全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 ; J. L8 |! j$ a, t# k0 u7 c% t4 k) l0 D
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。 % r4 {: G1 [1 g4 F# Y' C2 t' ]" B7 M" M
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。( k% b4 u' N3 _( o u- C' T
. y' `0 `2 R- [7 C 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。5 O7 N# h. O1 j' b, m1 A
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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。 ' H8 p% E* W ?+ n + a p5 U4 `3 z/ h% V 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。 ' ~1 `1 x' e# E, H; j+ S; L! e7 L
Good luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date8 l- f, y+ W3 `- |
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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.9 @$ t0 w1 w# I, A/ K7 p- j# @& r3 X
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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. / _; Q9 B5 b/ w) U$ e1 Z2 y & I# K5 V# V) q, Y# ^& q5 G% G) n"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall. . V3 S( H" u" Y& k# {; O* V# `' E& n9 N) L8 {' U; C k
That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers. ; w8 r6 L+ E k! ]4 J: | 6 W5 g5 d" ?: g' nOne couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.! n0 _, B) a' z+ A: E2 Q
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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.: W1 x9 j/ K6 O: R
: d$ u7 \4 k& ~) J" h% H: M"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." 3 ~! W) }4 Q j5 y) h, }& H: T$ n M E4 C1 _6 s7 M7 d1 Y S
According to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle. . J, c# L) @& p0 \: k K5 N* v: k : f x$ J; V9 K+ YBut this year, July has joined the field.1 T4 M; X- R. {4 M. V
2 f$ u7 R: d8 }* O' h- JIn Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7.! m5 `( Q# j& M" ^
?: {% o; Z# {! z9 w"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.( c4 y+ q7 [* N: Y" H
# |2 i2 J s+ ^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. - y6 O1 I% O6 H! s9 V) _: ~/ `: m& n$ g2 O
"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. 3 ~1 N* o; g. A: l/ {" M( z+ U, ?% ]- R& I; l0 z4 s3 A+ j
For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year. + c e; i! Z G0 W/ a6 i2 z , z5 `: g$ j% \* ^' }A couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.# X! r" U: Z1 ~" M9 H% k5 B1 k7 r
5 Q8 }$ s7 a- M$ d& I/ u& dWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07./ ]7 ~0 N2 j4 `8 r
/ C7 ]3 I0 V7 h" @) C3 w( F"That was the first time we'd realized it," she said, adding that Whitehouse staff typically check the calendar each year for possible trends. $ v' l2 s9 Q: h7 N' d1 }/ u( ~+ C( E" K, I+ _) o0 L5 k( |8 Z) {
A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.; t7 ]) g; ]/ z+ I9 w
" l' l- |0 p& j& L% y ~; T"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.1 X$ q$ o* M6 ]2 [
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several.$ ~1 G5 N9 R% z7 N( ?0 a
* G2 X, Y0 i' J3 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. ; S3 u& B/ a, m* b * q% \4 P0 D% P& ESimilarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel.$ l* ]1 L+ f! Q D. J7 P
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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. 4 i0 I5 S1 ^- @' Q& U& @: q7 @7 ^ q I, }3 D# i$ c z$ @
He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."4 V& a( S' u5 z* w4 k
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Williams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.; a3 s1 ^: }! B8 A" X \( q- c0 q
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"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said. - L3 J% ^0 a; L) s- G$ B: \9 P9 N7 |, S0 B# T1 B+ J
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. R4 h$ l* x, t
; i# p. f6 T& ?: C+ n"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." & s3 A z* H* e( J6 z7 H! ?% p$ m$ [2 v, _7 Y( ~
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./ B* L! \. c3 s0 n# i$ C
& e% H/ c: |! [Library circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said. - V2 o# {8 v- ^' i( g/ v ~$ w! e , \9 I6 F* o& ]$ rRoss 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. 7 g$ P5 C+ o( z% E F. j" u " C' l' b8 R: t& X" ^Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said. 8 r- p& u" `0 A( ~' V7 V! A& X: \ , `5 G/ \$ |9 l t"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count. 8 O# m9 ~, d8 W( |: A- D4 U9 ]$ n) N
"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care."; m1 ^+ j8 b3 y9 \2 p& w* V0 J5 ~
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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=610c9a4c039a7e89bbecdd4eb1a662da&t=1764774672&sid=5E4nG9
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