When the whole wedding market fell from underneath Perthshire planner Wendy McArthur’s feet, she realised it was time to leave her 21 year long career.
At her wedding planning peak, Wendy would do 40 events a year.
But with only two weddings total in 2020 and 2021, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the 51-year-old realised it was time for a change.
Now based just outside Auchterarder, she has started Utopia Doodles specialising in dog grooming.
Doodles lined up for opening
With six dogs, Wendy was also looking for a new job that would allow her to stay home with them.
She says: “My daughter is heading to university in September, which leaves me with six dogs and no dog sitter.
“The combination of the wedding market falling from underneath my feet, looking for an opportunity that put me back in control of my own hours and that I could do from home made me go for it.
“The girl who groomed my toy poodle also closed her shop and it left a bit of a local gap.”
Wendy started a dog grooming course before Easter and has just finished.
She’s built a shed in her garden that will house her salon, and while she’s waiting for power and plumbing there are already 14 pooches lined up for trims.
So far, the newly qualified dog groomer has tried her skills on her own poodle and is looking forward to meeting more four-legged clients.
“I can’t wait to get going and it has given me a whole new lease of life and enthusiasm,” she says.
“The wedding market had become stagnant in many ways, everybody was looking for discounts and budgets were tight.
“But it would be quite frustrating when they would pay £400 for a piper to be there all day, but wouldn’t pay me £1,000 to plan their wedding over a year.”
Walking away from a wedding career
Straight out of university, Wendy joined Gleneagles as a tennis coach and swimming teacher.
After two years, she moved on to work in sales and three years later became an events manager.
The hotel was approached by a couple asking for a wedding planner recommendation, but the team didn’t know anyone.
Wendy and her colleague Caroline thought “we could do that” and left the hotel in 2001.
After a few years, Caroline left the business and Wendy has run Utopia Scotland by herself for 19 years.
“I came into wedding planning very much with practical skills and knowledge, and I find now wedding planners are all about the sparkle, and not so much what won’t work.
“That level of advice I would give isn’t what people were wanting to hear.
“I’ve still got three weddings to go, my last one is at Kinkell Byre St Andrews which is a venue I love and I’ve worked there more than anywhere else.
“I’m not sure how I’m gonna feel walking away that night, it might be a bit difficult.”
Utopia Doodles ‘feels so right’
As well as owning and grooming dogs, Wendy is also a licenced breeder of cockapoos and spoodles.
Once the Utopia Doodles salon is ready, she plans to start with two dogs a day for six days per week, and work her way up from there.
Based at Hillhead Farm Steadings in rural settings, Wendy hopes dog owners will take their dog out to be pampered and hit the tracks for a walk.
“I want this to be what I do until I don’t do anything. Which might be forever, I might still do this when I’m 80,” she says.
“It just feels so right, I’m not even nervous about it.
“I genuinely think it’s going to be a success and I should probably have done it earlier.”
Conversation