Saskatoon groom battling cancer wins dream wedding giveaway

A Saskatoon groom battling cancer and his bride-to-beare the grateful recipients of a dream wedding package valued at more than $28,000.

Five friends and family members nominated Stephanie Vause and Cody Smukfor a dream wedding giveaway through Saskatoon's RSVP Event Design. The newly engaged couple learned this weekend they had won the package, which includes help planning the big day, as well asdcor, photography,videography, a cakeand even the dress.

Vause and Smuk got engaged in December, but haven't been able to focus their time and energy into planning their wedding. That's because Smuk was diagnosed with testicular cancer in May, and was found to have a rare form of cancer on his lung in December.

Smuk has undergone chemotherapy, two surgeriesand is now six weeks into a 43-week round of chemotherapy.

"We were definitely afraid of it when we were told, and it was definitely scary," Smuk said."We fight it together, and that's how you've got todo it. You've got to be together."

Smuktold CBC News he's confident that he'll recover, but it's difficult to plan for the future with cancer.

That's why winning the dream wedding package was so helpful, the couple said.

"We don't have to stress about the wedding, we can just focus on his health and after he's better we can have the big dream wedding," Vause said.

We're excited to start our lives together cancer-free- Stephanie Vause

The couple hasn'tstarted thinking about colour schemes or flower arrangements just yet. They said they'll hold off on planning until Smukknows how well the chemotherapy is working after he gets tested next month. Their one wish for their wedding day is simple, though.

"It would be nice to look at a picture and know I'm cancer-free when I took that picture," Smuk said."We're excited to start our lives together cancer-free," Vause added.

The couple also plans to throw a big partyfor their friends and family who nominated them for the wedding, and those who support them through their daily battle with cancer, The couple says they are overwhelmed by the support.

Vause and Smuk hope to get married in the Summer of 2016 after the cancer treatmentsare finished and Smuk ishealthy again. They hope to go to Croatia for their honeymoon.