WOODSTOCK – Trisha Brock spent a few minutes Wednesday afternoon anxiously hiding in the McHenry County Courthouse bathroom so her husband-to-be wouldn’t see her before their wedding ceremony.
Brock felt it was important to stick to tradition Wednesday, a day that for several reasons neither she nor boyfriend Jesus Deleno will ever forget.
The two were one of nine couples at the courthouse who married on 12-12-12 – one of the most unusual days on the calender.
“It’s a really special day,” Brock said.
Brock and Delano said they plan to have a reception for friends and family in July but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get married on 12-12-12.
“Our anniversary is on Dec. 12,” said Delano, who began dating Brock on that day five years ago. “It just made sense to do it today.”
Wednesdays typically are slow days for wedding ceremonies at the McHenry County Courthouse. Usually there are one or two ceremonies during the middle of the week, courthouse officials said.
Julie Alomia and Carl Marley have been dating on-and-off for five years and decided Wednesday was the perfect day to tie the knot.
“I’m all about fate and karma,” Alomia said. “We’ve always been each other’s soulmate, and we both felt today was the right time. The fact that this day will never happen again … it’s very special for us.”
After starting and stopping their relationship several times, Alomia said she knew at the beginning of the year that if the two got back together, they were destined for marriage.
“We had a conversation back in January and I explained to my soulmate that if we reconvene, this time it’s for real,” she said.
“This was the time to do it,” Marley said. “Hopefully 12-12-12 will bring us good luck.”
Kyle and Melissa Caltagirone have been together for one year and felt that Wednesday was the right time to marry.
“It’s easy to remember, that’s No. 1,” Kyle Caltagirone said.
And asked whether the number 12 had any further significance to the couple, he joked that “It’s how many kids we’ll have.”
Wednesday’s one-in-a-century date was projected to be one of the largest days for weddings in the U.S. and around the world.
David’s Bridal estimated there would be close to 7,500 wedding ceremonies in America — a 1,446 percent increase over Dec. 12 last year.
Cities from Las Vegas to Hong Kong anticipated a sharp increase in weddings Wednesday, much like what happened on July 7, 2007; Oct. 10, 2010; and Nov. 11, 2011.
Although 12-12-12 may not have the appearance of good luck – at least not like 7-7-7 – or the symmetry of 11-11-11, the day is no less special for the nine McHenry County couples.
“This day has been a long time coming,” Julie Alomia said. “I’m excited to wear that beautiful ring.”
