Friday 13th is a date synonymous with bad luck and misfortune but for one couple it has brought nothing but joy.

Emma Ward from Nottingham and Craig White, who hails from southern Ontario in Canada, had their first date on Friday, January 13, 2006 while they were travelling separately around Australia.

Rather than fate – and living 5,632 kilometres apart – conspiring against them, love blossomed for the 30-year-olds.

So much so that this Friday 13th, the couple will be getting married – six years to the day since they met.

Mr White will be joined by members of his family who have flown in from Canada for the service at the Bestwood Lodge Hotel in Arnold, Nottinghamshire.

The wedding ceremony will be conducted by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Registration Service which said wedding bookings on any Friday 13 are rare.

The wedding will be one of just three ceremonies being overseen by registrars in the whole county on the day, the council said.

On the last Friday 13th, in May 2011, three ceremonies took place in an otherwise very busy month.

Ms Ward admits to being superstitious when it comes to certain things and said there are some wedding day traditions she will be adhering to.

She said: “Getting married on Friday 13th doesn’t worry us in the slightest.

“Craig is not superstitious at all and I only am a little bit – fortunately not when it comes to Friday 13th.

“I’ll be wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue ... and I’ll probably be late.”

Helen Scaman, registration services manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “For obvious reasons Friday 13th is usually a very quiet day for weddings, so if any couples are struggling to find a date, we have plenty of availability for the next Friday 13ths in April and July.

“It just goes to show though that despite any superstitions, different dates can hold different significance for everyone and it’s fantastic that Emma and Craig are able to get married on the same date that they met.

“Friday 13th has clearly brought them every luck in the world.”