A SMALL firm in Cleckheaton has turned to making wax melts after demand for its wedding stationery plummeted during Covid.

Sue Smith, a former graphic designer who runs Bruski & Bunns wedding invites, launched MoonSmith Prints & Melts after all but one of the weddings she was to provide stationery for were put on hold due to coronavirus restrictions.

Mrs Smith, 37, began her firm from the family's Cleckheaton home a decade ago and had always run it as a part time operation.

She described how this time last year she was preparing to take on her first office in the town and was also moving to working full time, when the effects of Covid hit her business hard.

"Last summer I was speaking to so many disappointed brides. I work a lot with a big hotel and within a matter of weeks all the weddings got postponed. Most of my brides were holding bigger weddings, and suddenly they couldn't hold them anymore due to Covid.

"I initially began offering digital postponement cards free of change. But then I had to start thinking about trying to turn things around, that's when the wax melts side of the business began."

The mother-of-two began the process of researching how to make the wax melts and the different aromas available, as well as putting her design skills to use on the packaging,

"The run up to Christmas was great and we got a bit of business through a virtual market. Since Christmas though, things have been much quieter," she told the Telegraph & Argus.

In an effort to boost the fledgling business, Mrs Smith applied for a stall at Cleckheaton Farmers Market, which is generally held on the first Saturday of the month in the centre of the town.

She described getting a "really lovely reaction" from customers at their first such market, held on March 6. "It was definitely worth doing, with a lot of people asking if we would be down the next time."

Shortly afterwards though, she learned that there had been a complaint about essential items only being on sale at the market. So she agreed to sit the next one out, until Covid restrictions were lifted further.

"We were allowed to be there as our wax melts are classed as a household item, but I do appreciate that some people only want essential items on the market, which they generally think of as food.

"It's a disappointment, but I fully understand and support Kirklees Council's decision. I have no complaint with them whatsoever."

And of the wedding invitations side of the business, she said they were already seeing a number of enquiries for stationery since the Government announcement on restrictions lifting.

Councillor Paul Davies, cabinet member for culture and greener Kirklees said: “We’re really pleased to hear how businesses have managed to diversify their offering during Covid and thrive in such difficult times. We look forward to welcoming Sue back to Cleakheaton Market in the near future.”