By Pam McClounie and Penny Scarth

Published at 11:41, Monday, 04 February 2013

Will couples be unlucky in love if they marry in 2013?

Andrew Coleman

Superstitious wedding traditions have been around for years, from carrying brides over the threshold to finding a spider on your wedding dress for good luck.

With so many entangled ideas about what is lucky and unlucky, are couples deciding to have longer engagements to prevent the chance of more bad luck caused by the number 13?

Andrew Coleman, owner and wedding photographer at Picture U in Carlisle, says he has definitely noticed fewer bookings this year.

He said: “It is definitely superstition as the economy has been bad for a few years now and we are still getting bookings for 2014.”

“We normally have between 85 to 100 weddings but so far we only have 45 booked, although it is still too early to tell how many we’ll get eventually.”

Gordon Wright, a senior customer services advisor at Gretna Register Office, said: “It’s really difficult to say at this point in the year whether people are put off by the number 13 or not.

“Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Thursday when most people are working. We tend to do well with Valentine’s weddings if the day falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

“There are 25 weddings listed across the Gretna district for Valentine’s Day and we are not able to take any more bookings at this stage. Looking at previous year’s figures we had a high once of 90 – which is very unusual – and a low of 22.”

But not everyone is superstitious.

Leeann Lennox, sales manager at Armathwaite Hall, near Bassenthwaite, says they have not been affected as people are booking up – even for Friday 13th (in September).

She said: “It all comes down to the individuals. Some people are superstitious but apparently here they are not.

“Initially bookings were quiet but now so many people have booked up for 2013 it’s fantastic really. I think they’re not really taking into account the superstition.”

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk