The countdown starts tomorrow, when it will be 10 days until Oct. 10--or 10/10/2010--which for some event planners is shaping up to be a great day for special events.
To be sure, many in the industry say 10/10/10 won't be as big as either July 7, 2007, or Aug. 8, 2008. Not only was the economy better then, but "lucky 7" July 7 fell on a Saturday, and Aug. 8 (eight is considered a lucky number in Asian cultures) fell on a Friday. In contrast, Oct. 10 will fall on a Sunday, which puts a damper on its appeal.
Texas weddings traditionally feature "large receptions, open bars and bands that play until the early morning hours," notes Tara Wilson, president of Tara Wilson Events in Fort Worth. "Sunday night is a hard night for pulling off that kind of activity!"
Even so, other event professionals are seeing a boom in business for 10/10/10.
WEDDINGS ALL DAY
Destin, Fla.-based Sugar Beach Weddings is performing nine weddings—one per hour—on Oct. 10, starting at 9:10 a.m. and ending at 5:10 p.m., according to owner Connie Reeder. "Brides were booking over one year ago, and although we have no more openings, brides are still calling for 10/10/10," she says. July 7, 2007, saw the company perform a dozen weddings, but that summer day offered more hours of sunlight, Reeder explains.
"We rarely do Sunday weddings, "says Jerry Edwards, CPCE, head of Timonium, Md.-based Chef's Expressions. Yet on Oct. 10, "We have four that day," he says, adding it will be "the busiest Sunday ever."
Though 07/07/07 was good, both 08/08/08 and 09/09/09 were "a bust for us," says Patrick Cuccaro, general manager of Atlanta's Affairs to Remember Caterers. In contrast, his company has five events booked for 10/10 Sunday, a day that is usually pretty slow, he says. "I consider this a good sign that happy days are returning!"
Main Event Caterers, headquartered in Arlington, Va., is "completely booked" for 10/10 weddings, notes general manager Cheryl Bennett.
TOP 10 THEMES
Bennett is seeing many "10" theme elements, including one couple scheduling their first dance for 10:10 p.m. Some brides are choosing elaborate "10" decorations on their cakes, Bennett says, and one has created a "10" logo for her invitations. Other brides are having 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen, Bennett says, and still another couple wrote the poem "10 Things I Love About You," which will be attached to their wedding favors.
Master Bridal Consultant Frank Andonoplas, head of Chicago-based Frank Event Design, booked a 10/10 wedding five months ago. The bridal couple will hold their ceremony at 10 a.m., with the bananas Foster dessert station opening at 10 p.m.
Miami's A Joy Wallace Catering Production & Design Team is producing a "perfect 10" wedding on 10/10, with a total of 100 guests—including the bride and groom—who will sit at 10 tables of 10, notes client coordinator Sabdy Pacheco.
UNFORGETTABLE DATE
Why is the 10/10/10 date significant to some clients? Many event professionals say their clients like it simply because it's memorable.
Vince Early, CSEP, event designer and director of sales with Indianapolis-based Thomas Caterers of Distinction, explains that the bride he is helping on Oct. 10 told him, "We're terrible with dates, so I thought we could at least remember this date. Plus, a Sunday wedding sounded unique."
Bennett adds, "Secretly, I believe the brides are just trying to find a date their husbands can remember when it comes time for an anniversary! Why not make it goof-proof?"
THE POWER OF 10
Perhaps the most perfectly themed 10/10/10 event will the Powers of Ten Day dinner, overseen by Los Angeles-based Kai's Catering and Events.
Legendary designers Charles and Ray Eames, probably best known for their iconic midcentury furniture designs, created the movie "Powers of Ten" in 1977. The nine-minute film explores the astonishing results a change of perspective provides as it takes viewers on a journey from earth to the edge of space, then back to the inside of an atom.
The event, which will be held at the landmark Eames House, will include several dishes based on molecular gastronomy, notes Kai's founder Kai Loebach, along with innovative cocktails. "The evening will be a treasure hunt of thoughts on the power of 10," he explains.
AND AFTER 10 …
The big date next year, of course, will be 11/11/2011. And even now, clients are calling to schedule events.
Doug Brown, co-founder of Ovations Catering in West Palm Beach, Fla., already has a wedding booked on 11/11/11, which is slated to end at 11:11 p.m. "And many others are asking for that date because of the uniqueness, and it's a Friday!"
Photo by iStockphoto.com / © Viorika Prikhodko
