A COUPLE who were forced to put off their marriage plans due to illness are celebrating after winning a dream wedding package in the Ella's Memory charity auction.

The pair, who want to tie the knot next September, put in a winning bid of £800. Christopher Wasey, 25, a part-time teacher at Truro College, and his partner, trainee nurse Georgina Wood, 23, did not put in the highest bid, but sealed the prize after judges discovered their dream of getting married had to be put on hold when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

"It was obvious that their plans had been thwarted as a result of Chris' illness.

"Other bids that came close already had venues booked, but Chris and Georgina had nothing arranged so they will be able to make the most of the package on offer," said auction organiser Sarah Gillett, of Perfect Preparation in Truro.

It means the groom will be chauffeured in a 1981 Ferrari 308 GTB to their wedding venue – a tipi tent in woodland in the old Tregildrans Quarry in St Kew. They will be offered a tailor-made service with prizes worth £9,000 donated by 16 Cornish firms, including a bespoke wedding cake, hairdresser, photographer, flowers, giving them a day to remember.

Martyn Selley, who established the charity Ella's Memory in honour of his daughter who was stillborn last December, said: "Their story stood out. They have had a terrible year but are much closer. They have won a fabulous package which means they can get married much sooner than they expected and have something positive to look forward to."

The charity aims to revamp the Daisy Suite at Royal Cornwall Hospital for bereaved parents and Mr Selley himself is facing a brighter new year with the arrival of his third child due in February.

Accepting their prize, Miss Wood, who is training at Treliske, said they never expected to win.

"We saw the auction in the West Briton. I liked the charity and thought it would be nice to help Ella's Memory while having our own special day. We are thrilled to have won, this is something that we could never have done on our own."

Statement

The couple, from St Austell, entered their bid on the eve of the competition closing on Monday with a 150-word statement explaining what the package would mean to them.

It said: "Since Chris was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in March we have had a tough year, which has only made us closer and stronger as a couple.

"Without winning this competition we wouldn't be able to get married for at least five years as Chris works part time as a teacher and I am a student nurse. The wedding package consists of everything we thought we would want at our wedding: the cupcakes, bunting, cars, and being outdoors with our closest friends and family."

See page 6 for more on the plans for the Daisy Suite.