A HAPPY couple have won a £26,000 wedding in a competition for NHS heroes.

Natalie Chapman and fiancé Mark Bomford, from South Woodham Ferrers, scooped the prize for their dream big day.

The wedding day package was put together by firms from across Essex who are donating their services for free.

A group of 26 award-winning wedding suppliers teamed up to offer the prize for one lucky couple, one of whom had to be healthcare worker.

Rosie Obeney, of florists Rose Decor Styling, came up with the idea and brought the companies together to create the prize package, which includes everything from make-up through to the wedding dress and is worth an impressive £26,000.

The big day will be held at Tufton Hall in Sible Hedingham.

Rosie, 28, said: “I wanted to do something to give back to the wonderful NHS and working in the wedding industry I have a big list of amazing people I love to work with, so I put the feelers out and the response was incredible.

“I was inundated with amazing wedding suppliers offering up their services to a well-deserving NHS couple.”

Happy couple Natalie and Mark were chosen out of almost 600 entries.

Natalie is a midwife in Basildon Hospital’s maternity department and Mark is a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service.

The couple were surprised with the announcement outside Basildon Hospital after being told they had made the final shortlist of three.

They were expecting two other couples to join them for a photoshoot outside the hospital and thought the winners were going to be announced a few days later.

Unknown to them, their family, friends and colleagues were all in on the surprise and gathered at the hospital to celebrate.

Natalie said: “I thought we were finalists to originally win some flowers for the wedding – then I realised it was for the whole wedding.

“I thought we were just coming to have our photo taken and then the winner would be chosen out of a hat. We didn’t think much of it.

“It is absolutely amazing – we are totally shocked. Things like this do not happen to us.”

The couple have been working throughout the pandemic and have a combined 20 years’ service in the NHS.

Their wedding will take place in March next year.