My partner and I were in the Recorder's Office in Alameda County California (Oakland) on Friday- 08-08-2008. This is where all official documents are dealt with: property deeds, death and birth certificates and marriage licenses. While we were there the office had about 200 people there. When we spoke to one of the security folks she told us that this was the craziest that anyone could remember-now this includes the "big" wedding dates like Valentines Day, New Years Eve, and Christmas Eve- apparently all popular days to get married. Indeed it was nuts on Friday- because of the date.
We were told that in the Asian cultures 8's are supposed to bring luck; but the people there were in that office on this day were of all cultures (I guess luck isn't reserved for one culture only, eh?). While the security person was telling this fascinating tidbits of info one of her co-workers came up and informed us that they had just broken a record of 125 marriages and it was only 1:30 pm; they still had another 3 1/2 hours to go!
For those couples who actually got married at the office there- the response that they received from the crowd of folks waiting in line was absolutely incredible. Whether it was a man and a woman, two women, or two men, each couple as they were leaving, left to thunderous applause. There were many characters on at that office on 8/8/08 but the happiness, hopes, and good wishes that was also evident, made it a field trip that we won't forget!

"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~ Albus Dumbledore