Couple braves freezing temperatures to tie the knot at ice festival

An adventurous couple got married during an ice festival here over the weekend, braving minus 5 degree temperatures as they exchanged vows.

Satoshi Akiyama, 26, a ramen noodle restaurant operator from Saitama Prefecture, and his wife Asuka, 27, an employee with a Tokyo travel agency, held their wedding ceremony at the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival in Chitose, Hokkaido Prefecture, on Jan. 30. The bride is a native of the prefectural city of Asahikawa.

With temperatures registering minus 5 degrees Celsius, the bride and the groom exchanged their wedding vows, saying, "We promise to support each other even in difficulties and to make a happy family."

As the couple exchanged their wedding rings and kissed, the crowed gave them a warm round of applause.

"I had never imagined it would be this cold," said Asuka, clad in a short-sleeved wedding dress, adding, "It was a rare opportunity to have a wedding on the ice, and it will become our special memory.