全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 ) _" \) Y4 _% Q. B9 X% T6 {) {5 A! Y% P( d, M
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。 4 N$ a& P2 e4 d! k % q" }4 d* D6 d 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。) G8 L/ I% J" W- G* C
5 {9 u1 B C# Z( C5 W 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。' e7 W9 E( t; d0 |" N/ Q) T; p' P( I
- E) Q5 K# K; h n* _ 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。 . }2 r, Z. [# X3 g# y. a+ Y* V1 o4 J" C
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 R& z2 p% A& v! T u! q ( h5 P1 h4 e1 T3 D5 [$ sGood luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date. f! j/ Z: o$ ?$ A& D5 n! Y5 i
& d" U7 H7 h; z1 i' eCelebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck.6 }( i$ V, [0 J3 @! o
! w) [* o" B0 i, Z5 Z2 IIf 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.( r5 S( l9 K3 z' f7 s
' C. @0 D" h5 I: c, D' ~9 v R"I've never seen such a stink made over a date," she said, having fielded requests for "everything in sevens" since last fall./ G: M1 m* x. A9 d, B2 p
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That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers.! j7 ~% g+ G; Y8 S
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One couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.* C( g# U6 X% `! C( a1 X; B
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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.7 h# s7 u7 f D4 Y) u; E$ w4 ?7 ~! c
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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." 6 ~/ X/ b( X9 L) b4 {9 b0 f5 D6 t& z
According to the wedding planning Web site www.theknot.com, May, June, September and October are the popular months for marching down the aisle.$ ?& O; G) @1 N9 d
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But this year, July has joined the field. / b3 F! p2 N9 {+ z, O& z! s4 {: p 3 @4 T" k9 `& T; N/ Z2 @In Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7.5 f4 Q; B9 a- _
! A5 [$ L; Q3 V* i"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking.+ @; C, N+ U. g8 r3 U+ x8 c4 }3 R
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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.$ e* b0 u( m0 @7 x' m2 ~% v7 M
5 Y$ ^' X% ~0 c: m- l"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.+ X' _( _3 @/ N1 R6 p
1 y" J0 a9 z3 sFor Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year. 5 b. e( \( Z! y- b. a$ x$ e; _ 9 |* M% V5 K3 `& J$ ~. UA couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.* O4 E" K" {( o1 x, {
) a" y+ {/ {+ GWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07.9 Y1 o! \$ \- @. l2 \
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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.. k5 R# a$ H, i, i9 g; @
! l" F2 e, H5 }: N$ ~A short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7. / E; Y. a$ N/ V! } _+ I& t9 v2 |( G' Q/ ?
"It's the most popular date for this year," she said. - v) {5 n" w) J& V+ E! O9 q- ? " x$ a A% q% F0 V- b* N; HFor reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several." k$ q: b O) v) K" F4 `
. V( s/ V& n1 ?- T4 ?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. + k; p4 q# z7 c- ?5 H % `( O4 c, ]) E$ bSimilarly, Cy's of Catonsville had no overwhelming July 7 demand for grooms' wear. The store doesn't carry bridal apparel. # m: `; f; |+ o( E( t0 f) y ; k4 m+ J, d$ ], }' t$ e8 B8 z3 l; v"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.$ h- Z0 x1 W( L1 w) [( ?
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He anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."# X0 i# t! M5 z' x. Z- c9 q
3 o: N( I4 W0 c8 aWilliams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake., p3 r9 \, F& [
. p @2 N2 k- X' [# ]& r"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said. ' J2 p. }$ D" c% [0 e5 U, G1 ?3 A4 m! ? x
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.. `+ S; R1 P# b0 e
0 q2 U! v# [) m3 d! E4 g& T"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." # P; R: \$ ~8 P9 v! ^ * ]) A2 S U9 j* w( pBook 7, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be released in July, although not July 7 as planned, according to Rowling's Web site.* I4 a& `; G$ z+ w( B: q6 x' J+ F
# c# s6 g, d( s l: k# {; HLibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said.3 C6 x$ v) c1 T, a" Q0 h
# [. u9 \2 ^7 }0 l5 c. HRoss 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. 0 k( N+ s/ G0 p$ W: `" N: Z5 I; t2 l( x$ l& @0 D t3 h1 P7 R
Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said. 8 G% P( x8 ?# w9 ^4 {. d7 m, @9 O' P
"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count.* R( K2 s3 m2 A+ r# n, R
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"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care."/ x3 R6 p1 i* C' ]; r/ Y
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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 30 http://www.csuchen.de/bbs/attachment.php?aid=248522&k=0871e9597e804386c99ff85cea9822ad&t=1717487364&sid=FtrrnR
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 30