[国际新闻] 7/7/07结婚充满乐趣

全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录
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, G5 C" V5 ?+ _& e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。5 }- z' V  d$ B2 H0 _8 V. \
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  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。, f2 [( q5 z: @0 l  _7 u+ V

  a8 E# b* ~$ r2 [  J3 e) ~: a3 L  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。: K* t, {' H( n( {# O! n, F
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  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。
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  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。
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Good luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date1 j* T0 o# f; r% d: n' e

$ ]9 R1 Q/ V. X- w. t6 s" M+ XCelebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck.2 t2 Q& j. K2 H3 v4 @

: \9 o# D/ S2 z& J( R人在德国 社区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.; d' R# a' B7 ]& V

2 R' @9 L, s6 {0 {"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall.人在德国 社区' D( m  q# w+ j5 q+ L, ^8 x/ z0 t4 z
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers.人在德国 社区% Z) b  x' a; g0 ^& t/ t! O9 D

0 I& r7 c0 l% i/ y0 s2 l! N人在德国 社区One couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.
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"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.; t. A) u( s5 m
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"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."
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" B7 F4 F* H: ?1 \4 I* l人在德国 社区According to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle.
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3 o9 ^. o' B. l* c4 ~" pBut this year, July has joined the field.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de  R* H  L! e- {- {/ e' }
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In Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7.
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$ z. [1 H* k# T! P5 m" x) P% S"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.
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' F7 K" T8 x( RAlthough 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.
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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.
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For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year.
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A couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.
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# X; c! ]% n+ J" `7 dWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07.
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"That was the first time we'd realized it," she said, adding that Whitehouse staff typically check the calendar each year for possible trends.
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- V; U5 v$ v" F2 G, L, |0 u. ]& w; X( tA short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.
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  G- P6 d7 V. O$ }8 V: H人在德国 社区"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.3 J. m5 f+ L0 f5 o! W& c
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several.7 k! D2 m' w; O

9 ]$ D3 g; ?" X% x9 V9 x- R: Z1 WReceptionists 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.+ Z; P: m0 s! ^! K; G6 {, A
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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.# f: j  ]" f, c2 ]6 E- k' W" w

' m' b8 I' M% Y* F人在德国 社区"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.
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He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."
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/ a! V- {  o6 Mrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deWilliams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de1 Y9 B; S8 ?1 @3 T  @4 P; F0 ]  E& H% C  D
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"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said.
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4 h4 s: t) N& m% L  ]  N9 srs238848.rs.hosteurope.deAt 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.$ r2 @4 ]  G; M5 v/ M
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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."
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- o; l' T8 H1 h5 m2 A0 q7 \: gBook 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be released in July, although not July 7 as planned, according to Rowling's Web site.
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8 E5 V4 ]0 h! S6 X2 P# Y* nLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said.人在德国 社区7 B0 e& R8 I$ l, H: G
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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.人在德国 社区2 r  `& Z3 l" Z  A) L) t7 ~% }
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Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said.
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"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count.8 x6 X6 ~2 K) q& o

3 J8 w) x4 {( E  Z: x"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care."0 `" a5 `5 ]0 `, G4 j9 Y) @8 c' R

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Gail Ross, the manager of the Arbutus Library, stands next to the wedding gown she wore in 1969 ...

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