Duos see auspicious date in 2/2/02

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Religion and Ethics Writer

Love is in the air ... and in the digits.

Teresa Vergara of Riverview, Mich., who plans to marry at Harris United Methodist in Honolulu with her uncle, the Rev. Alex Vergara, officiating, is confident her husband-to-be, Niall Healy, won't plead amnesia about his anniversary.

It's Feb. 2, 2002, or 2/2/02 — a date that will be imprinted on more than a few wedding invitations.

"Those (repetitive) number dates are very popular," said Susan O'Donnell, president and owner of Aloha Wedding Planners in Honolulu, who has seen more requests for Feb. 2 bookings than for Valentine's Day.

Coincidentally, Feb. 2 falls on Saturday, traditionally a favorite day for weddings.

Every year, it seems some date is the toast of the town, O'Donnell said. In 2001, for example, 7 p.m. on July 7 was a frequent request.

Last year, Eleanor Hagedorn, president of Creative Planners, was booked early for 7/7 at 7 p.m. One couple, both of Korean ancestry, even requested a seven-tiered cake.

Some couples will consult the lunar calendar to set a date, said Susan Louie of Watabe Wedding Corp., which caters to the Japanese market

Feb. 2 "happens to be a good date, and coincidentally, easy to remember," she said.

What about next year? Mark Jan. 4 on your 2003 calendar. Dianna Shitanishi, director of weddings, catering/service manager for the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii hotel, couldn't figure out why so many were calling to book that.

She asked one couple to explain. Turns out 1-4-3 is the pager code for "I Love You."