Time for bridal jitters again

SUMMER bride Christine Hitchins wed sweetheart Gareth Evans on December 28 – one of 434 couples to send their photographs and love story to The Herald for a chance to win prizes worth R70000 in our Bride and Groom 2013 competition.

Now Christine and Gareth will wait to hear if they have made the final 12 to be interviewed next week for the cocktail finale to be held on March 13 at the Beach Hotel's Verandah.

Here is how the judging process works: a Times Media marketing and editorial team sift down the 434 entries to a semifinal pool of 50 couples. This is purely based on entry photographs, and the judges are looking for a special, happy spark rather than chocolate-box beauty or which bride has the most extravagant dress.

Then, the next day, external judges will step in and help La Femme editor Gillian McAinsh narrow the field down further to 12 couples, all of whom will win prizes from a range of sponsors.

The names of the top 12 will be published in La Femme next week on Wednesday – make sure you don't miss the paper that day – and then the following week, on February 19, voting starts and with it the chance for readers to win fantastic prizes also!