1-11-11 is one busy day for weddings

Today is expected to be one of the busiest days of the year for the New Castle County Marriage Bureau.

And there’s one very good reason for that; today’s date is January 11, 2011, or 1-1-11.

Clerk of the Peace Ken Boulden says his schedule is packed because of the perceived power of the number “one.”

“We would probably have throughout the entire week maybe about a half-dozen requests for ceremonies,” he said. “We have on this day already 16 requests.”

Why that is depends on who you ask, Boulden says.

“The grooms are telling me it’s going to work for them because it will be easy for them to remember their wedding date,” he said. “Which means they’re less apt to forget which means they’re less apt to get in trouble.”

He says the brides are more philosophical.

“They talk about the number ‘one’ in some cultures representing love or romance,” Boulden said. “And others they talk about ‘one’ being the beginning of all things, or a start, or a foundation.”

And before you dismiss those theories as being silly, consider Boulden’s point. He says anything that can add meaning to a wedding can’t hurt.

“Unfortunately marriage ceremonies have lost their significance,” he said. “So anything that an individual can attach to that ceremony – the date or the time — that will give it significance throughout their life, then I’m guessing that’s probably going to give it a better chance of surviving.”

For fans of the number “one” Veteran’s Day (11-11-11) will be even better. But Boulden says his county office will be closed in observance of the holiday.

After that, it will be a long wait until January 1, 2101, or 01-01-01