Perfect 10, perfect marriage

Asian couples are travelling thousands of kilometres in their quest for a perfect "10.10.10" wedding in New Zealand.

Tour operators and photographers say couples from Asian countries such as Taiwan and Malaysia are booking their services to get married on the "lucky date".

Honeymoon tour organiser Season Lee, who has four couples from Taiwan booked to get married next Sunday, said "10" was a number that symbolised perfection for the Chinese.

"When used in a Chinese idiom 'shi quan shi mei', 10 means perfection and flawlessness," said Mr Lee.

"Chinese believe getting married on the date means it will be a perfect marriage."

October 10 is also Taiwan's national day - a long holiday weekend for Taiwanese.

The couples had been booked to sign their marriage papers at a vineyard in Kumeu, followed by a week-long honeymoon, he said.

Freelance photographer Danny Chan, who will accompany two couples from Kuala Lumpur coming here to solemnise their marriages next Sunday, said he had to turn away at least three other bookings from local clients getting married on the same date.

"Although it is mainly the Chinese who are obsessed with numbers, 10.10.10 is also popular with other races who say the date is easy to remember and has a good ring to it," Mr Chan said.

Kylin Image, a wedding photography company, says it is also struggling to cope with the demand.

Director Lu Li says he already has five bookings for the day - and three are Chinese couples.

"The Chinese believe it is a special date, but I think the others choose it because it is unique," Mr Lu said.

Other unique dates were 09.09.09, which symbolised everlasting in Chinese, and 08.08.08, which sounded like triple prosperity when said in Mandarin.

Mr Lu said Saturday was usually a more popular day for weddings in New Zealand.

The Department of Internal Affairs was unable to say if there would be a surge in marriages on October 10, 2010.

"We won't know how many people got married on the day until we receive all papers from the celebrants," said Iain MacLean, a department spokesman.