MIDDLEWICH-based business L and J Formal Hire has been recognised as the best formalwear wedding business in the north west.

The family-run firm was opened in Middlewich 20 years ago and has since gone from strength to strength, now being awarded the best formal wear in the north west at the County Brides North West Wedding Awards.

The awards night was held at St Georges Hall in Liverpool on Wednesday, June 17, with more than 200 guests at the event.

Owners of L and J Formal Hire, Colin and Helen Akerman, were delighted to see the name of the business in lights at the awards night and Colin said the pair were gobsmacked when their name was read out.

Colin said: “It’s a family run business, my wife Helen helps with running it as well as my two sons.

“We’ve been running the business now for 20 years and to win this award was fantastic.

“It’s how we run our business and help the bride and groom. We bend over backwards for them. We do our utmost to accommodate people and different budgets and we don’t do hard selling, there’s none of that.

“We were just happy to be nominated. We got told that we were nominated and then about three weeks before the awards night we were told we reached the final.

“We went up there and we won and we were absolutely gobsmacked. Our name was up in lights and everything it was really nice to be recognised.

“I want to say a big thank you to all the brides and grooms that have voted for us.”