The Perks and Pitfalls of an 08/08/08 Wedding

For luck on your wedding day you need something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Today, however, couples across the country are getting hitched—and most of them feel like they’ve got something plenty of luck on their side already.

The repetition of the number eight is considered lucky in Chinese numerology—notice that the Beijing Olympics are starting today—and is said to bring wealth and good fortune. But the numerical repetition is also appealing to couples looking for to start off married life with a little extra mojo, or just an easy way to remember their anniversary.

“Let's face it, just saying 8/8/08 sounds fun,” says Michelle Preli, editor-in-chief of the wedding Web site brides.com. "I also think the 8/8/08 date looks nice on the wedding invitations.”

Preli isn’t the only one! According to brides.com, weddings are up 545% today, compared to the average number on an August Friday. But, for most of the couples taking the plunge, there’s not much of a discount in foregoing the traditional Saturday ceremony.

Seattle-based wedding planner Wendi Hronchich, who had 20 couples contact her about planning a wedding for today, noted that those who changed their date to cash in on this cosmic jackpot of goodwill are more likely to feel a sting in the wallet.

“You [usually] can save 5 to 10% on the space by having a Friday wedding,” says Hroncich. “But the photographer, officiant and everything else will still cost the same. If it’s last minute, you’ll be paying a premium for vendors…Any time you cancel, you’ll incur costs.”

And that’s on top of the already massive costs associated with weddings. “The average wedding costs $27,852, a 48% increase from 1999,” says Preli. “For 8/8/08, some venues, like hotels and resorts, offered special package deals for destination weddings or honeymoons. But in general, there's a supply and demand dynamic for any significant date like this so be prepared to pay more and book your venue early.”

Sure enough, couples are already gearing up for 9/9/09, though the timing isn’t quite as serendipitous. “It's only 13 months away, so if you have a perfect reception venue in mind, reserve it now to make sure you get it,” says Preli. “Keep in mind that 9/9/09 falls on a Wednesday, so that might not be the most convenient day for your guests.”

Who’s worried about guests, though, when the stars—and numbers—are aligned? Joni Hansen, a numerologist, says that this day is a smart choice for tying the knot no matter who can make it.

“This is a cool wedding date, but not because it's 8/8/08,” says Hansen. “Since this is 2008 (and we use the entire number, reduced 2008 is a 10, single digit #1)…so the total of this marriage birth date is 8+8+1=26.” Still following? There's more: “2+6=8. Two is the number of partnerships and six is the number of love which leads into the #8, which signifies balance!"

Um, sure…MainStreet just hopes all couples getting married today to feel like the number one most important twosome in their world.

Congratulations!