Meet the husband and wife duo helping couples plan their dream weddings

The pair wanted to make the local wedding scene more accessible for younger generations

A young husband and wife team from Northern Ireland are helping couples plan their dream weddings. Rebecca McKnight founded The NI Wedding Directory in 2023 after the planning process of her own wedding left her wanting more from the industry.

Rebecca and her husband Sam, from Lisburn, felt the local wedding scene was outdated, and wanted to create a wedding planning experience that was more accessible to younger generations. What began as a social media page for sharing her own wedding planning journey and inspiration, Rebecca officially rebranded as The NI Wedding Directory in January 2023.

Just two months later, Rebecca hosted the platform’s very first event, gaining a lot of traction and support from within the industry. Since then, she has worked full-time to grow the platform.

The company runs The NI Wedding Fair for engaged couples and their friends and families, to discover the country’s most stunning venues, trusted suppliers and enjoy exclusive offers, as well as hosting The Wedding Network for industry professionals. In Northern Ireland, around 8,000 couples tie the knot each year, and in the UK it's estimated to be a £14 billion industry.

As the company marks its second anniversary, Rebecca's husband Sam is moving in to a full-time position of co-founder after previously working behind the scenes alongside his career in software engineering.

Speaking on this new chapter of the business, Rebecca said: “It’s honestly a dream come true to have Sam coming on board full time at The NI Wedding Directory. Sam has been my number one supporter from day one, and we feel so lucky to be able to devote all our time and energy to what started as a passion project after we got married in April 2022.

"We’re so excited to see what this new chapter brings and how the growth of our team will help us continue making the wedding planning process more enjoyable and stress-free for couples across the country and beyond.”

Sam added: “Since we launched The NI Wedding Directory, it was always the hope I could work on the project full-time. The amazing uptake and interest on our new website really confirmed for me that it was now-or-never to take the leap of faith, and I’m so grateful to be in a position to do so. I can’t wait to work with Rebecca to provide local couples the wedding planning experience that they deserve, through our directory, fairs and more.”

The NI Wedding Directory is hosting a wedding fair on 22nd June in Riverdale Barn, near Moira.

Read the original article here: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/meet-husband-wife-duo-helping-31591623