[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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; R: z# J- r4 R" a/ G! \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。& |& V: o- H. \; ?: o" y8 S

5 G/ b' ]. ~0 G6 ~  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。+ ?2 ]* j7 \1 e8 i( M; I- @

  T3 u: d8 [2 s6 r1 Q! S  \+ \& q  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。人在德国 社区4 n7 g1 {5 I+ f, b0 J1 D& [4 a% b
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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 date
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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.
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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.
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8 n3 x( d9 L* }8 J# v' \人在德国 社区"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall.
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers.- P9 O* ?5 T) M% [3 ~

* F1 U" f, N8 n5 H- f7 j人在德国 社区One couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.人在德国 社区$ Q1 e1 e) X- O+ Q2 W% m8 I; P
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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.8 C& ?7 s/ k0 a3 X3 A4 B
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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.", B0 y/ I" d6 ^2 h
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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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But this year, July has joined the field.
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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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( k( `9 C! ?' \  r3 @$ L! n+ C"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.
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' V9 ^8 u( n+ j/ Q2 |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.
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2 X' J. r- k1 m$ K( J: [' k5 i& D"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.人在德国 社区3 R: J' B$ u/ q) V' `1 `& E# {

2 `3 ]$ T5 ?- F% U/ g7 t! bFor Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year.
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) z% X: B4 ?8 r+ \, F人在德国 社区A couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.3 j% J, k+ G5 j. @& G

6 P% n. ~) _! }  GWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07.
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8 E/ Y7 H; L$ ~1 urs238848.rs.hosteurope.de"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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A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.8 y% R# i' x/ [9 M5 Q

, G) B* Z. Q" U% x; g# V"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.人在德国 社区% Z, e0 ]' a- W+ G% B- r
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several.人在德国 社区- U% I8 ~/ O( ^7 y) i7 t
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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.
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# p. `& }) Y. Q- z2 j0 G9 V. xSimilarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel.
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"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.1 |' W: ^. f6 m# n! v# z2 `! D

, p7 r. K- o0 _8 [He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."
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Williams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.
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  R4 j: x2 H" z( r4 X人在德国 社区"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said.人在德国 社区) I: @" a0 A) v, L1 T/ i; r5 Y
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At 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.
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5 ^9 y8 U8 m7 l, A% e4 N2 V$ w"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."* _( c' h" U( f: Y5 J

6 S' e8 O! A: r. S3 N$ j" ]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.人在德国 社区6 [. D, c1 c' P/ j1 _

) I# ]% M, ^; T" ^rs238848.rs.hosteurope.deLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said.
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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7 ]$ E( }* H: X% M+ G! v; K
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Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said.3 O: S. s& H: f6 F

/ B- _) s) ]: Z0 c3 @! T% Y  \; e"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count.' I- O, Y2 r5 i7 |( x

7 b5 z( v0 d1 V人在德国 社区"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care."' e) c, _) J$ X+ y2 H( B/ H3 u9 ^: B8 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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