Wedding Fair

gafferino

Hi folks

just wondering is anyone going or been to the wedding fairs in the RDS? Its on this weekend. Is it worth going?

http://www.wed.ie/index.html

Its €12 a ticket which I think is a bit steep. How does one get free tickets?!!!

Cheers

Sleepy

Went to one of those earlier this year in the RDS and wasn't overly impressed with it tbh.

It's a chance to talk to vendors in one place and enter a few competitions, not worth the €24 it'd cost ye to attend as a couple imo. Companies advertising should be paying to host these events, not their prospective customers.

Cathmandooo

The only good thing is eating the cake samples.

Personally I didn't get anything out of it, but was curious to go myself to have a look. If you have your research done before going you might be able to get a deal by booking something there and then, most of the stalls give you a week with your discount but if you're just not at that stage that you're happy and ready to book a certain suit supplier, or a certain car hire etc then you'll get sod all out of it.

Ballyman

Sleepy wrote: »

Companies advertising should be paying to host these events, not their prospective customers.

They are paying as well. Very well.

I agree that it should be free in for customers though and €24 for a couple is taking the piss.

Sleepy

Oh, I presumed they were, I worked Funderland as a young lad myself and would be aware how high the pitch rents were at that.

A token fiver might be acceptable for the punters but €24 to do some window shopping is absolute extortion imo (especially when you consider that in the vast amount of cases, the groom-to-be has been dragged there anyway!)

clint_silver

Ballyman wrote: »

They are paying as well. Very well.

I agree that it should be free in for customers though and €24 for a couple is taking the piss.

It is a spot to talk to all vendors in one go and if you want to book all your suppliers in one go, 2-3 fairs should see you right.

However, as well as being the most expensive to get in to as a customer, as a vendor, the RDS fair is the most expensive to get a stall at. Keep that in mind when youre getting quotes. Youll get offers like "10% off if you book today." 10% off what?

the citywest fair tried to rival it last couple of years. 90% of same suppliers and IIRC, same price to get in at 10-12e a ticket.

Each vendor usually gets a number of free tickets and you could get a ticket off them if you ring around but one would have to ask if you know the vendor already, why are you going to the RDS fair to talk to them?

stargazer 68

Cathmandooo wrote: »

If you have your research done before going you might be able to get a deal by booking something there and then, most of the stalls give you a week with your discount but if you're just not at that stage that you're happy and ready to book a certain suit supplier, or a certain car hire etc then you'll get sod all out of it.

If you have a date booked etc then you should get some deals. If however you are just going to pick up ideas then its a bit of a waste of time IMO. Companies will love you if you book there and then with them but otherwise move over!

Penny Dreadful

I went to just one before my wedding and it was not a good experience. To start off with I was quite taken aback at the price to get in. Then the full on hard sell from almost each stand was just too much. The cake samples were good as another poster pointed out but that is the one and only thing that was good.
In fact I was glad that we had almost everything decided on or organised before we went (we went out of curiosity only) as the hard sell would be too much for someone trying to make their mind up or have some guidance.

clint_silver

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

I went to just one before my wedding and it was not a good experience. To start off with I was quite taken aback at the price to get in. Then the full on hard sell from almost each stand was just too much. The cake samples were good as another poster pointed out but that is the one and only thing that was good.
In fact I was glad that we had almost everything decided on or organised before we went (we went out of curiosity only) as the hard sell would be too much for someone trying to make their mind up or have some guidance.

Having attended fairs as a vendor and as an interested browser, the local hotel fairs are much calmer. Smaller selection of vendors, no charge in, the vendors do have to pay a fee to have a stall at them but as its not that much (Ive found <10% of the rds), theres not as much of a hard sell going on so you get to have a better chat.

Quick google will get you a list of the fairs and when theyre on in your area, Most hotels that specialize in weddings have them at some stage during the year, some have them twice.

Sleepy

I'd second that, we went to quite a few of those, pretty much anything that was within a half hour drive. Much nicer atmosphere and while the hotel's wedding coordinators themselves will try to sell you, it's rarely a hard sell.

blindside88

I went to the city west show last year and found it quite good, I don't mind being given the hard sell as I give it myself on a daily basis. Do you have to buy tickets before hand or can they be purchased on the door?

Jerrica

Cathmandooo wrote: »

The only good thing is eating the cake samples.

Excellent, that's the only thing we're really looking into at the fair

Gamb!t

Me and my OH are going,hoping to find someone that does decent wedding invitations.