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Lucky in Love? Couples Book 7/7/07 Weddings
Mercedes Marnay, center, gets help from her sister, Norma Vina, preparing for her 7/7/07 wedding.
(By Linda Davidson -- The Washington Post)
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Creative Cakes in Silver Spring stopped taking orders this week because it was so swamped. Bakers and decorators there will be churning out 21 wedding cakes on July 7 alone. On average, the bakery creates 28 cakes in an entire weekend.
Mercedes Marnay, 39, of Fairfax Station, said she felt a lot of pressure to book wedding vendors before other July 7 brides nabbed them. In the frenzy, she said, she put down a deposit on one wedding vendor, who skipped town and shut down his Web site and e-mail.
"I made a lot of harsh, quick decisions because I didn't want to be without a photographer or a wedding planner," she said.
Soiree Special Events in Reston is planning five weddings for the day. Laura Auer, the owner, said she's hiring about three times as many assistants as normal to help wedding coordinators on July 7.
Independence Day weekend has also created staffing problems for some wedding companies. July's humidity, with its wilting flowers and melting cakes, has typically been as undesirable time for weddings and perfect for long Fourth of July vacations.
"It's as hot as can be," said Leslie Poyourow, owner of Fancy Cakes By Leslie in Gaithersburg. "Who wants to be sweaty in a heavy bridal gown?"
Apparently, a lot of brides. Poyourow has hired extra hands to replace her vacationing staffers.
The trend in personalized and unique-themed weddings has sevens showing up everywhere. Seven-tiered wedding cakes. Seven-course meals. The Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City is celebrating with deluxe hotel packages for $7,777 and $7 drink specials. The date has also inspired gambling-themed slogans, such as "We hit the jackpot on our wedding," to accompany "777" on chocolate poker chips, hats, buttons and jackets for puppies.
Tammy Barrick, 26, Baskaran's fiancee, is offering M&Ms and candy bars stamped with three sevens as party favors. And there's more: An ice sculpture with the bride's and groom's names intertwined with the date. Mini wine bottles labeled with the triplicate. Seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen.
"We didn't want to overdo it, but we do have it on a lot of things," she said.
The cost of all this good fortune can be steep.
"That's the unlucky part for the bride's father," said Colleen Evans, a spokeswoman for Ritz-Carlton in the District.
A few companies, such as Wal-Mart and the theme park chain Six Flags, are hosting special wedding celebrations on their premises.
"We go to Wal-Mart on average once, sometimes twice, a week," said Ella Glass, 25, who will be walking down the aisle at the Wal-Mart lawn and garden center in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. "We often window-shop at Wal-Mart together, so it makes sense to extend the Wal-Mart date to a Wal-Mart wedding."
Perhaps Washington weddings will be particularly lucky. After all, the city is at 77 degrees west longitude.
Wedding professionals are now hoping that another triplicate, 8/8/08, will be a popular date, as well as consecutive numbers like 6/7/08.
Somehow, 6/6/06 didn't arrive with the same fanfare.
