6 p B1 k6 m& n. F; {4 hGood luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date" j; e* O: Y. v$ @
4 X9 @8 V/ |; h8 P3 z5 s# OCelebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck. 0 R- A7 J* r% D9 C; L2 y1 A $ Y* f* s/ Y& }6 P! zIf 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.2 { I. ?8 o7 p: o! P5 z' p4 A7 e! A- Z
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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.3 L4 `" M! ^, S6 {
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers. q4 i7 R; l! k: Y5 [1 N
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One couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain. - U! Z6 N Z$ Y4 y- d 4 P: E1 ~7 o, y) {8 E"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.6 r6 m. [$ d, |; X6 j4 [
& N1 C/ y% ~2 k, |) A# T"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."7 d) M0 {! F0 G" v0 w% ]( v
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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., X% p- v$ y7 r8 O( ?
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But this year, July has joined the field.! J8 j! X4 Z/ q. K) P6 F
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In Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7. 1 ?# _( R8 U4 X; C2 N. O U" G7 s( ^* c
"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking. - B8 |8 n, f" A6 g6 r1 \$ K O; @1 ~* v- m& f& q; `' _& ?
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.9 i2 c& i9 r) } Q3 j( G0 P k
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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.5 x6 B7 _: [) {# j) f. L2 _
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For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year.: {& e8 |1 ?" o0 {4 e: S3 N
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A couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.3 ?: ?* g: f0 N& y/ B+ ]
4 h K2 [; j& D0 d: ]; CWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07.$ R+ [- z$ C$ C) e' `1 `
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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.- ]' N" H' K* k* j2 t; X! B$ W
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A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.' X0 p9 t: k* Q8 t' L/ [
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"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.+ F T6 V% {% ~. Y
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several. : p- r/ d6 `- Y+ g% F0 k* c* P7 Q5 L0 o2 z
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., i8 x. Z0 S( E8 P3 u
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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. . ^. @; M7 Q; J, r- v3 [! q) o2 b' F' y! }! o6 T' s; Y
"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. 3 h% W0 z7 a u. M" V) [) d8 ?/ N u' Y8 c/ |
He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."- {8 [% g: R% V
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Williams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.9 |& h" }& P* I
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"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said.! ~" k& u5 w2 A3 v! {* `
! n* c* @, b1 T5 v+ l2 ZAt 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.; R3 y* `7 o8 j. y
$ U6 c$ `, M6 `0 u' s3 N: R+ V"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." / ]' A6 ]2 a8 s( f1 K- G [9 ~+ K, ]' M
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. 5 t& F$ D0 ]3 v$ ? 9 n& D# I9 f, z/ H+ kLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said. + { ], c# m' h6 P# s- q: X4 d+ d0 e2 W& V1 R
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.5 F9 ?+ w8 n+ J2 L: t$ K4 o# [; m
4 _" d Y. w- h2 ?( U3 p @ A1 aThose numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said./ I+ t! s* x" J; m! }
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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. 9 Z* b. l; {$ D/ \8 V! k/ D4 ?5 J2 m& H2 d) U" |5 T
"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care." 0 g$ s R9 d: @$ _$ { 7 W/ `8 M- u' t) N/ g
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 100 http://www.csuchen.de/bbs/attachment.php?aid=248522&k=5c8956937d94c657b5168cd7dec9ed05&t=1764693264&sid=wSHxjv
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 100