Home Leisure Time Couple dreams of winning wedding in North East charity fundraising initiative

Couple dreams of winning wedding in North East charity fundraising initiative

A couple are hoping to win their dream wedding in a fundraising initiative by North East autism charity Daisy Chain.

Rebecca Baldwin and Sam Wagner have entered the competition, being run by Daisy Chain, to win a wedding package, worth thousands of pounds, which is being provided by local businesses and will be hosted at Hardwick Hall Hotel.

The couple, who have two children, Lila, aged four, and Theo, aged seven-and-a-half months, got engaged on Rebecca’s 29th birthday at Aria Falls in the Lake District in September.

She said: “It was unexpected, but lovely. We haven’t been engaged long, but after nine-and-a-half years together with two children, we knew we would love to get married soon, but can’t afford to at the moment. So, if we win this fantastic wedding package it would be a dream come true.”


To be in with a chance of winning, entrants must raise a minimum of £500 for the charity, which will bag them a ticket in the raffle draw. Each £500 raised is worth one ticket, meaning if they raise £1,500, they will receive three entries in the draw.

It is up to couples how to raise funds, but entrants will be provided with a fundraising pack which offers ideas and tips.

Rebecca said: “We had a look at lots of different fundraising options, including a sky dive and bungee jumping, but due to lockdown restrictions, we had to come up with something that we could still achieve.

“Instead, we decided to do a 162-mile sponsored walk, which is the distance from Middlesbrough to Burnley, in other words, where I live now to where I used to live and back again. The total amount of miles has to be completed by us both and is additional to any normal day to day walking.

“We have also organised a stock car quiz which will be done online with friends and family to help raise funds.”

The couple, who live in Nunthorpe, met at a stock car racing event – Sam, who is 31 and works in quality control at British Steel, Hartlepool, is a driver as are Rebecca’s brothers – with Rebecca there as a spectator.

The wedding package includes:

  • Hardwick Hall Hotel venue, catering and overnight stay with bridal breakfast provided by Ramside Estates
  • Choice of date (Monday to Friday in 2021 or Saturday/Sunday date 2022)
  • Wedding dress provided by Bridal Factory Outlet, Northallerton
  • Bridal hair package provided by BePremiere Hair
  • Groom’s suit provided by Psyche, Middlesbrough
  • Groomsmen suits provided by Psyche, Middlesbrough
  • Groomsmen grooming provided by Headquarters
  • Wedding cars provided by Classic Wedding Cars NE and Sytner Mercedes-Benz of Teesside
  • Photography provided by Matthew Wright Photography
  • Flowers provided by Sweet William Floral Design
  • Bridal nails and Fakebake tan from Cici’s Nail Bar
  • 3-month couples’ gym membership from Lifestyle Fitness

Neeraj Sharma, chief executive of Daisy Chain, said: “We are hoping that as many and as wide a range of couples as possible enter our competition from those whose wedding plans have been shattered by Covid restrictions to those who can only dream of affording such a wonderful wedding package.”