ONE of the happiest days of a mother’s life is when her daughter gets married.

But, it was a rare double celebration for Linda Clements when she tied the knot in the same ceremony as daughter Amanda – remarrying her ex-husband William, Amanda’s dad.

William, 58, walked Amanda down the aisle at the Whitehall Hotel, Darwen, before joining Linda to exchange vows.

Linda and William, of Richmond Terrace, Darwen, divorced two years ago after more than a quarter of a century of married life, but then felt they had made a mistake and wanted to get back together.

But the idea to have a double wedding, with 32- year-old Amanda and her fiance Lawrence Berry, 44, of Rothesay Road, Shadsworth, Blackburn, came as a shock to Linda at first.

She said: “William and I announced our engagement at a family meal last November and I joked to Amanda that we should make it a double wedding.

“She told me a few days later that she had a big announcement to make and to my surprise she said we’d be getting married together.”

In a lavish event, Linda, Amanda and sister Nichola Clements, 34, drew up in a horse-drawn carriage.

The ceremony, before 150 guests, featured a jazz band and children’s entertainer.

Linda added: “It was two weddings in one and brought the whole family together. It was the perfect day, just as I imagined.

"It was beautiful and all the staff at the Whitehall made sure everything went smoothly.”

Whitehall owner Neil Bullows, 40, said: “In 20 years in the industry, I’ve seen sisters and friends tie the knot at the same time, but never mother and daughter.

"It was a privilege, but you normally only have one bride to look after, never mind a second who’s the mother of the bride as well!”

Mrs Clements’s eldest sister flew from Los Angeles the day for the wedding, and family and friends also travelled from across the North West.