全年最旺7月7日美国结婚人潮破纪录 + X( X# y. I8 l! X' {/ ]: v/ _* n5 ] X1 X! N. R5 k5 J5 ~
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。- f4 x$ k2 p8 ?4 k9 V! t" o
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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。 1 w& }: o0 D5 B, U ) R9 q# y) Q* d+ G- ^* \8 O 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。9 k8 ?2 s$ L2 r; U2 ^/ l, G4 v
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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。 6 r, z3 z! [/ \7 n% h0 W# }8 ]5 [2 _9 m
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。% B# \1 y* L8 u; B' p9 Y8 _' c! Z
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Good luck coupling July 7 with a wedding date 0 W* U/ v8 b3 f* J& H/ L0 q) h7 N7 ]% t) ~) Y
Celebrity watchers say Eva Longoria plans to marry Tony Parker July 7, hoping the special 07-07-07 date brings the couple luck. , w" Q( H$ \, ^- }6 W ! j9 Z8 K) [# ~' V, D0 oIf 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./ ^& s, S' k0 h2 b7 t o
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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. 9 z: d! z2 B6 ~' O; I8 ^& f- u4 ^, d% M$ @- R
That includes more than the hour and number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and cake layers. 4 h6 ^5 P# P$ Y; k3 c ! X9 m1 F4 U4 ` i% c2 I$ ~0 M! vOne couple wanted Seagram's 7 whiskey and 7-Up soda in their beverage fountain.9 v' d f2 D6 P2 l/ `
* k, e. N3 x8 Q3 h/ Q& _"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. W9 W* W( X I3 O& O8 b$ n
( M. J- M1 h% ?3 W& a& j, o+ q& W0 v"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."# o6 l- @6 x& \& }3 ^- t
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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.) B y7 [1 t. z( \: ?: ]5 _
' S) `& \. ]* O( `, nBut this year, July has joined the field. . |5 r1 ]- ]' t# J! `! i * h( r) h2 ?& H$ Z: l' vIn Catonsville, SugarBakers bakery owner Jamie Williams noticed the trend, as 15 wedding cakes were booked for July 7.+ s% i b& R! p8 d9 c& y
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"And we have a bunch more pending," she said, adding that a cash deposit finalizes a booking., F- j. Z3 a9 D9 ^: y4 `7 C; t
9 L: ] [ F4 P; q% H9 c6 |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. & M! e7 Y8 D$ v/ Z: a: M0 F8 Y0 r2 G3 L5 h+ r+ T
"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.9 j3 W. x O3 ]% m# }
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For Whitehouse Caterers receptionist Judy Ganz, the date's appeal surfaced by accident last year. ! y. _1 j; O$ [/ C6 Y 8 O+ h: y4 [& z8 I8 v, r5 {6 qA couple came in wanting a Saturday in June 2007 at Whitehouse's home base, Overhills Mansion in Catonsville.$ T2 I9 Z$ S( l) ]
N! x f& X# L& e6 t) TWith none open, Ganz found herself recommending the first Saturday in July as an easy date to remember: 07-07-07.; `# K3 i0 T+ N2 F. ^( C
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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 [8 j- i( ?- Y
5 Z1 `5 ?% T% t" W, \" GA short time later, Ganz saw an overwhelming demand for July 7.6 \ b. I p; C0 _; Y* o
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"It's the most popular date for this year," she said.1 J5 X! z- S1 H4 d6 O3 G
2 S, z8 H3 ~8 x# mFor reasons yet unexplained, however, couples wanting a sacred wedding venue should have no trouble finding several.- b w2 o( G6 F$ k
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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.- O- j5 \- D# e( G0 g( x6 c3 Z
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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.0 f; v# S9 \/ E% E! m
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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. ( c, y' o: J! i; r* ~7 e / D v) f# Y/ iHe anticipates last-minute planning from the grooms involved, as "guys are poky."! f7 I9 P) G& i1 Z! `$ s
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Williams agreed, saying brides tend to book a reception location first, then a cake.% d5 G8 k$ e& C5 z* G
( e. t; m. _) Z7 ]* N: ^1 ]"I don't even like to take cake orders unless they have a site," she said., {# x6 F; o' G1 P: X; S
/ I g2 b2 t" `* U/ ?/ h+ jAt 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. 2 h' F% C& l4 P! c2 Y 8 w" b8 O$ x8 s4 y"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." * u& a* Q, d9 ], S. W) i; n, O ( P5 r' b- l: w5 J4 k+ `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.; u5 Z+ Z! S: O3 Y8 k7 C! @9 ?
/ G: ]3 y1 k# c3 ILibrary circulation manager Carolyn Ovelgone created the wedding display simply to show how many resources the library offers on a particular subject, Ross said.: d1 D1 y* R. F' [8 r. r
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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. 4 P5 l, Z7 E4 [1 |$ ]; g. Q; R c; O2 X/ w, h6 ?
Those numbers were lucky enough -- the marriage is still going strong, she said. 8 T+ c. y5 L1 i |: P( C1 A 3 m0 n$ v# @, `"I don't get the big deal," said Hepperle, who has had more requests for July 7 this year than she could count. 6 ~ B0 Z# `& P) }- D 5 ]8 I' K, p: B- j"As long as it gets me more business, I don't care.", t* s4 j; d7 S) m0 A7 [6 o; m
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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 108 http://csuchen.de/bbs/attachment.php?aid=248522&k=328e10c317ee6d6392ddaeee5790e88a&t=1788262188&sid=hvp7H2
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 108