May 12, 2000

May and June are great months for weddings, and now you're going to meet an entrepreneur who has literally scratched her way into the wedding business. News Specialist Scott Light introduces us to a woman who went from banged up cars to business suits.

J.J. Kovarik gently puts a decorative decal on the side of a limousine. Then she towel dries for a perfect shine.

Funny thing, this is a woman who used to own a body shop and for years operated heavy equipment at a steel factory.

JJ Kovarik/Chariot of Hearts: "ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO 50 TON OVERHEAD CRANES."

Besides that job, over time she helped people decorate for weddings, specifically the getaway car for the bride and groom.

JJ Kovarik/Chariot of Hearts: "EVERYBODY KEPT TELLING ME THIS IS SO COOL, WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS IN A BUSINESS?"

So she did. She started Chariot of Hearts, a business that makes vehicle decoration kits. People can buy or rent the kits. Instructions come complete with where to put the decorations on any kind of car.

As the first woman ever in Utah to graduate from collision repair school, Kovarik made sure the decorations wouldn't hurt the car.

Besides a company website, she's found other ways to market her business. She called Jill Covington one day at Diamond Limousine.

Jill Covington/Diamond Limousine: "SHE SAID 'DO YOU DECORATE CARS FOR WEDDINGS?' AND I HAD TRIED TO DECORATE CARS FOR WEDDINGS AND IT'S VERY HARD."

So they decorated a limo together and formed a business relationship that day. Covington calls it an extra 'wow' for the bride and groom.

Jill Covington/Diamond Limousine: "THEY LOVE IT. THEY CAN'T BELIEVE IT. IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE SUPRISE ON THEIR FACES."

JJ Kovarik/Chariot of Hearts: "TO GO FROM CONCEPT TO .. I MEAN .. LOOK AT IT.. IT'S BEAUTIFUL."

And JJ Kovarik hopes this wedding party keeps rolling on.

You can either rent or buy the kits. The rental fees start around $50. The purchase price begins at $130.