Nicole Hart will marry her beloved at 8 a.m. Aug. 8, 2008, looking out over the ocean at the Waialae Country Club.

"We wanted to start the day off married," Hart said.

For her husband-to-be, Lance Ong, who is kama'aina and second-generation Chinese-American, it's an auspicious day. To Hart, it's symbolic in another way.

"Eight is a number that doesn't end: There's no beginning and no end, so it's infinite," said Hart, who is from the Mainland. "It seems as if we've been together forever, and I know we will be together forever."

Hart and Ong are among the many couples who are hoping that 8/8/08 will be a lucky anniversary — though people in the Hawai'i wedding industry are lamenting the effect on business.

The good news from Sasha Reichart of cakelava: "We've been booked since last year. We've got five weddings on the day," said the Kailua bakery owner.

The bad news?

"We're doing nothing but turning people away," she said. "It's pretty sad for people in the industry. Everybody wants 8/8/08. We're trying so hard, the rest of month is weaker. That's what happened for 7/7/07. A week or two after that, it was quiet."

In Hawai'i, where there are a fair number of people of Chinese descent, it's interesting to note that the date isn't showing up on every church calendar for Chinese congregations. Calls to four of the larger Chinese houses of worship, from Buddhist temples to Christian churches, turned up not a single 8/8/08 wedding.

Pastor Norman Choy, of Honolulu Chinese Baptist Church in Kaimuki, had one couple who considered it, but changed their minds.

"It was too far away," he said.

Choy explained why 8/8/8 is considered a lucky date:

"Eight means prosperity, longevity," he said. "... The word 'eight,' baat, sounds like the word 'prosper,' faat. So if you say it fast, it sounds like 'prosper, prosper, prosper.' "

In China, the Olympics are scheduled to open at the auspicious hour of 8:08 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2008. However, that attachment to calendar dates doesn't strictly translate for Hawai'i's Chinese-Americans, say some Chinese experts.

"American Chinese aren't as traditional as those from the Republic of China or Taiwan," said Gerald Chang of the Chinese Chamber — adding that the date could be a popular one here simply because it's a nice number.

There is certainly interest in holding celebrations on that date. Joel Nishimoto, director of catering at the Halekulani, reports that he has all his spots double-booked.

It's not just for weddings, nor just for weddings of Chinese-American couples, either. "It's everybody," he said.

There's even a company party planned for that day, Nishimoto said, employing a Chinese theme.

It's a nice date to remember: Beverly Pong and her husband-to-be, Rodney Chai, will be marrying on the Halekulani lawn on 8/8/08 with only a small group of family and out-of-town guests, but will have their 350-person reception the next day.

"It's for a multitude of reasons," said Pong, a real-estate agent who lives in Honolulu, explaining that as an older couple on their second marriages, they had to find a date that worked for their children's schedules, first and foremost.

"Plus, it's an easy day to remember."

About a year ago, just as the 7/7/07 frenzy was in full swing, Chai left the decision in Pong's hands on what date to pick for a wedding. Because Pong was born and raised in Chinese culture — including nine years of Chinese school as a youth — she wanted a prosperous day.

"I didn't even look at the calendar," she said.

And she likes how the number 8 looks like two entwined wedding rings, she said.

Booking a site wasn't as easy a decision: Some hotels only allowed bookings a year in advance. If she wanted 8/8/08, she'd have to be the first caller on 8/8/07.

She's taking it an extra step, as well: They'll have a Chinese dinner, and at their Halekulani reception, she's thinking of having eight guests to a table.

"We need all the luck," she added with a laugh. "And good wishes. ... When we get closer to retirement age, prosperity is important!"

Jennifer Frazier and Mel Ona, both from the East Coast, plan to celebrate their nuptials in an 8/8/08 wedding in Hawai'i, though neither are of Chinese ancestry.

"It wasn't an overly thought-out process, but Mel has a thing for dates," said Frazier, whose in-laws live in Honolulu. Hawai'i is where her fiance, now in medical school, hopes to do his residency.

"If you meet him, he'll tell you to the day since we met. ... We've been inseparable from the beginning."

Asked how long the Frazier-Ona couple had been together, their answer was the same as the Hart-Ong's: Eight years.

Ah, the symmetry.