全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 ! L+ }2 s h, y- a& T1 Q& d5 }; O- u, j2 ~1 g6 z1 U
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。 # y. |* Q* X) E: u/ U5 y7 ~3 Z + ^: q4 Q( F" q" h9 N' l3 }7 Q 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。 5 d5 j" {1 }7 x% R, @ M' P 5 @1 C- O0 r' k 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。+ E. J% ^8 I, I L( b4 B
) w) j0 b% v' q2 q- |3 w+ P9 @& L 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。1 k- B9 c T- N. t
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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。1 f+ Z1 l8 T, y0 i
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Good luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date& ^. M4 \$ L' O8 _' e; y( Z
1 |3 z1 A/ W& }: ZCelebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck.7 m2 J8 c+ ?- n; u% I: M5 N
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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. * ?1 q! |: I! b# |1 v% ] x+ U; }; V3 \7 Y9 c% @
"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall. ( c0 ]) o* r& E" m% O& A! s2 c. }
That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers.; @5 x5 y( j N( [" x
) |( e7 X& `: J9 s* U; POne couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.2 S/ _; n# ?& {
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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.& Y3 y5 i/ D0 v8 r% w) ~, z; X8 `. {
# J; [# g5 ~/ o"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." 2 v8 \" o# W' `# |. }0 M' ^; Q. g$ W9 r/ j6 {8 b7 `, `7 y7 @
According to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle.* T/ \. Y8 W: D# I( t
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But this year, July has joined the field.& R2 I, h2 h. [4 _$ v
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In Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7.' t' ~( m; _- ?: d7 L
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"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.4 Q* L4 g) C: w h9 F' ~8 J: \# |0 `
+ l+ O9 N- c9 N& t0 G; yAlthough 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.+ }& q+ W& E' f3 k2 @9 H
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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./ }7 f& y/ E2 ]7 F' Z, o Q
& K% O$ B/ H! ]For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year.) Y$ }7 f8 j% L3 a
" L2 M, n' v$ |+ c( fA couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville. . \, y& p6 j& v# o/ g9 j, p: P- m ) a: Q+ i1 b$ j3 k/ _# Y+ SWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07. z7 ~7 M1 @: N A. O* ~' S0 ^( H' f+ e2 P4 J- [1 a2 _! [: A
"That was the first time we'd realized it," she said, adding that Whitehouse staff typically check the calendar each year for possible trends. ; ]5 X2 w& h& l ^ v; ^* c0 T 8 Z: f4 ^; K8 n! }2 _ l2 _# [A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7. 1 B; u/ M3 d) T8 S: V0 u( j( y$ u# p, X, s( a/ l4 T* V) ?
"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.6 \8 C* z' k% G" D
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For reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several. ) V2 I+ B8 M' \$ d2 N + g( [$ n; S) m( ?2 r" 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.( T; ]9 _' z4 D; k a
9 M6 @1 ~, `9 k6 x8 F7 kSimilarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel. 1 G8 I! T9 i- Y4 P/ e0 E; t* h " w, a5 i9 B1 e$ ~+ R. e9 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./ u1 [/ H3 l0 B; n7 H
+ I2 ]8 f; k: J3 B: U6 d9 ^He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky." $ O/ r# O0 e4 e+ R/ w4 K! u4 o) p( O1 s- T# o
Williams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.) t4 a2 H% B9 |
+ a1 P: U% w8 l% g! }"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said. E% F$ j4 c2 w& _) `& e* o6 N: @$ C$ l
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.% l# ]# X" @' z5 Q# {5 I
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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." " ]1 V( p3 h7 G" }6 U" ^$ E. `! ~: E) v
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. # g& ]' Q8 s5 Y" a/ n! N # e6 Z/ f5 ^# V2 l1 X: dLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said. ( _# q% J t8 X: @# N7 g+ A* q8 l' l* o6 m1 v r3 m. j
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.9 A0 @. m& I! U
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Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said. * P* M" h5 R% o/ D4 X) Y % P% ]# a0 g$ O. J# y% _- Q"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count. 0 B3 z, Z8 G6 j6 Q" O$ E9 ^' [) F% E9 W& a, N
"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care."& q. Y0 T2 m. J2 ~/ R) v/ r
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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=2f9a239c1933fd85ded52789b5d9c394&t=1762980071&sid=kL81G5
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