Euro brides break for the border

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7850353.stm

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By Paul McKillion BBC News

Lisburn wedding photographer Frank Higginson has a story about doing business in the Republic.

It should not be taken too seriously, but it does illustrate how the strength of the euro is providing big savings for people south of the border - and lucrative opportunities for those in the wedding industry.

"We say that to go to Donegal we'll have to charge you an extra £100, but then they're saying that's ok, no problem, and we're going ...why didn't we say £200!"

Six months ago the euro was worth 79p. Now it is almost worth a pound.

Shops along the Northern Ireland side of the border will happily take it on a like-for-like basis, meaning a huge influx of people from the Republic doing everything from grocery to furniture shopping.

When it comes to spending a lot of money - like a wedding - then the savings can be enormous. She drove up, tried it on, bought it and took it home with her that day Lynette Douglas

At the wedding fair at the Slieve Donard hotel in Newcastle, the four-star venue can attract brides-to-be from far and wide, just from the setting alone.

Now, though, they have an extra incentive to come to the Mournes.

Dubliner Aisling Roche is getting married in Northern Ireland in July.

"I was at a wedding fair in Dublin yesterday and pricing everything down there compared to things I've already booked here and seeing the savings we've made.

"A lot of friends would be coming up to Newry thinking they could make the savings too. It's worth the while to come up and get your rings or your dress up here rather than in Dublin."

Lynette Douglas, owner of Platinum Brides in Rathfriland, had one customer who went one better.

"I had a girl that travelled three hours from Longford. She'd seen the dress in the Republic and asked if I had it.

"She drove up, tried it on, bought it and took it home with her that day."

Patrick McConville who works in the suit hire business in Portadown, saw the difference for himself at a wedding fair south of the border in County Louth.

"The price they charge for the average tails in the Republic is roughly 135 euro.

The wedding industry in NI is enjoying a surge of customers from the Republic"We were doing it at 65 euro - the difference in it is phenomenal."

While some economists have predicted that sterling will regain ground against the euro in the second half of the year, there is still plenty of business to be done.

There are no official statistics available yet from the hotel industry as to how the euro has benefitted Northern Ireland businesses compared to those in the Republic.

Chris Stevenson from the Slieve Donard said, anecdotally, it appears the number of enquiries from the south has doubled.

There has even been an interested bridal party from County Kerry.

"We'd probably have 4-5 enquiries a week from the south, these days you're looking at 10 a week, with quite a lot being confirmed as bookings," he said.

"The main thing does seem to be the price, its making it much more attractive to come north."