WEDDING planning nightmares inspired a Tyneside entrepreneur to start his own business, which is aiming to save other couples from the same frustrations.

Darren Wilson, who married Shelley last November, had the idea for My Wedding Genie to act as a one-stop online wedding shop. He said: “Planning the wedding was an absolute nightmare. I’d spend hours on the internet trying to find a cake maker or a car-hire service then when I did find one, I’d have no idea whether or not they were trustworthy.”

Whitley Bay-based Mr Wilson came up with the idea for customers to mix and match services to create their ideal wedding from scratch.

It also allows people to read and post reviews about the companies and the services they provide.

After tying the knot, he approached Business Link to discuss whether there was any mileage in his business idea.

“I didn’t know whether my idea would be any good or not but just talking through my thoughts with someone from Business Link helped boost my confidence a massive amount,” said Mr Wilson.

He worked with business adviser Paul Brown, who guided him through the start-up process.

Mr Brown said: “I’m really proud of Darren. It takes a great deal of courage to start your own business the way he has. I would encourage other entrepreneurs like Darren to take advantage of the free advice and guidance available through Business Link while it is still available.”