A NEWLYWED couple sacrificed their honeymoon and ploughed their wedding gift money into fulfilling their dream of setting up a fitness studio.
Iain and Milly Harris found out just weeks before their wedding in Little Eaton in July that the first floor of St James Hall, Derby, was available to lease.
But with the costs of the wedding, they were unsure whether they could afford to take on the space, which had previously been home to a martial arts club.
It was when they opened their wedding cards and saw how generous guests to their service, afternoon tea party and traditional Scottish wedding ceilidh had been that they realised their dream was finally in reach.
Milly, 37, who also put her wedding dress straight online for sale to add to the pot, said: "We had originally seen the premises before the previous occupants took on the lease but were not in a position financially to go ahead.
"Although we had savings, we had thought that the timing on this occasion was conspiring against us but, with the generosity of our family and friends who came to the wedding, we have been able to go ahead and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude."
Iain, 33, made sure the first phone call the couple made after enjoying a two-day honeymoon break at the Holiday Inn, in Derby's Riverlights complex, was to landlords Clowes Developments.
Days later, they started the task of cleaning and getting ready for the opening of their dream St James Street business, Future Fit Studios.
The studios opened for business last week – offering a range of daytime and evening group fitness classes such as Bodypump and Zumba – taught by them and other fitness instructors from the area.
The couple, who live in Alvaston, have been working as freelance fitness instructors in the city and have quickly gained popularity for their unique way of teaching Bodypump classes as a couple.
They said they had always wanted to open their own studios.
Milly said: "Iain and I are well known in local gyms and on the group fitness circuit.
"Many of our members have already been in touch asking for details of the classes.
"This is a dream come true. It is the perfect location in the Cathedral Quarter and the huge studio has loads of natural light and high ceilings, with a vintage feel.
"It is so different to many of the studios tucked away in the backs of gyms and far more welcoming, particularly for beginners.
"We also have the capacity to develop a wide range of classes as we grow."
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