Some of the most memorable parties this New Year’s Eve will be wedding celebrations.
The number of couples going to the chapel for New Year’s Eve weddings in Las Vegas could be significantly higher than normal this year, a Las Vegas Review-Journal article reports, due to the date’s repeat pattern of numbers, 1-2-3-1-2-3. (12/31/23.)
Clark County, Nevada — expecting an increased stream of travelers to Vegas to get married — opened a pop-up satellite office Tuesday for marriage licenses at Harry Reid International Airport.
The combination of the first three numbers in Dec. 31 (1-2-3) is considered good luck for couples pledging their love this Sunday. According to numerology, 123 represents harmony, connection, growth, co-existence, as well as self-reliance.
Those promises have proven true for one Atlanta couple, Coy Dumas Jr. and Teresa Dumas, who have been married for decades. Their wedding ceremony began at 11:50 p.m. on New Year’s Eve 45 years ago. The couple said “I do” at midnight, Coy Dumas said.
“We considered Valentine’s Day and June but thought everybody seems to do that,” Coy Dumas said. “We like to do things a little different from everybody.”
Theirs was a quiet wedding celebration with a handful of family in attendance at the home of Coy Dumas’ mother back in 1978. But, nuptials and New Year’s Eve festivities can make for a perfect combination.
Credit: Courtesy Lora Sommer
Credit: Courtesy Lora Sommer
DJ Topher Taylor, owner of Radial Entertainment in Atlanta, said there is an exuberance that takes place with ringing in the new year just before the wedding couple’s official departure.
“It’s wonderful for couples to have weddings on New Year’s Eve,” Taylor said. “We try to maximize the celebration of the newlywed couple and excitement of New Year’s Eve. The wedding and New Year’s celebration can complement each other.”
This is the fourth consecutive year that Taylor will spin music for a wedding reception taking place on New Year’s Eve. Radial’s DJs spin records alongside a live band that’s performing simultaneously.
DJ Victor Jones, a contractor for Radial and a former longtime DJ at Johnny’s Hideaway nightclub in Buckhead, is already booked for a wedding set for New Year’s Eve 2024, Taylor said.
Taylor was hired for this Sunday’s wedding of Paige Wolkin and David Port.
The couple had previously attended New Year’s Eve weddings and the feel of the events was special, Wolkin said.
“Just the energy surrounding the evening was double that of other weddings we had been to,” she said.
There are pluses and minuses to planning a wedding that takes place on the most popular night of the year.
Wolkin said that because some businesses close for the holidays, she picked up her wedding dress three weeks early.
Booking venues and limousines could be an issue unless they are reserved far in advance, and travel costs could be high during the holiday season, says Shelly Danz, owner of Atlanta Wedding Connection.
“If you want to have a wedding date of this significance, sending out a ‘save the date’ notice far in advance would be a priority,” Danz said.
Atlanta Wedding Connection will host a wedding show of vendors offering live music, bridal gowns, floral arrangements, wedding cakes and other must-haves for weddings at the Georgia Aquarium on Jan. 28.
“There’s a lot of fun things that can be added to the wedding event,” she said of a New Year’s Eve ceremony.
Specialty cocktails, New Year’s Eve fireworks or inside sparklers that appear similar to fireworks, add to lasting memories of the wedding event. And despite some of the planning challenges that come with a New Year’s Eve wedding, a year-end ceremony can offer relief to guests who might otherwise not know how to spend the evening.
“For your guests, some of them may see it as ‘Oh great I have a party to go to on that night. I don’t have to worry about what I’m doing,’” Danz said.
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