On a warm Friday afternoon, Tiffany Reese and her fiancé Ryan Olson sped out of Tucson and straight toward Las Vegas, the Wedding Capital of the World, where they will join thousands of couples from thousands of places as they exchange vows at chapels across the city.
For many, it is the lure of a New Year’s Eve wedding that brings them to town. Others see it as a way to get hitched before the beginning of the year. For Reese and Olson, however, it’s the unique date that had them heading to the altar when they chose to.
Reese’s birthday is Jan. 23, or 1/23, or 123. This is her favorite number. The date on New Year’s Eve will read 12/31/23, or 123 123. She has even requested they give their vows at 1:23 p.m. when she gathers with nearly a dozen family members and their children at The Wedding Chapel.
“It’s going to be extra lucky,” she said with excitement. And, although the nuptials were to take place on Dec. 30, the two will be signing their license on the 31st as to follow their theme.
The couple, who have been “boyfriend-girlfriend” since middle school on Tucson’s east side, are apparently not alone in seeking out this date of importance.
New Year’s Eve is already one of Las Vegas’ most popular wedding dates, and adding the magic date of 1-2-3 1-2-3 gives couples even more to celebrate on this historic night, said Lynn Marie Goya, clerk of Clark County, Nevada.
According to the Clark County Clerk’s Office, throughout Las Vegas wedding history, unique numerical patterns — often called “magic dates” — have continually proven to be the most popular dates for nuptials.
Las Vegas’ most popular wedding date in history occurred on 7/7/2007. It became known as the “Lucky 7s” day when 4,492 couples were married. The second most popular wedding date in history occurred on 11/11/2011 when 3,125 couples were married. Last year, 2/22/22 became the sixth most popular wedding date in the city’s history with 2,331 weddings.
These upticks seem to end at the Vegas city limits, according to one Tucson-based wedding venue owner and Pima County justice of the peace, Vince Roberts.
“I haven’t had a single request (to marry a couple) on that date,” Roberts said of 12/31, although he has been busier than usual marrying folks who want to commit before the new year hits. “This week I’ve been swamped, and I’ve got another one to squeeze in.”
Stillwell House owner Candace Carrillo was running around herself on Saturday afternoon, trying to perfect all that needed perfecting for her venue’s New Year’s Eve brunch wedding. Carrillo said she’s certainly seen an uptick in business when the “magic dates” approach.
“It just depends,” Carrillo said. “People are funny. I don’t really subscribe to any of those things, but I know when we have that (magic) date, it goes quick!”
