Couple’s dream is coming true (From Thisisdorset)

Couple’s dream is coming true

8:51am Tuesday 9th September 2008

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BRIDE-TO-BE Natalie Fitzgerald woke up with her marriage five years away and went to bed with it fast-forwarded to next April.

The lucky student from Westbourne Road, Weymouth won her dream wedding at The Portland Spa's wedding fair after entering a competition run through the Dorset Echo.

Natalie, 24, who is training to be a midwife at Bournemouth University, has been engaged to Nathan Hawker, 29, for three years.

She said: "On Sunday morning we got up and thought we were getting married in about five year's time - then when we go to bed it's less than seven months away. It's brilliant and very surreal.

"I had to stand on stage at The Portland Spa's wedding fair with the other finalists, we were all given bouquets and mine had a gold ribbon around it.

"I was very lucky, it could have been any of us."

She added: "I cried, my mum cried, we had a few friends at the fair and they were crying too.

"It's incredible, and I'm just really excited about everything."

Natalie entered the competition to win a £15,000 wedding twice after thinking, it's worth a go', and she and her gran, Barbara Crandon, collected tokens through the Dorset Echo.

She first met Nathan, who works as an NHS rehab assistant at Dorset County Hospital, in a pub six-and-a-half years ago after being match-made by her mum Maria Crandon's friend who worked with him.

The pair got engaged on her 21st birthday but put their wedding plans on a backburner due to the cost while she was at university.

As a result of the competition win, Natalie and Nathan will enjoy a wedding package that includes a spa treatment each for five people the day before the wedding and overnight accommodation at the four-star Portland Spa Hotel.

The happy couple will also receive two wedding cars, make-up for the bride and head bridesmaid, hair styling, and a civil ceremony at The Portland Spa, ceremony music, a three-course wedding breakfast for 50 people, evening buffet for 100 people, evening disco, overnight accommodation in the honeymoon suite, a wedding dress, veil, tiara, shoes, suit rental and even choreography of the bride and groom's first dance.

Their honeymoon has also been catered for with a mini-break courtesy of Oxford Hotels although Natalie said they may treat themselves to a longer holiday when she has finished university.

Other wedding professionals sponsoring the Dream Wedding competition include Sunflowers which is supplying all the floral arrangements; Debenhams for the wedding service and stationery; wedding cake courtesy of Lisa Notley Wedding Cakes; David Days and Martin Rees Magicans for entertainment; Daniel Moran Jewellery for supplying two wedding rings and a £3,000 wedding package from Daniel Rushall Photography.

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