Cork couple sets up wedding business inspired by own nuptials 

WHEN Valda Binding left Cork Airport destined for her dream job as international cabin crew, little did she know she wouldn’t return until the world was turned upside down in 2020, with a husband, a toddler and a dog in tow!

Valda loved her time in the clouds.

“During most of my time in the UK, I worked as a member of cabin crew for British Airways and I felt I had achieved my dream!”

She found love too.

“I met my husband, Brad, in the (then) traditional way, at a nightclub and we were married in an English country house four years later.”

She found a new idea as well.

“It was in preparation for our wedding that the kernel of my new business, takeNplace, was born.”

The couple intended to take their wedding celebrations to the next level with takeNplace - an Irish wedding photo-sharing platform that consolidates guest photos into a digital album.

Valda, who is from Douglas, living in Clonakilty, recalls her special day.

“Neither of us wanted to miss a moment of our wedding day,” she says. “But we knew we couldn’t be everywhere. Our professional photographer would be capturing formal slices of the day but what about those candid moments between our friends and family?

“Polaroid cameras were still in fashion, but we were looking for something special and more environmentally conscious, so we went digital.”

Others rowed in to help get the novel idea of the ground.

“With the help of some good friends in IT, Brad spent the morning of our wedding setting up servers, mounting a TV and running wires in his Lingfield 3-piece suit!

“Brad’s technical wizardry allowed guests to capture their moments, store them in one place for us to look back on, and share them in a live sideshow to boot.”

Nobody missed out on the precious moments of the big day.

“Our guests loved sharing their favourite moments and we didn’t miss a thing,” says Valda.

The novel idea started to grow wings and take off.

“Unbeknownst to us, takeNplace had been born,” says Valda.

Their son, Kaden, was born five years later, says Valda.

“As I returned to the skies, being away from my son, husband and dog was incredibly hard. I would spend my time off work being thousands of miles away in a hotel room.”

Missing her loved ones; the glamour and excitement of Valda’s dream job wore off.

“I stuck it out for two more years. Flying was something I was passionate about and the only career I’d had,” says Valda.

Her world changed utterly, when the pandemic hit the globe.

“In March, 2020, flights stopped. I was grounded immediately,” says Valda.

“It was bitter-sweet. The world was in turmoil, and I experienced some personal loss, but I was home every day and every night with my family.”

Change was coming.

“After three months, we decided it was time to make the change we’d been discussing for years,” says Valda.

“Our home went on the market, and I started looking for a new role in Cork.”

Things happened fast.

“In the end, it all happened in a matter of weeks,” says Valda.

“I was offered an amazing role at one of Ireland’s most prestigious wedding venues, so we packed up a van and we booked a one-way ticket from Pembroke to Rosslare.”

The family were destined for a new destination.

“While unpacking our lives in our new home in Clonakilty, I came across that same digital camera from our wedding day,” says Valda.

“I remembered the delight it gave us and every guest. It had been nearly ten years, technology had progressed - could this be something we could share with more people?”

It was.

“With my husband’s help, I put together a more modern pilot and got feedback from couples who were finally taking their much-delayed vows,” says Valda.

“With support from the Local Enterprise Office, I worked with developers to build the digital platform, proved it viable, and brought takeNplace to the market in April, 2022.”

Valda explains the ins and outs of the concept.

“My platform is designed to be sustainable and easy to use for every guest,” she says.

“Couples print off their dedicated QR code, pop them on the tables, and guests can share their favourite parts of the entire day, straight from their smartphones, without the need for an app or cumbersome registration process.”

Special memories can be shared and stored away.

“These photos are securely stored in full quality, for the newlyweds to print, share and treasure,” says Valda.

“Couples can even use existing screens in their reception venue to share these photos as they are being shared in what we call our ‘live slideshow.’ It’s very popular for day twos.”

The business took off. It was a joint effort.

“My husband provided technical (carrying), and logistic (driving), support as I started to attend weekend wedding fairs across Ireland,” says Valda.

She learned a lot during the process of developing taKeNplace.

“Building taKenplace as a sustainable business has been a learning journey,” says Valda.

“I have learnt the value of shared expertise offered by joining Network Ireland, sales and marketing mentoring provided by Local Enterprise Office and my current participation in the EXXcel Programme for Women Entrepreneurs at the Rubicon Centre, Cork.”

Valda is a true high-flyer.

“I was delighted to be a finalist in the West Cork Business and Tourism Awards for our ‘Ditch the Disposable’ sustainability campaign, and more recently I was thrilled to be awarded weddingsonline Newcomer of the Year 2023.”

Valda is a capable lady.

“When I started this new journey, to deliver my 10 year-old wedding project to the world, I understood the sacrifices I’d have to make in balancing being mum and business owner.

“But I never imagined the joy I’d feel helping wedding couples add something so special to their day.”

Valda has come far since she thought of her novel idea.

“In my first year, takeNplace has been part of over 50 couples’ big day, including Antigua and Spain, proving that you can take a QR code anywhere.

“We have saved almost 10,000 candid photos for them to treasure as they start life together, and I love speaking to new couples at wedding fairs as we continue to build.”

Valda got great support.

“The support from my family, my husband’s technical, creative and administrative support, kind words from my family and friends, and especially time spent designing new posters with my five-year-old son, has been an unbelievable experience,” says Valda.

She plans expanding takeNplace to new sectors and markets this year.

“The hard work and late nights continue to award me with an amazing journey,” she said.

See www.takenplace.com