Kirsty Bowks, from Rayleigh, couldn’t believe her eyes when the Love Island darling included her arty brand, which sees her travelling around the country drawing portraits of wedding and event guests, on a list of the UK’s best wedding vendors.
Olivia, who is also from Essex, put together the list as part of her new role as guest editor at the wedding planning app Hitched, a role she was “honoured” to take on.
Art lover Kirsty set up her business, Kirsty Bowks Bespokes, about two years ago after being asked to draw portraits of guests at an 80th birthday party.
She soon started taking bookings for weddings and has spent the last two years travelling up and down the UK drawing wedding guests as a full-time job.
She says she loves chatting to guests as she takes their photos before spending no more than ten minutes drawing each guest as a keepsake.
TV star Olivia said: “This wedding entertainment idea really stood out to me as it’s so unique.”
Kirsty admits “it was a shock when I saw Olivia picked my business” and that it made her day.
The 32-year-old, who worked in a nursery before she had her daughters, now aged nine and six, says making couples and their wedding guests happy is her favourite part of her job.
“I had been making detailed cards and portraits at home,” she said.
“I’d been doing it for quite a while and someone asked if I draw at weddings which I’d never heard of in my life.
“I think it’s quite big in America, so I looked into it and kept practising and practising. It takes me between seven and ten minutes to do one portrait but with practice I keep getting quicker.”
Her work has taken her across the UK, with some of Kirsty’s favourite wedding venues to visit including Maidens Barn near Chelmsford and Gosfield Hall near Halstead.
“I’ve not done an international wedding yet but I’d like to one day,” she added.
