A COUPLE were stunned and overjoyed after winning a dream wedding worth £8,000, courtesy of The Press and its partners in a major competition.

Stacey Szypitka and Richard Wake, who have a four-year-old son Dylan, say they now hope to be able to use the money they had saved for the wedding to press ahead with buying their own home and completing their family.

The couple, from Northallerton, who have been together for nine years, were among ten shortlisted couples who went along to the Marriott Hotel in Tadcaster Road on Monday evening to hear who had succeeded in our annual Win a Wedding contest.

The couples were hoping for a prize that included everything they needed to make their big day special, including the venue, catering, accommodation, photography, flowers, a cake, the dress and even the hen and stag dos.

Stacey, 26, who works as a dental nurse at Malpas House in Northallerton, shed tears of joy when she heard they had won, while Richard, 30, who works at Riverford Organic in Newby Wiske, said he had been convinced one of the other couples would win.

"We had been saving for a wedding and had reached about the £5,000 mark but ideally we want to be able to put a deposit down on a house because we rent," said Richard.

Stacey said they wanted another bedroom in their new home so they could have another baby and complete their family.

They said colleagues at their workplaces had helped them win the contest by voting for them in a phone and text poll.

The prize consists of the wedding ceremony room or garden and a three-course wedding breakfast for 50 guests at the Marriott, with a drinks package for 50 people and an evening buffet for 70 people, with complimentary accommodation and breakfast for the bride and groom and discounted accommodation for friends and family.

The couple have also won a VIP style consultation at The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique and a choice of a Charlotte Balbier gown along with a designer veil and one hair accessory, an un-iced wedding cake from Quite Contrary Cakes, photography and a wedding album from Jason Oliver Photography, flowers worth £500 from Wards The Florist, venue decor by Tracy Williamson Designs, and a vintage sweet buffet and cart from Truly Scrumptious.

They will also enjoy hen and stag days for ten people each at York Racecourse, worth £520 in total, for the first race meeting of 2016, including Grandstand and Paddock tickets for ten plus race cards and a bottle of champagne for each party.