The Luckiest Day To Get Married This Century
Posted June 11, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Dream weddings may happen only once in a lifetime. But a dream day for a wedding really does. And that’s why you may see a spurt in those traipsing down the aisle on July 7 of this year, considered by many to be the luckiest day to tie the knot in recent history. What’s so special about that date, other than it falls on a Saturday? It happens to be the only time in your existence that the calendar will display the figures 07/07/07 – considered among the luckiest of all numbers.
Many cities – including Las Vegas – have launched huge publicity sprees to attract marriages on that day. Vegas makes perfect sense – three sevens on a slot machine usually provide the biggest payout at a casino. But those who consider getting hitched enough of a gamble should know those lucky 7’s aren’t solely related just to wagering.
Seven is considered the perfect number in the Bible, Buddha is said to have walked seven steps at his birth, there are seven lucky gods in Japanese mythology, and seven has always been associated with good luck in a slew of other cultures. All of which explains the sudden rush to walk down the aisle on that special weekend day in mid-summer. Caterers, florists, halls and wedding planners all report a surge in bookings for that day, far above what they would normally get for an average July 7th.
Even celebrities aren’t immune to the charms of the supposedly charmed day – Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria is slated to be hitched to her fiancé, basketball star Tony Parker in Paris on that day. The reason? The San Antonio Spurs point guard is very superstitious and thinks the extra luck won’t hurt.
Meanwhile, back in Vegas, they’re going wild trying to accommodate everyone. “Wedding chapels have reported couples booking further in advance to secure a slot on that desirable date and are booking as small as 15 minutes increments to accommodate as many couples as possible,” confirms Erika Pope of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Many places are planning to perform an unusually high number of ceremonies on the sacred day. But most have set a limit at – what else? -77.
Still, it’s all a cultural thing, which means you haven’t seen the end of the most fortunate marriage day. The Chinese consider “8” a lucky number and you know what that means – bookings galore for next August, when the calendar hits 08/08/08 – a Friday.
So what’s the worst day to get married on? Ironically, an old English nursery rhyme claims it’s Saturday – the very day that July 7th falls on this year.
“Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health
Wednesday best day of all
Thursday for curses
Friday for crosses/losses
Saturday no luck at all.”
Wedding resources:
Getting a marriage license in Ontario
Getting married in Ontario – what you need to know
Toronto City Hall Wedding Chambers
What is the difference between a marriage licence and a marriage certificate?
How to find a religious official authorized to perform a ceremony in Ontario
How to avoid problems with carters/bandleaders/florists
Photo credit: Robert Mora/Getty Images Entertainment