Hi °C | Lo °C Brides-to-be are rushing up the aisle to take advantage of a wedding deal that offers a reception in Carrickfergus for less than £500.
A hotel in Co Antrim is offering a wedding with all the trimmings for 100 guests for just £495. The Clarion in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, has reported a huge rise in interest from customers in the south after it started selling four-course wedding dinners for just £4.95 per person.
Claire Palmer, sales and events manager, said they are trying to adapt to the recession.
She said that although the food may be sold at cost price, the hotel makes a profit on alcohol and rooms. The usual price for the meal is £23.50 but their priority now is to generate business.
"Last Thursday the guests at a wedding spent between £20 and £25 each at the bar," she said. "That was money that we would not have earned on a Thursday night if we didn't have the wedding offer."
The red carpet, champagne for the couple and honeymoon suite are all included.
The menu of soup, breast of chicken wrapped in bacon, pavlova and tea or coffee is basic -- but she said all married couples worry about the standard of food at their chosen venue, regardless of the cost.
Weddings booked between Monday and Thursday from January to March cost £495 for 100 people, rising to £995 between April and December. Additional guests cost £20 per head -- but Eileen said it's still a bargain.
Source Irish Independent
