MANY industries have suffered during the recession, but two York women found an exception.

Lisa Hogg and Allison Daniel, who met while attending the Acorn Business Development Programme at York St John University in 2009 to improve their own individual businesses, saw a continued opportunity in the weddings industry, with 22,000 weddings per year taking place in Yorkshire alone.

The pooled their expertise in wedding planning, marketing and design, and after nine months of research set up The Wedding Affair as a new joint venture.

They are now hoping to be recognised in the Women In Enterprise and Small Business Of The Year categories in The Press Business Awards 2011.

The business has arranged 13 wedding fairs since November 2009, and its website has grown to 350 pages of wedding advice, ideas, blogs, competitions, venues and 170 plus suppliers.

Allison said the next objective is to create the ultimate in design-led wedding shows, A Wedding For All Seasons, which will be one of Yorkshire’s largest two-day wedding shows taking place at Newburgh Priory in March 2012.

Allison said: “The Wedding Affair consists of three permanent and two part-time team members and we are currently assessing applications from university students for work placement positions.

“Our aim is to take on further members of staff in the near future as we look to broaden our geographical coverage with expansions across the north of England and abroad, including Italy and the USA.”