27 December 2023
For better or for worse, the number of couples getting married in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, on New Year's Eve could set a record.
That is because the date 12/31/23 is known in the Las Vegas wedding industry as a "specialty date." The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the repeating number pattern of 1-2-3 1-2-3 is very popular.
What makes it even more special is that the date falls on a holiday famous for big celebrations.
"It's a double whammy," said Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings, which owns several wedding venues. "Anytime you get these specialty dates, they're always hugely popular. But tie that in with New Year's Eve and it's a showstopper."
Las Vegas is famous for fast marriage ceremonies, and many marriages take place there every year.
The number to beat on New Year's Eve is 4,492. That is the single-day record for marriages in Las Vegas set on July 7, 2007. The second-most popular specialty wedding date on record with the county's marriage bureau is November 11, 2011, when 3,125 couples married.
Since 2018, somewhere between 450 and 550 marriage ceremonies take place each year in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve, the Review-Journal reported.
This year, the company Vegas Weddings is fully booked for midnight at all its venues, including a church in downtown Las Vegas.
Willis-Williams said her company expects to marry more than 120 couples on New Year's Eve. Five of those couples will marry as the clock is counting down to midnight.
Clark County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya said couples married on a specialty date in Las Vegas have described them as "magic dates" that are easy to remember.
"I think the celebration that has a group dynamic is really appealing," Goya said. "When everyone is in line and they're all getting married and excited about being in love, it just enhances their own experience."
I'm Dan Novak.
Dan Novak adapted this Associated Press story for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
couple –n. two people who are involved in a relationship or married
double whammy — n. (informal) two, usually difficult, situations in a row
venue — n. a place where an event takes place
showstopper — adj. a performance or effort that is so good that people stop and clap for it; anything that gets a lot of approval and praise
book –v. to make plans to use something usually by paying to use it for a time period
church –n. a Christian religious building where services and marriage ceremonies are held
dynamic — n. the way in which people interact with each other
enhance — v. to improve or increase something; to make something better