Plymouth offers one couple their dream wedding

A couple from Plymouth have been gifted their dream wedding from their local community months after the groom was diagnosed with a terminal disease and given two years to live.

27-year-old Stephen May was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October last year but that did not stop him and his fiancée of six years, Rachel Joce, from planning their wedding. The couple, who have been engaged from 2006 and have two children, soon realised that they don't have enough financial resources to organise their big day.

However, there was help at hand for the couple from Keyham who became the focus for a benefactor who read their story in a local newspaper. The mysterious benefactor then took it upon herself to organise local businesses in the area to donate their products and services to the couple and help them create their dream wedding. Since then, Mr May and Ms Joce have been inundated with generous offers from individuals and businesses who have stepped forward to help the couple organise and execute their big day. And in seven weeks, this lucky couple will walk down the aisle to tie the knot in what Mr May calls a "dream become a reality".

Talking about the generosity of the Plymouth community, Mr May said: "I am overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and can't thank them enough.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make our dream become a reality. I am looking forward to being able to call Rachel my wife; it's been a long time coming. It's about time she made an honest man of me!"

Speaking about the wedding, Ms Joce said: “"I am really looking forward to the wedding but very nervous too. Stephen and I haven't had to pay for a thing. We can't believe how kind and generous people have been, even people that don't know us.”

The companies that have offered their products and services for the couple's dream wedding are:

• Boringdon Park Golf Club in Plympton have offered their venue hire free of charge
• The Wedding Company have offered Ms Joce her dream wedding dress
• The Flower Cafe will provide the flowers for the occasion
• Gemma Ayres and Tracey Stokes have offered hair and make-up services for the wedding
• Younger Photography in Hartley will capture the magical day
• Michael Spiers have provided the couple with their wedding rings
• Perfection have offered Mr May and his groomsmen with free suit rental
• Castle Cars will provide free wedding car hire
• Dizzy's Celebration Cakes will whip up a delicious wedding cake for the big day