Couples find heaven in 7-7-7

At 10 minutes past midnight Saturday morning, Katy Dierks' wedding dress arrived, after traffic and wrong turns delayed Dierks and everyone else in her wedding party on their way to Belle Chapel in Snohomish.

By 12:15, Dierks, still a little flustered, tugged at her red sash as she took one last look in the mirror.

At 12:20, she walked arm-in-arm with her father down the aisle, the second of eight brides who, determined to wed on July 7, 2007, signed up for 15-minute ceremonies that started at midnight.

For couples too late to snag a venue for what's been billed the hottest wedding date of the century, the Belle Chapel offered a Vegas-style alternative close to home.

Eight couples walked down the chapel's aisle long before dawn Saturday, joining tens of thousands of others nationwide who wanted to marry on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year 2007. Theknot.com, an online bridal community, said there were 38,000 weddings planned across the nation for July 7, three times the number that usually wed on a typical Saturday in July.

The date's popularity results from its cultural and religious significance. Think Seven Wonders of the World, the seven deadly sins, the winning 7-7-7 on slot machines, the world created in seven days. Many consider seven a lucky number, and endeavors on a date with triple sevens particularly auspicious.

Most wedding venues, including Belle Chapel, have been booked solid for more than a year. But Belle Chapel owner Sharon St. Marie decided to offer something for people who hadn't planned that far ahead.

The eight after-midnight couples came from as far away as Olympia and Graham, Pierce County. Many wore traditional white dresses and tuxedos, although a few walked down the aisle in jeans. Some came alone, others with the limit of 15 family members and friends.

For most, it was a spontaneous decision to seize the chance to wed on 7-7-07. Most had plans to marry soon — but not this soon.

Dierks, who became Katy Nelson on Saturday morning, signed up about two weeks ago, after being engaged for 2 ½ years to Trevor Nelson. Katy's mother said she first brought up the possibility "because I'm a gambler." Trevor, however, said he heard about Belle Chapel on the radio, after trying in vain to find another venue for July 7.

It was just what they wanted: simple and inexpensive, and they had a date that was both easy to remember and propitious.

Stacy and Ron Collins, from Snohomish, had thought about having a Vegas wedding in September. But when Stacy read about Belle Chapel last Monday morning, she called Ron immediately. By lunch, he had agreed to the Belle Chapel idea. By the end of the day, they had their marriage license, which must be acquired by three days before the ceremony.

July 7 "is a great day," Stacy said. "I reached out and grabbed it, and it grabbed me at the same time."

Judi and Warren Spencer, of Snoqualmie, had plans for an October wedding — and they will still hold a celebration then. But when her son heard about Belle Chapel's 7-7-07 offer on the radio, they decided "why not?" Their marriage license, which they got five minutes before the office closed Tuesday, was No. 77.

"It was just meant to be," Judi said.

The early Saturday-morning ceremonies were short, but not too short. Each couple had time to beam at each other, recite their vows and stand at the altar afterward while family and friends snapped photos. Downstairs in the reception hall, however, it was a trifle like musical chairs. At 1:45 a.m., as the Collinses waited for their time in the chapel, the newly married Christine and Jason Foust of Lynnwood were dancing and the Spencers stood in front of a fake cake set up for photos, then moved on to already-cut pieces ready for them to feed each other.

The eighth couple, Gary and Felicia Mork of Graham, came alone for their 2 a.m. time slot, which by then was a little delayed. Gary, a truck driver, had worked all day and napped in the car before the ceremony.

They've been together seven months, they said. It's the third marriage for each, and they said they wanted whatever luck the sevens could bring.

"This time, it should work," Felicia said. "So we're hoping."

Linda Shaw: 206-464-2359 or lshaw@seattletimes.com