Margaret Rappaport must have felt more like a wedding planner last Friday instead of Howard County's clerk of the Circuit Court.

Between weddings, Rappaport was busy tiding up the chairs in the tiny chapel at the Howard County Circuit Court in Ellicott City while a traffic jam of couples shuffled in single and bounced out of the room as man and wife.

Rappaport performed 23 weddings on Aug. 8 -- or 08-08-08.

Around the world, many consider the No. 8 is a symbol of good fortune, especially in some Asian cultures.

"It's a lucky day," Rappaport said during a break following one of weddings that day.

Brittany Pyle and Bennett Irons, of Baltimore, were one of the first couples who tied the knot that day.

"We both like the number eight. It's our favorite number," said Brittany, adding that their family members said it would be good luck to get married that day.

Other couples chose the day to make the date easier to recall.

Just before her ceremony, Alia Jackson, of Catonsville, said that the date was chosen for her now-husband Frankie's benefit.

"(It's) easy for him to remember ... 20 years later," Jackson said.

The number 8 when on its side, she said, is the symbol for infinity, another reason they chose the date.

Rupinderjit Grewal and Rohini Gundara, of Arlington, Va., weren't as concerned with the date.

"It happened to be (a) coincidence," Rimmy Grewal, of Laurel and Rupinderjit's sister-in-law, explained.

"This is your contract. Don't lose it," Rappaport said as she handed the newlyweds their marriage license after the 15-minute ceremony.

Rappaport posed for pictures with the couple and was even given an Indian pastry by the family, a ritual at any happy occasion, according to the bride and groom's family members.

Other days that seem to have an influx of couples wanting civil ceremonies are Valentine's Day and major holidays in general, according to Rappaport.

On a typical day, the clerk performs at least one civil ceremony, with Friday as a day commonly having more weddings performed, according to Diana Liebno, fiscal clerk of the court.

"It really all depends," Liebno added.

While the day may have been joyous (and perhaps lucky), wedding-day jitters were still present for some.

"He's more nervous than me," Alia Johnson said of her future husband right before their ceremony was to begin.

---

user comments (0)