What's in a wedding date?

Sarah Beston, Shine Staff

Cab driver conversations always seem to spark some pretty interesting topics. I recently rode with a cabbie in Indianapolis who revealed that he and his blushing bride were getting married on 10-10-10 at 10:10 p.m. He was also dressing as Elvis for the ceremony (he had lived in Vegas for years and had a slight obsession with The King). He divulged that he secretly hoped to one day get married in the Elvis Wedding Chapel in Vegas, but moved to Indianapolis to be with his grandson and is now marrying the grandmother of his grandson on the opposite side of the family. (I know, it took me a long time to wrap my head around that one too, but not to worry, it's perfectly legal.) It was a sweet little reminder that it is never too late fall in love, dress up, show up, and give love another go.

This got me thinking about the significance of auspicious wedding dates and what it all means. No doubt one of the most important wedding planning details is choosing the perfect date to print on your fancy invitations. And, as is turns out, this date often comes with a personal meaning to those who choose it.

Triple Digits

A recent user post on Shine described my cabbie's 10-10-10 date as the luckiest of perfect wedding dates, due to the number ten, which, according to some schools of numerology, symbolizes the perfect number. In China and some other Asian nations, 101010 is considered symbol of perfect harmony. It turns out churches and venues are booked years in advance for these lucky triple date events. The three-date madness has been described by friends as both superstitious and an easy way to remember anniversaries.

Cultural Traditions

Various cultural traditions also play a factor in wedding dates.

Chinese custom selects dates with as many even numbers as possible. Lucky wedding dates are also said to be derived by numerological analysis of the date in the Chinese calendar and modern sources also apply numerological analysis to the date as given by the Gregorian calendar.

The Irish traditionally believe that New Year's Eve is luckiest day for weddings.

In Hindu culture, Akshaya Tritiya is viewed as one of the most favorable wedding dates.

As a "never-been-married, wee bit Irish, somewhat superstitious woman," I think I will just stick with TBD.

Best of luck to my cabbie on his special day!

Did you choose a special date for your wedding?