It was one amazing day for happy couple Ali and Craig Waterworth.
Now the winners of the 2016 Examiner Win a Wedding competition are urging others planning to tie the knot to take part in this year’s contest for the chance to celebrate in style.
Ali, 45, who runs charity Ruddi’s Retreat, and Craig, general manager at Calderdale College’s Inspire sports and fitness centre, were overcome with laughter and tears of joy when they learned they had won the competition last year.
Their prize was a £13,000 dream wedding held on September 23 at the picturesque Woodman Inn at Thunderbridge. The prize included bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses, professional photography, decor, a cake, flowers, hair and make-up, stationery and live piano entertainment.
The couple, who live at Linthwaite, met on a night out in Huddersfield 12 years ago, have two children together, Ruddi and Gwyneth, as well as
Ali’s two daughters Jade and Ellys. Jade, 29, is planning her own wedding with fiancé Andrew Bickerstaff, 32.
Recalling her wedding day, Ali said: “It was amazing. The Woodman was absolutely fantastic. I can’t recommend them highly enough. We have been back since and we will be going again. The service was spot on. We had everything we could wish for. I stayed the night before the wedding and was greeted with champagne in the morning.
“We could never have afforded a wedding like that. It was going to be the register office and a quiet do at Broad Oak Bowling Club! In the end, the only things we had to pay for were the rings and the honeymoon.
“I would urge anyone to enter the competition. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
Ali set up Ruddi’s Retreat to help others after her son’s successful battle against cancer. The charity, which raises money to allow families to enjoy holidays together, marks its fifth anniversary this year and has embarked on fundraising to get a third caravan.
This year, Win a Wedding is offering a wedding worth £18,500 as the prize. The Examiner has again teamed up with The Woodman – which will host the wedding on Friday, September 15 – and an array of top wedding suppliers.
To enter, couples must collect tokens printed in the Examiner from Saturday, March 25, to Saturday, April 22. For every 500 tokens, a couple collects they will receive a golden envelope, which will be go into a prize draw. Collect 1,000 tokens and they will get two golden envelopes in the prize draw, which will be held at The Woodman Inn on Thursday, May 4.
