Marrying on 7/7/07

We all knew last year that there was going to be a ton of weddings on July 7 this year. The whirlwind of flowers, beauticians, priests, dressmakers and wedding chapels is documented in the LAT:

Across the country, tens of thousands of couples wanting to marry on 07/07/07 — for luck, or perhaps because bridegrooms will stand a better chance of remembering their anniversaries — have booked a corresponding number of photographers, caterers, cake makers, hair stylists and vintage Rolls-Royces months, or even years, in advance.

This year, July 7 falls on a Saturday, three days after the Independence Day holiday, and anecdotal evidence suggests it will be the most popular wedding day in recent memory.

TheKnot.com, an Internet company that provides products and services to couples planning their weddings, said 38,000 couples among their users have set their nuptials for what some have dubbed the "magnificent seven." That's more than three times the usual number for a July Saturday, said Kathleen Murray, deputy editor.

David's Bridal, a nationwide chain of 273 stores, has recorded twice as many customers who plan to marry July 7 as on last year's busiest date. In the Los Angeles area, the retailer has sold 600 wedding gowns for that weekend.

"Judging from our 30% market share, that would mean you have about 2,000 brides getting married that weekend" in the L.A. area, said spokeswoman Cindi Freeburn.

Some vendors are going to great lengths to meet the demand.

Square Root, an Irvine event producer and floral design house, is flying in 30 designers from as far away as New York, doubling the number of workers who will be assembling centerpieces and bouquets.

"I've never seen a date so popular," said Jeff Johnson, Square Root's co-owner.

Gina Ludwig, owner of Hair Comes the Bride in Laguna Niguel and Beverly Hills, said she turned away clients because her nine hair and makeup stylists are already booked back to back to back with 14 weddings that day.

All six classic cars in Classy Chassis Rentals' collection in Tarzana have been booked for many months. Owner Mel Harrison said he could easily have filled a seventh Rolls-Royce or Bentley — or a 14th, for that matter — given all the callers who were gearing up for a grand entrance. His big problem now is finding drivers. "I still need three more," he said.

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By settling on 07/07/07 as their wedding date, couples are tapping into a number that through the ages has assumed mystical importance. Religious texts of many faiths, including Islam and Judaism, refer to seven heavens. The saying "I'm in seventh heaven" signifies bliss.

The seven heavens correspond to seven heavenly bodies visible to the naked eye (the sun, the moon and five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). In English, German and several other languages, the seven days of the week take their names from these celestial objects.

The ancient seven-branched Jewish menorah (not to be confused with the Hanukkah menorah) signifies the seven days of creation. There are seven colors of the spectrum, seven notes of the musical scale, seven deadly sins, seven virtues — and seven books in the Harry Potter series.

The frenzy amuses me, of course. I do not believe I will be decorating a wedding that day, but then again, my mom has a penchant for telling me about stuff with just a few days notice.

And to be quite honest, in my experience, I think the day will mostly be lucky for the lawyers -- who will be busy suing and defending reception halls, hotels, florists, dressmakers, cake makers and other vendors who were unable to meet the demand of the frenzy. I've had to do as many as three events (a convention, my own senior prom, and a wedding, for example) in one day, and trust me -- its not easy.