A WORCESTERSHIRE husband-and-wife team have managed to secure almost £1m of funding for their wedding business.

Steven and Rhoda Worrallo were able to expand and acquire another property to offer as a venue to blushing brides and their grooms through Mustard.uk.com

The Worrallos run Holt Castle Enterprises and offer a full wedding service - including the civil ceremony - from their Holt Castle home.

The castle, which is mentioned in the Doomsday book and was involved in the Gunpowder Plot, was actually bought as the couple's home.

The wedding business flourished unexpectedly as the result of a family friend holding his reception at the Grade I Listed building, and word spreading about the suitability of the venue.

The business now employs 15 full and part-time staff.

When the couple wanted to expand it was suggested they try Mustard.uk.com which has been developed by a team of business professionals and is managed by West Midlands Business Links.

Mustard.uk.com provides support to help potentially fast-growing new businesses.

The initiative was launched in May this year and is funded jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the European Regional Development Fund.

Under the scheme entrepreneurs receive consultancy expertise from professionals in the private sector.

After Holt Castle Enterprises signed up, Birmingham-based consultants Genesis were brought in to help secure the funding needed for expansion.

Mr and Mrs Worrallo are now the proud new owners of Beamish Hall - a Grade II Listed stately home near Durham, which they plan to turn into a wedding venue, conference centre, hotel and restaurant run from their Worcestershire base.

"We needed help to get our ideas together and through the advice and guidance offered through the Mustard.uk.com initiative we were able to put forward our thoughts and plans in a professional format," said Mr Worrallo.

Mustard.uk.com spokesman Kul Sanghera said the company was "typical of the high-calibre firms" set to benefit from the initiative.