Help For Kid’s famous Win a Wedding competition is back for 2024. The fabulous competition gives couples the chance to not only win a full luxury wedding package worth over £12,000, but to also raise money to make a real difference to the lives of local kids in Dundee too.
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We spoke to Stacey Wallace, charity manager, to find out more about the incredible prize and to get the inside track on catching the eye of the judges if you want to enter the competition.
Stacey told us: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Piperdam and various local suppliers to offer one lucky couple a luxury wedding package. The package includes 50 day guests and night guests, the wedding cars, flowers, photographer, kilts for groom and best man, hair and makeup for the bridal party and more. Basically, it’s everything you could possibly need for your wedding!
“Our aim is the winning couple don’t have to spend anything. Everything is covered unless they want to upgrade a particular item.”
Toby, general manager at Piperdam, is delighted to be working Stacey and the team at Help for Kids. He said: “Supporting local charities has always been very close to my heart. After joining the team at Piperdam, one of my first priorities was to encourage the team to get more involved in the local community.
“Hearing about the hard work Help for Kids does, it was a no brainer that we should work together to raise funding. Win a Wedding will raise funds to support the work Help for Kids does, while providing someone with the day of their dreams. What could be more rewarding?”
A dream wedding at Piperdam
In order to win, couples who make it through the selection process will commit to three weeks of fundraising in July for Help for Kids. The couple who raises the most money win the wedding. It’s as simple as that.
If an all-expenses paid wedding at Piperdam could make your dreams come true and you are inspired to embark on a no holds barred fund-raising mission, make sure you enter. Stacey told us how: “In order to enter we ask people to register themselves and tell us the story of their engagement.
“Once everyone is registered a panel of judges reads through all the applications, and we invite couples in for an interview. We then narrow it down to six couples who will then compete to fundraise over the three weeks.
“At the interview, we want them to tell us their fundraising ideas, why they want to win the wedding and why they want to help raising money for Help for Kids.”
So, what are judges looking for during the selection process? Stacey explained: “As judges we’re looking for people who are committed to the cause, passionate about helping children, have the best fundraising ideas and want to raise as much money as possible.
“It gets really exciting when the couples are all competing to fundraise. Dundee people really get behind it and support them. In my job I fund raise all year round, and I’d love for people to come with new ideas I’ve never thought of.”
Providing help for children who need it most
Of course, for couples the wedding may be the main goal, however, the fundraising aspect of the competition offers major benefits for the charity. And as Help for Kids supports children in Dundee, every penny raised will be put to use within the local area.
Every year the charity provides support to over 2,000 disadvantaged children living in the Dundee area. But what does that support look like? We found out how some local families have directly benefitted from the work of Help for Kids and money raised from the likes of the Win a Wedding competition.
For Rhaze, Help for Kids supplied an adaptive disability pushchair. His mum says it has made a massive difference to their family. She said: “The pushchair has to be used every day to maintain his safety. It also helps support Rhaze’s other additional needs and disabilities, keeping him secure and comfortable. Rhaze can’t speak but I know he’s super happy whilst he’s out and being pushed around, especially by his big sister.”
Another family received specially made triple bunk beds. “This was life changing as we couldn’t afford beds for all the girls,” said the mum. “They shared a double mattress on the floor. All three girls now have their own beds and sleep safely and comfortably every night.”
As a newborn, Oakley suffered plagiocephaly. His family were fundraising to afford a specialist helmet which was urgently needed to support his head for the first 12 months of his life.
His mum said: “We can’t thank Help for Kids enough. This was something the NHS would not provide, however, it would change Oakley’s life forever. We could never have fundraised the funds to afford it so when Stacey and Help for Kids stepped in this was a massive relief. We will be forever grateful to them for changing his life.”
“Win a Wedding was an amazing life changing experience”
The list of families that have benefited from the support of Help for Kids is huge. Raising funds for the charity will certainly create moments to remember, and that’s true whether you win your wedding or not.
Couple Paul and Lianne won the charity’s first Win a Wedding competition back in 2018. That year there were four couples in the final who raised a whopping £23,488 between them.
Lianne agrees that the competition goes beyond just enjoying the wedding day. Lianne said: “Win a Wedding was an amazing life changing experience and something myself and Paul will be proud of for the rest of our lives.
“We would say to anyone looking to take part to really go for it. It’s not only about winning the wedding it’s knowing you have helped so many local children too. That’s definitely something to be proud of.”
Entries are now open for Help for Kids Win a Wedding. Register now!
Keep up to date with Help for Kids and the Win a Wedding competition on the charity’s Facebook page.
Included in the wedding package:
50 day guests arrival drink prosecco or beer
50 day guests 3 course meal
50 evening guests buffet
Top table flowers
Master of ceremonies
Rose trees for Isle
Chair covers and ties
Flowers for bride
Photographer Craig Chalmers
Cars
Lodge accommodation for three nights
Humanist to conduct ceremony
Hair and make up for bridal party
Kilts for groom and best man
DJ
