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The winning couple of the Marlborough Grand Fat Free Wedding are “blown away” by the support they have received, which will allow them to receive a wedding package worth $ 27,000.
Voting for the event closed Friday at 8 p.m., and the winning couple, Alana Powick and James Rondel, had been announced on Saturday morning after receiving more than 18,000 votes on social media.
The couple had been together for two years and recently got engaged on Powick’s 21st birthday on December 30.
Rondel had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and the judges said they were impressed by his positive outlook on life.
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The couple were in Christchurch with Powick’s family when they received the news and said they would probably have a couple of drinks to celebrate.
“We have definitely been feeling the suspense. But being with Alana’s family definitely helped my nerves when we waited for the announcement, ”said Rondel.
Scott Hammond / Stuff
Rachel Tau’alupe, left, Bex Gardiner, Roxanne Phipps and Ruth Thompson have put together Marlborough’s great fat-free wedding.
Powick said she intended to make her own wedding dress, so to celebrate she was going to start shopping for fabrics in Christchurch.
“I plan to make my own dress, it’s a hobby of mine, I’ve always loved it. So I thought I’d do it myself, to make it a little more personal. ”
Powick said that while it was a quick engagement, they were excited to get married.
Rondel said that a “couple of friends” had asked him if he was ready to get married, since it would be such a short engagement.
“The only answer I could give was, well, if I wasn’t ready to get married, I wouldn’t have proposed,” he said.
Supplied
Lucky couple Alana Powick and James Rondel won a $ 27,000 all-inclusive wedding package.
The couple met at the Warehouse in Blenheim and had been dating for two years. Powick worked the jewelry counter and Rondel was a Warehouse Stationery tech specialist.
The couple wanted to thank everyone for their support and the organizers for putting together the competition.
“Even the other couples, it’s been an experience we all have to share,” Powick said.
The contest was the brainchild of four women: a celebrant, a photographer, a caterer, and a DJ.
The ceremony would take place at the Ūkaipō – Rangitāne Blenheim Center on May 1.
Bex Gardiner, also known as DJ Bex, came up with the giveaway, valued at more than $ 27,000.
Gardiner said he had been thinking about it for years and had already worked alongside celebrant Rachel Tau’alupe, photographer Ruth Thompson and caterer Roxanne Phipps many times.
Tau’alupe said Saturday that she was very proud to be able to give back and create a special day for a “super deserving couple.”
“Suppliers are very excited to work together and create a special and unique day for themselves,” said Tau’alupe.
She said that with the ceremony scheduled for May 1, the couple had an “exciting” few months ahead of them.
The other four couples who were in the race would also be offered more than $ 1,000 in services for their special day, should they choose to plan a wedding in the future, Tau’alupe said.
“How lucky we are here in Marlborough to have such a collaborative business community,” he said.
“The competition has been a real roller coaster, and we were very lucky to have such a well deserved top five that we all hope it was a really positive experience.”
The final days of the competition got “nasty” with a couple attacked online, but the positive comments far outweighed the negative ones.
There were 26 sponsors for the wedding in total, including Hair at 217, Vino Can, Mayflower Studio, No. 1 Family Estate, and GMW Jewelery. A full list can be found on the Marlborough Big Fat Free Wedding Facebook page.
