Wedding fairs: a shortcut through the work!

The brides and grooms of 2009 who haven"t already booked their churches, registry offices, and reception venues, are out looking at the moment - and if you"re a couple with a date in mind, now"s the time to join the posse.Happily, there is availability on dates among local hotels, but organising the hotel won"t be the only task to be undertaken before the big day: there"s the entire costuming side - purchase of the bride and bridesmaids" dresses, the groom and groomsmen"s outfits; there"s the flowers, the printing, the cake, the photography, the cars, the music, the honeymoon...the list goes on.Fortunately, there is a way of shortcutting the process, and of avoiding having to spend your evenings perched in front of a phone with an open copy of the Golden Pages on your knees: head to a wedding fair.The wedding fairs don"t just let you know what the hotel you are interested in availing of has to offer, but because they give the opportunity to other businesses involved in the whole wedding scene to attend, it means that in one venue, you can chat to potential florists, photographers, cake-makers, wedding stationers etc.Because hotels put such huge efforts into preparation of their wedding fairs, viewing them as a chance to showcase the hotel, its reception areas, its facilities and amenities - and of course its menus, engaged couples get a good idea of whether they could see themselves having their wedding day at that location.Most hotels have a staff member who deals with enquiries from couples intending to marry, and not alone can these people help by telling what their hotel has to offer, but by providing the couple with guidance in drawing up their 'timeline', to ensure they have all their arrangements in order well in advance of the big day.According to one source in the hotel trade, weddings are somewhat smaller in size these days, due to the recession. That is not necessarily bad news for anyone thinking of marrying, for combined with the dropping interest rates, getting married need no longer be the financial nightmare it became at the height of the Celtic Tiger.However, venues are still more than ready and happy, indeed, to cater for the larger wedding party as well as the more intimate gathering.A bonus of the Celtic Tiger days is the fact that there are so many beautiful venues out there for couples planning to marry, and it"s well worth visiting to see what sort of deals are being offered to couples who book weddings at these places.