Lucky 7s

Courtney Paquette/CNHI News Service

July 06, 2007 09:47 pm

— NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Michelle DesSureault, 22, is marrying her high
school sweetheart, Jarid Day, ending a four-year engagement next
month.
She's confident the day will be memorable, not to mention their
anniversary date.
"It'll be easy for him to remember," said DesSureault of Amherst, N.H.
DesSureault snagged a room for her "7/7/07" wedding at Promises to
Keep, a function facility in Derry, N.H. It was the last room available on
that date, and she booked nearly a year and a half in advance.
July 7 brides like DesSureault who booked the date in record numbers
may not need something borrowed and something blue to bring them luck on
their big day. They've got the calendar on their side.
About three times as many brides as typically get married in the whole
month of July booked July 7 for their wedding this year, according to
Melissa Bauer, spokeswoman for TheKnot.com, a wedding Web site with over
1.1 million members.
Bauer said a typical Saturday in July plays host to about 12,000 member
weddings. This year, 38,000 brides registered July 7 as their wedding
date.
Bauer said people are also using the number as a theme for their
weddings | having seven bridesmaids, seven groomsmen, seven people sitting at
each table.
"It's extremely lucky," Bauer said. "It has biblical significance
across multiple religions."
Who can blame brides seeking a little extra luck in numbers? Not only
is the number seven lucky in Las Vegas, it's got a pretty good track
record in the Bible, too.
"The number seven is usually seen as symbolizing perfection, wholeness,
totality ..." said Dennis Sweetland, a professor of theology at Saint
Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.. "Multiples of seven are often seen
to carry similar symbolism."
The Sabbath is the seventh day. Visions of Christ include several
references to the number seven. Pentacost is seven weeks after Passover. And
the Exile lasted for 70 years. All, Sweetland pointed out, are
examples of the significance of the number.
Good feelings surrounding the date also have turned into good business
for local merchants who cater to weddings.
"We actually could have filled it a dozen times," said John Oudheusden,
owner of Promises to Keep. "We had so many people requesting that
date."
Brookstone Park manager Alex van den Broek said the date sold quickly,
and six more brides requested the facility after it was filled.
Ford Flowers in Salem got 15 requests to do weddings and is handling
eight of them, owner Bert Ford said.
Christy Tuttle, owner of the invitation store Invent-tations in Dover,
N.H.,said she did three wedding invitations for couples tying the knot
July 7. Typically, she said she does about three a month.
In fact, Tuttle's going to a wedding that day. And so is Debbie West,
owner of Debbie's Delights bakery in Salem, N.H. She's making the cake
for that bride's lucky day.
While many brides booked specifically for the date, some just lucked
out getting it.
Alicia Holden, 23, of Bridgewater, Mass., also is having her wedding at
Promises to Keep on July 7.
She and her fiance, Christopher Ronayne of Plymouth, Mass., are moving
to Manchester, N.H., this week.
Holden said she started looking for a place for her reception in
January 2006, and didn't really think about the date too much. She just
wanted the summer and July.
Now she's happy seven's on her side.
"Hopefully it won't rain," she said.

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