Laura Drumm can think of a dozen reasons to get married on 12/12/12, but she prefers one: “I just like the number; I have a good feeling about it,” she said.
She will wed her longtime boyfriend, Joshua Bonkowski, at the Bridgeview courthouse Wednesday.
“I requested to be married at 12:12, but they just laughed and said, ‘Ah, no,’ ” said Drumm, of Oak Forest.
The ceremony is set for 12:30. Drumm will wear a satin dress handmade by her mother, Judy Drumm.
Afterward, the happy couple, family and friends plan a special brunch. Then the newlyweds will take off for an extensive tour of Michigan. Drumm said a larger reception will be held after the holidays.
According to a survey by David’s Bridal, many people consider date sequences to be lucky, especially when it comes to romance. An estimated 43 percent of brides have considered planning their wedding on an iconic date, according to the “What’s on Brides’ Minds” survey. Some feel it will bring years of happiness to the marriage, others simply want an easy way to remember their anniversary.
The bridal chain estimates that 7,500 brides will wed on 12/12/12; only 485 got married on 12/12/11.
“A lot of couples come in and tell us they’re going to get married on 12/12/12.”
“A lot of couples come in and tell us they’re going to get married on 12/12/12,” said Courtney Greve, a spokeswoman for the Cook County clerk’s office. They won’t know how many until the end of business Wednesday because anyone who takes out a license has 60 days to seal the deal, by law.
Drumm, 31, was introduced to the number 12 when she was a freshman at Oak Forest High School, where she wore No. 12 on her varsity soccer jersey.
That set in motion some good vibes about the number deemed the longest one-syllable word in the English language.
She won a few times when she picked No. 12 in Illinois Lottery games. And she and Bonkowski, 37, first kissed on Jan. 12, 11 years ago.
“When I realized in June or July that the date 12/12/12 was coming, I was determined to get married that day,” Drumm said.
Drumm and Bonkowski, of Chicago Ridge, met while both were working at Bank Financial in Orland Park. Today, he works in the bank’s corporate office in Burr Ridge and she works as a receptionist for a doctor and a dentist.
“I can’t explain my fascination with 12; it’s just a feeling,” she said.
Are the couple hoping to have a dozen kids, like in the movie, “Cheaper by the Dozen”?
“I would love it, but probably not,” Drumm said.
Her lucky number may surface in another way, though. Recent weather reports call for a drop in temperatures. There’s a chance it could dip to 12 degrees on their wedding day. This is December, after all.
“That’d be awesome,” Drumm said.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times