Many couples choose to tie the knot on special 11.11.11

Kota Kinabalu: Auspicious dates like 09.09.09, 10.10.10 and 09.10.11 and so on have become a trend for the staging of grand events like weddings and so on.

On Nov 11 (11.11.11) this year, many couples especially from among the Chinese community have chosen to tie the knot to mark the start of their lives as husband and wife.

From surveys done around hotels, it was found that almost every hotel in town has wedding receptions going on during this day, with requests still coming even though the date is drawing near.

For one, Promenade Hotel has already one couple confirmed to have their wedding reception there.

Marketing communications director Anita Chung said this couple had registered their marriage a year ago.

"They will be booking our ballrooms for a whole day," she said, adding that its wedding reception price is the same as any other day.

Similarly, Palace Hotel also has one Chinese couple having their wedding there on this day.

Communications Manager Stella Moluntang said the package price for the reception is the same as any other day even though some may see this date as more special than any other.

"And we do have some more requests coming in but we cannot accept any more as there is only one ballroom and it is taken by the Chinese couple," she said, adding that they have lined up special programmes in conjunction with the date during the reception.

Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa Assistant Communications Manager, Iris Fang, said one couple who will have their wedding reception there on that day is a Kadazan pair, who currently reside in Australia.

There had been several other requests from couples who wished to wed on this day, she said, but had to do it elsewhere for lack of space to hold such functions.

Likewise, Hyatt Regency Hotel Public Relations Manager, Julia Chan, said a Sino-Kadazan couple had already confirmed to have their wedding reception at the hotel on 11.11.11.

The date, which falls on a Friday, she said, is seen as a beautiful and once in a lifetime date.

Apart from this couple, she said, there are also requests from other couples who wished to have their weddings there, but it was not possible as space is limited.

On the other hand, Sabah Oriental Hotel (formerly known as Beverly Hotel) Director of Sales and Marketing, Zaharah Ismail, said there are no wedding receptions going to be held on Nov 11.

"We actually had requests from people who wanted to have their reception here, but due to the maximum capacity of 32 tables, these receptions could not be held as most of them need to have 50 tables for it.

"Therefore, for our hotel, there will only be two school dinners on this day," she explained. Tuesday, October 25, 2011.