Marry on a special date? Not in Luxembourg

Getting married on a clever date may be popular abroad but it's not quite caught on in Luxembourg, a straw poll would suggest.

A survey of the main registry offices in the Grand Duchy revealed that only a handful of couples planned to tie the knot on Wednesday, also known as the twelfth day of the twelfth month 2012.

In Luxembourg City Hall, only four weddings had been booked for Wednesday, the most of any commune in the country but still fewer than expected. Registry head Jules Becker said: “There are surprisingly few weddings.” He suggests that the low number is down to the fact that the 12/12/2012 falls on a Wednesday.

Last year, on November 11 (11/11/2011) there were nine weddings in total but then that date fell on a Friday, he explained.

As for December 12 this year (20/12/2012) there are just two weddings in the books, Becker said.

In Esch-sur-Alzette interest remains low. Just one couple will be tying the knot on Wednesday. Registry offices in Monnerich will perform two weddings and Dippach one.

Reporting by Anne-Aymone Schmitz