全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 4 S6 _2 q" R& Y& ~; N 2 V& |( L: ?# E/ Z& q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。 : A0 V+ ^, v+ {% j1 T 8 `: {2 u+ v, L t( s2 p6 q8 _, U: ]; K4 l 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。 1 w7 J* z5 l, X W 2 A2 z- B# V% w 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。 B, [4 _2 D+ c$ W3 C 3 U1 x' N1 h! d8 N( ]* h% |+ ]- j) b 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。 : D) x& l. V# B' x$ _ `* q5 J; U! `
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。 - p: X' i- j$ O0 N$ H2 q7 E6 l ! c1 F+ h4 U/ G& a' c; [- c" ZGood luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date. g7 [4 m: J1 ?& C: G- R- o4 x
; c6 I1 H# E0 y2 g& tCelebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck. 0 m' M i* c8 S P 4 h( a/ ]$ s: L+ D# F1 O9 b, ]If 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. $ J- O. D; i3 Q! n) A% S/ [( m) M+ Y( }1 y5 v
"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall.8 k6 x& g3 B- u1 p$ c1 V
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers. % t! i+ S! _' z. i! |. Q / v- D" Z' I/ p7 H# x* e% ^One couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain. / a: j7 j* C3 m3 h, b0 k* k7 g6 ^# O+ |/ @$ N$ R& o* k
"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. - i" i; U* g ~ ' c w1 b5 i! e5 Z"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." . b6 o) l7 \. a6 ~1 a 0 Q- Y+ V; i9 } A6 m9 q. S. Y& zAccording to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle. 0 a2 |" E3 X: v q& {3 C4 N+ x& f6 ]: S
But this year, July has joined the field. 9 Z' A) Q# [; O; Y0 ], y 2 c0 n7 _0 f m& S- u" TIn Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7. 5 S( @; Q) N% m. b7 i6 ~' T& p. Z% w* I' F6 g' B
"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking. ) s4 P& i0 D" }: u' i' G$ V7 t' x t1 `) V4 {
Although 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.+ a6 P! ~% Q8 h8 {8 u! N
5 p, P. |: n5 b6 t) c6 @"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. + s4 Q' S% `8 i0 z" R6 j/ v% s3 K 0 l# |( U5 E8 QFor Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year. W) L& ^! t( O3 H - B- A) f. v2 Q9 o( d" |: wA couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.( Y! E; P. L* A$ X
X- m3 a. @: U7 M( W. k5 uWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07. " F, x9 ~$ p( s+ M7 Y4 T: e6 V; i. T$ K) o& T
"That was the first time we'd realized it," she said, adding that Whitehouse staff typically check the calendar each year for possible trends. ; J, z8 W- E& ~: d6 Y! F. ^- L
A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.' E1 B$ i% p( a( ]0 Z u
4 E& q# K) D6 K2 |" o"It's the most popular date for this year," she said./ Y: S( T5 i. B! e' d* c
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several.: x/ T3 f( [1 X" _- r. p' `8 V
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Receptionists 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. - _( r: {# Z6 C$ }7 @! { ; _4 M( ^* s- u* H. B9 RSimilarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel.! r- h, _3 g I: F+ U$ Q5 a
+ \4 r& U+ w4 }/ w"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. P8 T) w5 A v: L
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He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky.": w% |, n& c6 j8 Q* @' L" L! `+ z3 a
3 O& w [/ a8 b& B& j( GWilliams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake. ' Y0 P& o7 X) p5 D* p) Z! Y, F: \8 e; X, ~$ T- B4 A- x
"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said. $ g9 d- L+ A: J 0 d7 _. I6 g! Z J7 iAt 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. % t" o: j% l' w% n' Z" U1 f- `/ O5 g# z3 ]6 `; `
"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." ' F- ?: h' J& c/ N + d o6 ]. ?8 D! M& f& p1 HBook 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be released in July, although not July 7 as planned, according to Rowling's Web site. 5 @0 L( _, E+ L2 Y5 F4 X, n 8 v7 i* B7 K6 {- z: T* p( YLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said.& G# k% o [7 O) W+ u# F( K8 Y
0 p: s8 T7 a ?1 W$ XRoss 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.# o: k8 A& v9 V8 s B
7 ^" P7 T# M" D0 F+ W; _; VThose numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said./ x# h# k7 t% C' q
# k Z9 l5 ]* c+ t, |! Y"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count. 2 ~6 [# D5 b2 H! D' A6 m! m5 \5 i' H8 h$ }) S3 n C
"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care." 6 B5 P4 s# m$ ?0 _ 1 z! @( z7 I- ^" S2 s- |, n
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 101 http://rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de/bbs/attachment.php?aid=248522&k=9d60082cc210274cb09245b9fe0d6431&t=1769939758&sid=bLtY1U
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 101