The 2013 finalists

It is now down to your to cast your vote for your favourite couple. Every day until Tuesday, June 4 we will be publishing in the Oxford Mail a coupon that you can cut out and use to vote for your favourite couple.

You can also cast votes via telephone and text message. June 4 is the last day for voting and we will announce the winner on Saturday, June 8. All details on how to vote are in the Oxford Mail each day until June 4 - so now it is down to you. Read the couples' stories below and make their dreams come true.

• Claire Waldron & Darren Hegarty - couple number 0922

Claire wants to finally cement her relationship with partner Darren with their family around them after being together almost 20 years.

The mum-of-three says the pair met when she was 13, and have been together ever since.

“Over the years we’ve grown up together and our relationship was tested in every way possible but we always stuck together,” says the 32-year-old who describes Darren as her “best friend and soul mate”.

The couple’s three children are Courtney, 13, six-year-old Aron and recent arrival, eight-month old daughter Jamie-Lin.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 20 years together next year than to get married,”
says Claire.

• Alice Jean Clarke & Daniel Mark Eadle - couple 0923

A life not knowing what the future holds has brought Alice and Daniel closer together, after he was diagnosed with an incurable liver illness.

Alice, a 21-year-old senior recruitment consultant, met 22-year-old Daniel, a gas engineer, during a weekend trip to Oxford Ice Rink as teenagers.

Alice says: “We’ve been together for six years and after Daniel’s diagnosis a few years ago, we just don’t know what’s round the corner.”

The bride-to-be says she is delighted and humbled by their families voting for them and wants to spend the special day with all of them.

“There are people who have got in touch and voted for us who we maybe haven’t spoken to for a while and we would just like to thank all our family and friends.”

• Charlotte Wyatt & Scott Wiggins - couple 0924

As a girl Charlotte helped out behind the counter of her grandmother’s shop. But when older boy Scott used to come in, the embarrassed 11-year-old used to hide in the back room.

A few years later, after bumping into each other in Oxford as teenagers, the embarrassment faded and the pair became a couple.

Now with two young sons, Oliver, three, and one-year-old Archie, the pair want to cement their relationship with their family around them – especially the grandma who ran the Cherwell Stores in Hull Street, Kidlington, where it all began.

“We are just a genuine couple who work really, really hard,” says the 27-year-old stay-at-home mum, who still lives in Kidlington.

• Ciara Cronin & Carl Black - couple number 0925

Ciara, a 23-year-old administrative assistant from Bicester, and fiance Carl have been striving hard to provide for their young family, forcing them to put their own plans on hold.

Winning their wedding would be a chance to bring their families from around the world together for a special occasion.

Ciara, mum to 22-month-old Iris, explains how Carl proposed during a romantic visit to Brighton.

“I was eight months pregnant and he was trying to coax me over to the pier,” she recalls.

“It was piddling down with rain and I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to! But he had a ring and asked me to marry him and it was lovely.

“Sometimes it feels like we have been on fast forward. So to have Iris and our family at our wedding would make it right and complete.”

• Helen-Louise Courtnage & Chris Jones - couple 0926

Helen-Louise, an apprentice tattoo artist in Thame, clicked with Chris after meeting through friends.

“He wanted to see me again and produced tickets to a Guns n’ Roses Tribute band,” she recalls.

That was over four years ago and Chris, a 26-year-old BMW worker, proposed on their four-year anniversary.

Describing themselves as “not your average couple”, Helen-Louise believes she will be able to fit their “alternative and individual” style into a wedding.

“I have a few tattoos and will make sure they are on show for the day,” laughs Helen-Louise, who hopes people will keep voting for them.

Chris adds: “I just want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

• Laura Wilkinson & Matthew Hemming - couple number 0929

Matthew and Laura met at the shops... Despite living just over a mile apart they had never crossed paths until they worked at a local convenience store, that is.

Both have moved on from their teenage jobs and are now working and raising 11-month-old
Albie at home in Ascott Under Wychwood, near Chipping Norton.

IT support analyst Matthew says after an Easter proposal, in which he sneaked her ring into a luxury egg, their plans were put on hold with the arrival of their son.

“Finances got a bit tight when he came along,” explains Matthew. “Now we’re really excited we’ve got this far in the competition and we’d love to win it for our families. So please vote for us again!”

• Leigh-Anne Twinn & Daniel Power - couple number 0927

Leigh-Anne and Daniel found themselves sat together in history class 11 years ago and “hit it off from there”.

Now the couple, who both work at building suppliers Grafton Merchant GB, are saving for a house and wedding.

Leigh-Anne, 24, explains that Daniel proposed in December last year along the same stretch of river bank the pair used to walk along as teens.

“After a little bit of champagne and a meal he suggested we go out for a walk and we got to a rickety old bridge and he got out the ring.”

She adds that friends and family were voting for them as “everything would take just that bit longer” without winning the Oxford Mail’s wedding competition.

• Lydia Butterton & Matt Wall - couple number 0928

Winning her dream wedding to Matthew would make their family complete after the arrival of their son Louie, now two years old, says Lydia.

The 24-year-old ward clerk at the John Radcliffe Hospital, says: “For us to win this would be a big.

“We’ve been together for six years and like a lot of people are a bit in debt so we are not able to afford our dream wedding. It would be amazing for us to win it.”

Matthew, 25, who works at Jaguar, proposed to Lydia during a romantic meal at The Black Horse, in Gozzards Ford, Abingdon, a venue special to them both.

“It was a lovely ring and I said yes,” smiles Lydia. “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. He just gets me.”

• Rosie Kent & Joe Ulett - couple 0930

Mum-of-one Rosie wants son Harrison to know that his parents are married and that he has a stable family home.

“There are too many people these days who are having kids and not taking it seriously. I want him to know he’s been brought up in a stable family,” says the 21-year-old.

The couple met as 16-year-olds while studying sports at Oxford and Cherwell College.

“Joe would say it was love at first sight,” says bakery worker Rosie from Wheatley.

Joe, also 21, and a deputy manager of a sports centre, made a “very romantic” proposal a couple of Christmases ago.

“I can’t imagine being with anyone else,” beams Rosie.

• Shannon Lewis and Lamar O'Connor - number 0931

Shannon and her family are in no doubt that they can rely on Lamar... The 25-year-old has been a constant support helping to deal with Shannon’s brother, who suffers from debilitating Crohn’s Disease.

“I would love my little brother to be able to walk me down the aisle,” says Shannon, also 25.

Shannon explains that nobody expected the “outgoing and outspoken” girl to get married but believes the pair complement each other perfectly.

“We just understand each other and what we have been going through,” says Shannon, of Headington.

Lamar surprised her with a proposal while on a mini-break away while “their song” was playing.

“I wanted to dance, he persuaded me to stay and got out the ring and flowers,” laughs Shannon.

• The companies who will make one of these couple's dreams come true