AN Army corporal and his fiancee have won a £16,000 dream wedding, thanks to the Echo.

Corporal Christopher Verrall, 28, from the Queens Royal Lancers, will marry Emma Doman, 27, at Maxims Casino, Southend.

They will be the first couple in the country to marry in a casino after Maxims was granted a licence last November.

The pair struggled to hold back the tears as they found out they had been picked from eight finalists.

Miss Doman said: “This means so much because now we are recognised as a couple by the Army. We can live together and Chris can see more of our daughter Gracie-May.

“We’ve always had to work for everything throughout our lives. This is the first time we’ve been given anything.”

Miss Doman’s mum entered them into the competition and Cpl Verrall remembers clearly the moment he found out they had made the final.

He said: “I was sat in Afghanistan with sniper fire overhead when Emma told me.

“It was amazing, but that kind of thing makes you miss your family so much. I know I work in a dangerous job and I’ve accepted that. I live for my two girls now and when I found out we were in the finals, I just wanted to be with them.”

Cpl Verrall was deployed to Afghanistan in April, but had to come back early when he broke his hand. He has been in the Army for the past 12 years, which has meant missing hugely important moments at home.

He added: “When Emma found out she was pregnant, I was deployed in Canada, so I was only here for 42 days of the pregnancy.

“I flew back into the country for three days when we got the scan to find out we were having a girl. I wasn’t going to miss that.”

Cpl Verrall grew up in Southend, but is now stationed at Catterick Garrison, north Yorkshire.

He proposed to Miss Doman, from Ashingdon, in March 2008 and the couple have been saving up to pay for their dream wedding ever since.

The date has not been set, but Cpl Verrall is planning a ceremonial lance guard and full ceremonial dress.

Jimmy Howard, general manager of Maxims and Mint Casino in Southend, said: “All the contestants had incredible stories of bravery and adversity.

“Chris has been serving in Afghanistan and we wanted to say thank you and give him and Emma a helping hand.”