Ten couples in the running for £13,000 dream wedding prize

AFTER a nail-biting few weeks of voting and tense waiting, it's finally time to announce the ten couples in with a chance of winning their dream wedding.

More than 34,000 votes were cast in the Post's Win a Wedding competition, which will see one couple get a £13,000 dream day completely free.

The finalists battling it out for the big prize are:

Danny Andrews, 31, and Sharon Clifford, 36, of Sneinton. Danny describes Sharon as his "princess", "soulmate" and a "wonderful woman".

Dyson DC50i - Bagless upright vacuum cleaner - BALL Technology -...

Freenet Electrical Ltd

View details

Thisi is Dyson's smallest upright vacuum cleaner with the performance of a full size upright machine. The DC50i has Dyson's most advanced cleaner head technology and 2 Tier RadialTM cyclones.

Terms: LIMITED STOCK OFFER. FREE delivery to most UK postcodes - Next working day dispatch.

Contact: 01664 491439

Valid until: Monday, May 27 2013

Kirsty Bell, 28, and Martin Cobley, 31, of Sandiacre. The pair had to put their wedding plans on hold when they got the news they were expecting a little girl.

Laura Green, 24, and John McBride, 28, of Ilkeston. They met while working at McDonald's and "fell in love while selling Big Macs and fries".

Jamie Haywood, 24, and Katherine Perkins, 24, of Arnold, who don't have a massive income but would like to get married before they have children.

Timothy Hughes, 28, and Jessica Brown, 29, of Draycott, who have recently set up home together and can't afford a big wedding.

Martin Kapusta, 28, and Danielle Frampton, 21, of Langley Mill. Martin wants a perfect day to show Danielle he loves her "with all of his heart".

Joe Dickens, 32, and Manni Lo, 30, of Basford, who got comedian Johnny Vegas to make a video plea for them.

Dale Litchfield, 29, and Rebecca Gilbert, 27, of Ruddington, who have spent their spare money on IVF and can't afford to get married.

Kirsty Tozer, 26, of Bestwood Park, and Trevor Hart, 24, of The Meadows. The pair were best friends for nine years before falling in love.

Davinya Ackroyd, 29, of Carlton, and Dorian Rose, 27, of Leicester, who don't have enough money to live together, let alone pay for their dream day.

When Davinya was told she'd made it into the final ten she was really excited.

She said: "I'm absolutely gobsmacked. We've been engaged for a year but we're saving up for a house at the moment, so we've had to put the wedding on the back burner. It would be amazing if we win."

Jamie Haywood, who entered because he wants to marry fiancée Katherine before they start a family, said: "It's fantastic hearing we're in the final. We both hope we've got the luck to win it. The wedding would be a dream come true for us."

On Thursday evening, the couples will meet at the Park Plaza Hotel, in Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, to take part in the grand finale, hosted by Dino and Pete, of the Capital FM breakfast show. Each couple will speak to the judges at the speed dating-style event to convince the judges they deserve to win.

As well as a dream ceremony and reception at the Park Plaza Hotel, the eventual winners will get a Jet2Holidays honeymoon to Larnaca, in Cyprus.

Angela Dawson, events manager at the hotel, is looking forward to helping the lucky couple plan their dream day.

She said: "Myself and the team are very excited for the announcement of the lucky wedding couple.We are looking forward to making it a magical day to remember."

The wedding package also includes rings from Stuart Thexton; a wedding dress and suits from East Midlands Formal Wear; hair by Zullo and Holland; photos by Red Feather Photography; flowers from Welch's; a wedding cake from Strawberry Cupcakes; and cars from Lymn Luxury Vehicle Hire.

The sponsors will act as judges at the finale, with each having three minutes to speak to each finalist.

The judges will allocate the couples a score out of ten and the scores will be combined to find the deserving winner.

See Saturday's Post to find out which lucky couple wins their dream day.