days before their wedding in Denmark to purchase Nicolai’s dream wedding band.
The couple, who get married on Friday, had spent months searching the internet before stumbling across Darlington-based jewellers, MikAndMandi, on Etsy. Mik Witkamp, who runs the business with his wife Mani, is a regular trader at Tynemouth Market and got to hand the silver ring to the happy couple on Saturday.
“I was over the moon to get Nicolai and his partner over to collect their ring. It’s been a long trip for them but I think it was worth it”, said Mik. “We had a nice chat and it seems like the piece will be really loved and that is essentially what we’re after. We want something to be worn.”
“I’ve been scouring the internet and now I’ve found [a ring] here in Tynemouth of all places”, said Nicolai, adding: “I’m really satisfied and happy with my purchase.”
This will be Nicolai and Torben’s second wedding to each other, having married over 20 years ago and later divorced before rekindling their love. Torben has kept and will reuse his wedding ring from the first marriage. However, Nicolai’s band was sadly stolen in a burglary meaning he had to source a replacement.
Torben said: “[Nicolai] loved the look of [the ring], the shape of it and [he] wanted one for [his] thumb and everything was perfect.”
Linda Whitworth with her friends Nicolai Holm Nielsen and future husband Torben Holm Nielsen from Denmark buying a wedding ring from Mik Witkamp at Tynemouth Market(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
Nicolai added: “I found [MikAndMandi’s] homepage which tells their story and that they come to this market every Saturday and Sunday and I thought ‘why not just go here?’ because I found out there was a direct flight from Copenhagen to Newcastle.”
The couple enjoyed their “pre-wedding trip” to the North Tyneside coast where they stayed in Cullercoats and met Linda Whitworth, who became friends with Nicolai’s aunty whilst working for children’s charity UNICEF.
Linda said: “I got a phone call on Monday (July 27) from a friend in Denmark who I haven’t seen since 2000 when I left UNICEF. I got a message from her saying that her two nephews were coming to Cullercoats of all places to pick up a wedding from a jeweller.
Nicolai Holm Nielsen bought his wedding ring from Mik Witkamp at Tynemouth Market(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
“Apparently they couldn’t find the ring anywhere else and they had it specially made here.”
“I said I’d be very willing to come and meet them and say hello”, she added. Torben said: “We’d heard a lot about Linda so it was nice to finally meet her.”
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