Mercury's 'Win a Wedding' couple set the big date

THE countdown has begun for a Barnard Castle couple who are set to say “I do” at one of the dale’s most prestigious wedding venues.
James Layton and Lisa Clement scooped a wedding of their dreams worth £10,000 after a public vote hailed them the deserving winners of the Teesdale Mercury’s Win A Wedding competition last year.
Their prize came courtesy of Lartington Hall – and the couple have now set the date for their wedding: September 15.
Miss Clement, 32 said: “It is an amazing place. The entrance is amazing from the outside but inside it is just a dream. Sophie at Lartington Hall has been absolutely brilliant. Everything has been sorted for us and they have been really accommodating.
“I always imagined a wedding like this but it is something we could never have afforded. It is a dream come true. We can’t wait.”
The couple have been together for six years but have experienced enough bad luck to last them a lifetime.
In 2012 Miss Clement suffered several miscarriages. In June 2014, they found out they were going to be parents to their daughter, Florie, who turned two last week.
Although Mr Layton, 25, had been feeling unwell amid all of the joy of becoming parents, doctors reassured the couple that there was nothing to worry about but they did inform them that they feared another miscarriage was going to happen.
To help take their minds off everything, Mr Layton booked a surprise trip away for Miss Clement’s 30th birthday. However, the weekend in a luxury log cabin near Preston didn’t go quite as they had expected.
Miss Clement spent her 30th birthday at her fiancé’s bedside in Royal Preston Hospital as he lay in a coma for three days after he suffered a seizure which was caused by meningitis and encephalitis, a rare but serious condition which causes inflammation of the brain. 
Thankfully, Mr Layton was discharged two weeks later on the couple’s four year anniversary. They were also told that everything was going to be okay with the pregnancy.
Florie was born in March 2015 after which the couple began to plan their big day.
Almost everything was in place for their special day last July until the unexpected death of Miss Clement’s brother, Andrew.
He passed away in May, only days after discovering he was going to be a dad.
Although Mr Clement was set to give his sister away, Miss Clement’s mum, Maureen, is now going to do the honour during the service which will be held at the chapel inside Lartington Hall.
Miss Clement said: “I don’t want it to be a sad day but I want Andrew to be part of it. We have thought about a charm to go on my flowers so he is still with me walking down the aisle but I don’t know yet. He will be gutted that he can’t be there.”
Following the exchange of vows in the chapel, the couple will be joined by their bridal party and some close friends for their wedding breakfast.
The wedding party will include Mr Layton’s best man Sean Walsh and his ushers.
Miss Clement will be supported by her Maid of Honour and sister, Kerry Dominick, and her four bridesmaids which includes best friend, Rachael Cook, who entered them into the competition.
The couple’s daughter Florie and their niece Olivia will be flower girls along with Andrew’s daughter, Darcey-Rose who was born last month.
Miss Clement said: “It has been a rough six months and I dare say the next six months will be just as rough but this is something for us all to look forward to.
“We will finally become a proper family. I won’t be the odd one out anymore with a different name to James and Florie.”
Mr Layton added: “It is going to be perfect. We are really looking forward to it.”