全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 % x, B# k4 p) C" T 7 \6 p; I7 `& D* Z% I; H0 `0 u d# r今年7月7日可能是全年的最旺结婚日子，至少在美国如此。由于当天适逢周六，更加带旺在当天举行婚礼的热潮。美国一个代客筹办婚礼的网站指出，它已收到三万一千多宗生意预订。而新人行婚礼的热门地点拉斯韦加斯，各教堂已作好一切准备，迎接这个好日子。 , [2 S$ j' }1 v8 S9 @" M& }' J" S$ C. [1 G) O1 d" `
由于美国人看好这个全年结婚吉日，当地的婚礼主办公司、酒店业人士及旅行社，均收到破纪录的预订服务，再加上当天是星期六，各有关业界正各出奇谋，务求满足客人的需要。专门代客筹办婚礼的网站theknot.com说，接到三万一千多宗计划在7月7日行婚礼的生意，现正处理约一万两千宗。这是近年来最多人选择共谐连理的日子。& i7 @, C9 k1 G2 d
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来自麻省的24岁准新娘亨德里克森形容，成为7/7/07新娘子充满乐趣，希望未来丈夫对这个特别的结婚周年日子永世难忘。她道出不少准新人的心声说：三个七的日子是幸运日，简直是完美的配搭。在赌城拉斯韦加斯，当地一向是准新人选择行礼的热门地点，7.7.7效应更带旺在当天结婚的热潮。整个赌城的教堂计划在当天延长服务时间，以应付结婚人潮。' W" G R3 u! }4 u# s
7 P' O m1 `4 g8 G/ _ 其中一间行礼的热门教堂Graceland，已对预订人潮应接不暇，当天的开放时间将由早上8时至午夜，每隔15钟便举行一次婚礼。拉斯韦加斯的会议展览及游客中心指出，对赌城来说，7.7.7是充满幸运的数字，因此很多人选择在这个富有纪念性的日子到赌城结婚。 7 E" L# ^% p; v5 Y$ }2 _- M+ V6 A5 n% c( l1 U6 C# m: R
赌城的酒店在当天为新人准备特别的菜单庆祝，例如Ritz-Carlton酒店，特别推出幸运三条七套餐，售价分777或7707美元两种。Ritz-Carlton说，现时每周平均接到两至六个电话，查询当天在酒店结婚的事宜，迄今已接到至少两宗婚宴预订。 & d( D& [& I+ l- @. B; n' L- \, O/ r6 \$ |- {
Good luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date9 H' d) y3 T/ l0 D
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Celebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck.1 Y8 X" }) I* g
, U2 [) ]: i& O' M% f* w! bIf so, the "Desperate Housewives" actress and the NBA player are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg -- or seven-layer cake -- according to Susan Hepperle, general manager at Town & Country Caterers in Lansdowne.7 k8 i2 b. X' ~2 |7 g) x
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"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall.! E; P% x+ X4 L! r
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers. 7 D- V! x b1 m6 O. G 8 H6 U8 V# Q& ^; AOne couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain. 9 L2 `' W: N7 d! k+ b4 y7 W* |& `4 n: _* p. y; n h9 H
"We've had call, after call, after call, after call, just looking for this date," said Hepperle, who long ago booked the maximum four receptions Town & Country can handle in one day. ; O4 v7 b$ J$ O: I- r ) B8 l7 ^' G) W- |& q"All I'm hearing is that triple sevens is a lucky number," she said. "One guy actually said it's a roll of the dice with getting married." : l* U" M- k* x5 ~& s % ~4 `8 q2 z. U4 o9 {. b. ~8 LAccording to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle." H- T3 ?* |: {( }- i3 i
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But this year, July has joined the field.' B+ G6 i; b. S9 x( y+ A9 U# H N
5 q" }) g2 k7 `& Y) P& S! h, dIn Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7. * L3 w- I! {. f; R% Z& t7 F 6 p" G' T. Q3 B; V, p; R, S"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.6 G" Q, {, x' l% ^: f. ?! ^$ ~
. Q8 [+ D1 m# O" a% pAlthough her bakery specializes in wedding cakes and stays busy all year, often with more than 50 orders in a single weekend, Williams knows that July 7 is special this year.8 o; @ [1 j# z: o# [
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"I've heard from brides that it's supposed to be some kind of magic day, 7-7-7; it's supposed to be good luck," she said, noting that many of her clients said they had trouble finding an available reception site. . F5 ?' P6 d$ Q4 E% _6 e6 K* I# `
For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year.& b4 \+ z6 I/ Q B
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A couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville. 8 y4 u% k6 Z; e7 \6 |6 O, F' V% u s2 A& u* c
With none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07. $ ?0 h5 @4 X# W% X 7 W. t' D! M% D9 e( S"That was the first time we'd realized it," she said, adding that Whitehouse staff typically check the calendar each year for possible trends.! n3 e/ b# ^% S2 \4 C
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A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7. B' V# k. q' q+ ^' Z u' u
+ V- b7 n0 Y$ f5 f4 o"It's the most popular date for this year," she said. 2 w4 v& c& Y) O4 R J . H' \* g' y' fFor reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several. ! w+ o: J) _4 Y% G 7 P- E4 K, F" ?7 v1 w8 f; l1 G1 A: l- qReceptionists and clergy at more than a dozen Protestant and Catholic churches in Catonsville and greater Arbutus reported no demand for July 7. The date was still open and available on their calendars as of last week.. c. @, V$ J: m
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Similarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel. 0 R: C0 T, i1 D8 r, l5 y- W0 g- C$ ?
"That would be a cool time to get married, but nobody has come here yet," said Paul Delivuk, who manages the store's tuxedo rentals.; ~0 b4 e" x/ Q8 j+ [
# }( c2 {+ K2 v/ _% B! _$ N: Q T, ?He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."3 P- d% ? f/ V% f
- V' ~9 p5 B0 W* n5 sWilliams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake. 2 i4 b3 k6 o x: Y A4 Z3 @3 o' J$ j+ L" S8 I' q
"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said.8 \) A; |/ r1 ~$ I) `: B {3 {
7 V" M( ]* {( \* [; aAt Arbutus Library, where manager Gail Ross' 1960s wedding gown is on display with a collection of books, magazines and CDs on wedding planning and etiquette, July 7 is magic.8 a' a) O' a! H4 f' p9 ?
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"That's a big Harry Potter date," Ross said, referring to J.K. Rowling's popular series about a boy with magical powers. "That's Harry's birthday."4 z' V5 k r" Q i
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Book 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be released in July, although not July 7 as planned, according to Rowling's Web site. 8 K. H+ E, M* s* U2 A2 V % f- N5 j) A& [- JLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said. 1 S+ K( W3 a! Z, _, C; d+ _2 P) e$ [% \9 O
Ross and her husband, Bruce, chose Aug. 24, 1969, for their wedding because their Randallstown synagogue was free that day, and both families were available to attend.% B. d1 F% M( y! U8 r/ h+ C
0 Q) J3 Y' ~& CThose numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said.: B2 q. D2 j! z# _* Y8 P4 w
' ?: K/ n5 [- i0 G"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count.' I. F/ v0 b% U- V( f* x* w
% h6 T1 Y% g+ l: c9 t"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care." ( G) r. G$ M* _. _9 I4 a ; p: L. V+ s J8 ?
图片附件: [Gail Ross, the manager of the Arbutus Library, stands next to the wedding gown she wore in 1969 ...] ACF1680.jpg (2007-3-16 10:37, 23.24 KB) / 下载次数 85 http://rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de/bbs/attachment.php?aid=248522&k=df4eb9c3a783a61121cda6ea7a5ec977&t=1732603016&sid=3O5Jt5
图片附件: [Gail Ross, the manager of the Arbutus Library, stands next to the wedding gown she wore in 1969 ...] ACF1680.jpg (2007-3-16 10:37, 23.24 KB) / 下载次数 85