They were just 21 when they took a chance and set up a bridal shop in Holmfirth, becoming the youngest owners of such a venture in the country. Two years on and Philippa Lloyd and Kirsty Horne have proved that age – and young children – do not hold back business success.

IT WAS while searching for her own wedding dress that Philippa Lloyd first started to think there was a niche for a bridal shop in Holmfirth.

And so she decided to set up with a friend.

“It was hard to find what I wanted in the bridal shops in the area that I visited,” said the 23-year-old. “And I didn’t enjoy the experience very much.”

The bride-to-be and her bridesmaid – former school friend Kirsty Horne – began to talk about what kind of service they would offer to customers if they had a bridal shop.

At the time Philippa was working in the NHS and Kirsty, a trained hairdresser, had found a job in accountancy, but they continued to mull over the idea of going into business together.

Finally, in January 2010, they launched Lace and Beaux in the centre of Holmfirth, becoming, they believe, the youngest bridal shop owners in the country.

“We looked on the internet and found a shop in America started by a 21-year-old who said she was the youngest there,’’ said Philippa. “We think we are still the youngest here.’’

Kirsty, now 23, who lives in Shepley and has two children aged seven and four added: “We spent six months researching everything before we opened. We both cut our hours at work so we could keep our jobs and run the shop between us. We were open seven days a week.”

Philippa, who married at the age of 20, is also a mum. She has a son of 15 months and is expecting her second child.