Regina couples choose to marry on 08-08-08
by Pamela Cowan, Leader-Post
Published: Saturday, August 09, 2008 in the Regina LeaderPost
REGINA -- 08-08-08 -- why wait?
Friday isn't a traditional day to wed but at least eight Regina couples decided to tie the knot for
luck on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. For the past year, marriage commissioner Randall Edge has received numerous requests for his services on Friday. He tried to accommodate everyone, but said four weddings a day is his limit. I took the day off because there was such a strong demand for performing ceremonies today," he said. The last ceremony he was to perform on Friday was at 9 p.m. "It's really a reflection of the fact that the Chinese culture calls for today to be a day of high
fortune," Edge said. "It's not an accident that the Olympic ceremonies started at eight minutes after
eight this morning of the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year of this decade. A lot of
individuals want to start off their relationship as a married couple with good fortune." His day began at 11 a.m. when he married Melissa and Aaron O'Connor in the backyard of Aaron's parents' place. The bride chose the date because eight is a lucky number in Chinese tradition. "I've been fascinated by the oriental culture for years so when this date came up it was like once in a lifetime opportunity," she said. "I'm very superstitious. Aaron is not." But her new husband hopes the date will be to his advantage. "That's an anniversary date that I think I can manage to remember," Aaron said.
The weekend will be memorable for Aaron's family as his brother Tyler will marry Erin Heisler in
Qu'Appelle today. Aaron and Tyler's mother, Grace O'Connor, made both wedding cakes. She was burning the midnight oil on Thursday as she completed Tyler and Erin's wedding cake.
"It's been a little hectic and we have the rehearsal tonight," she said after Aaron and Melissa's
wedding ceremony. Lawyers Melanie Hodges and Robin Neufeld were married by Judge Diane Morris on Friday afternoon at the Regina Floral Conservatory. The couple chose the date last year when they got engaged on Melanie's birthday. "We randomly picked Aug. 8 because my birthday is Aug. 1 and Robin's birthday is Aug. 15 - so we figured that we'd remember Aug. 8," Hodges said. "It was just a date between our birthdays, but we're happy that it was 08-08-08. It wasn't because of any superstition, but we'll take any luck that we can get."
