Tipperary entrepreneur enters creative partnership on first day of female business programme

A chance meeting on the first day of this year’s ACORNS programme led to a unique collaboration between a Tipperary wedding dress designer and a Donegal-based wedding celebrant – and some Alpacas!

Catriona Doherty is a wedding celebrant based in Donegal while Cloughjordan native Rebecca Whelan runs her wedding dress design business from Nenagh.

Rebecca and Catriona met at the start of ACORNS 10 when they happened to sit beside each other at lunch and immediately hit it off when they realised they were both in the weddings business.

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ACORNS is a highly successful development programme to support women living in rural Ireland who are in the early stages of starting their own business. It is currently accepting applications from anyone interested in participating in ACORNS 11.

Throughout the ACORNS programme, participants are encouraged to network, support each other and collaborate, and Catriona took this advice to heart. After they had finished ACORNS she contacted Rebecca, founder of The Next Chapter, Bridal & Occasion, to collaborate on a photoshoot for her business – Catriona Doherty Celebrant.

Catriona was organising a photo and video shoot to promote eloping to Ireland at Wild Alpaca Way in Donegal, and she needed a modern, fashion-forward, showstopping wedding dress for her shoot. She immediately thought of The Next Chapter and reached out to Rebecca who was only too happy to collaborate and supply one of her stunning designs for the shoot.

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Rebecca, who is from Cloughjordan, started her business in December 2022 after spending three years working in a bridal shop to gain experience.

Rebecca’s work studio is at her home in Cloughjordan, and she has a showroom on Kenyon Street in Nenagh which is open by appointment.

Rebecca Whelan says:

“The shoot went very well. It was fantastic to collaborate with Catriona. One of the big gains I got from ACORNS was improving my networking abilities. It has enabled me to communicate with and learn from people from different industries, and it led directly to this collaboration with Catriona which showed off the work that both of us do in the best possible light.”

Catriona Doherty says:

“ACORNS is based on the philosophy of entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the programme. Not only did I learn so much during the initiative, but now months after completing the programme, I have a network of women to lean upon. Thanks to Rebecca at The Next Chapter for supplying a dress that couldn’t have been more perfect for my shoot.”

Female entrepreneurs from Tipperary are being encouraged to submit their applications for the latest cycle of ACORNS.

The deadline for applications for ACORNS 11 is midnight, September 22. There are up to 50 places available for ACORNS 11. Those wishing to receive an application form should register on the website www.acorns.ie

Nenagh businesswoman Geraldine Jones – Founder and Chief Executive of Skin Formulas – is a Lead Entrepreneur on this year’s cycle.