A record number of couples tied the knot yesterday, taking advantage of the auspicious 'triple 10' - a once-in-a-century date featuring the figure that denotes perfection in traditional Chinese thinking.
Not to be outdone, a number of dog owners also arranged for their animals to get hitched on the special day.
The city's five marriage registries played host to 137 couples who exchanged vows - the maximum they could accommodate, according to a spokesman for the Immigration Department.
The total number of marriages is sure to be much higher as many couples were also married in licensed places of worship and venues presided over by civil celebrants. The exact total would not be known for a few weeks, the spokesman added.
On last year's 'triple nine' - September 9 - 127 couples got married, while there were 120 on August 8, 2008.
Given the trend of getting married on such specially numbered days, the spokesman said there would be a lot of demand from couples wanting to get married on January 1 and November 11 next year and December 12 in 2012. Applications have to be filed three months in advance.
One couple who got married yesterday said they had managed to make it a 'quadruple 10', as they were becoming hitched after a 10-year romance. But it was touch and go. 'We were initially told all the registries were full and we wouldn't be able to get married today, but later a couple withdrew and we were given their booking,' the husband said.
