A Carrickfergus woman whose wedding was cancelled five times due to Covid-19 restrictions has made it her business to make sure other couples’ big day goes in flawless fashion.
Valerie Gardner, a talented wedding stylist based at Mallusk Enterprise Park, moved on from her pandemic-postponed perfect day to launch an event styling business specialising in the provision of instagrammable backdrops for bridal parties.
The company – named Quirky Kitten due to Valerie’s love of cats – started off making and selling baubles and signs online. But it was when she was planning her own wedding that she realised the buzz that she got from spending time in arts and crafts again.
Initially aspiring to be a fashion designer, the entrepreneur was directed away from higher studies in art and design, and following a degree in sociology at Queen’s University, Belfast and a Masters in youth work from De Montfort University, her decade long career centred around a job that she was ultimately unhappy in.
Following her own wedding designs and compliments for her bespoke, hand crafted, made to order, floral arrangements, personalised signs, backdrops and centrepieces, ‘Quirky Kitten’ became a business born on Instagram.
No matter what the budget is, Valerie thrives on seeing the end result and always makes the couple’s priorities her priorities – whether that means decorating a smaller wedding, transforming a back garden into a dream wedding location, or bringing a bride’s particular vision to life.
With the first few high end wedding bookings coming from her social media channel, Valerie found further sales success from wedding exhibitions and word of mouth referral.
However, going from strength to strength as a business meant that Quirky Kitten ended up taking over the Newtownabbey home that Valerie shares with her now husband.
From arches, pillars, table plans, centrepieces, backdrops, signs and artificial flowers in all the on trend colours, it didn’t take long before her stock levels outgrew the spare rooms and rafters of her family home.
A 2023 investment in a 495 square foot unit at Mallusk Enterprise Park helped the entrepreneur find a space, not just for storage, but somewhere to freely craft and make up her decor and arrangements.
Now, one year on, the business shows no signs of slowing down, Quirky Kitten’s diary is jam packed for the years ahead with wedding decor enquiries even received for 2028.
Finding herself frequently booked at popular wedding venues in Northern Ireland, Valerie says: “Locating my growing business at Mallusk Enterprise Park was centred around location.”
“From my Newtownabbey base with easy access to the M2 motorway I can move my designs and decor, crafted in my own generous space, easily to wedding venues right across county Antrim and county Down, from The Rabbit in Templepatrick to the Clandeboye Hotel in Bangor.”
“Less time on the road means more time for my creations and for focusing on working on developing my business and delivering this much sought after service, with attention to the finest of details, every time.”
She continues: “My journey to self employment and return to the arts was not without some unrelated career moves, but I am now the happiest that I have been in work and even though I have tripled my sales year on year, I continue to work towards future growth and show no signs of slowing down.”
“I advised the business advice team in the enterprise agency recently that I am actively seeking a larger unit in the park to accommodate my ever-growing catalogue of stock which I source in line with the very latest trends.”
CEO of Mallusk Enterprise Park, Emma Garrett added: “Valerie Gardner’s story is a true testament to the resilience and creativity of our local entrepreneurs. At Mallusk Enterprise Park, we pride ourselves on supporting innovative businesses like Quirky Kitten.”
“Valerie’s dedication to her craft and her commitment to excellence have not only fuelled her business’s rapid growth but have also set a high standard in the wedding styling industry. We are delighted to witness her success and are here to support her continued expansion and contribution to our vibrant business community.”
To find out more about the professional workspaces and services available for local entrepreneurs in social enterprise charity Mallusk Enterprise Park, including fully funded, one to one expert mentoring with a Business Advisor dedicated to the start and growth of businesses and social enterprises, visit mallusk.org or email [email protected]
