Couples often favour easy-to-remember anniversaries, and Saturday, 24 February 2024 is one of those special dates.
Several congregations are hosting special wedding events on Saturday, with couples in some cases tying the knot one after the other.
Congregations have also approached 24.2.2024 as a no-fuss wedding day for people wanting to get married without too many bells and whistles. Couples can step into holy matrimony provided they have confirmed there are no impediments to their marriage.
A wedding night event organised by Lutheran congregations in Kuopio will, for example, see 24 couples tie the knot.
April will offer more quirky days for nuptials — 2.4.24 and 24.4.24, when churches are also set to host special wedding events.
Numerical series dates are also popular at registry offices, according to Paula Ojaniemi, a spokesperson for the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, who said 24.2.24 has drawn many bookings.
"We'll try to accommodate all of them," she said.
Civil ceremonies usually take place during office hours. However, it's also possible to arrange for an officiant on weekends for a fee.
Next week will also see another popular date to get hitched — leap year day, February 29, when women in Finland were historically encouraged to propose.
In many places, leap day slots have been booked up well in advance.
"On leap day, we're organising a special evening in Oulu, and currently, ten couples have booked their weddings after office hours," Ojaniemi said.
Summer weddings are especially popular in Finland, with most civil weddings staged on Fridays in July and August.
According to Statistics Finland, 21,942 marriages were registered in 2022. While the number of marriages grew from the previous year, it was still the second lowest figure in over 100 years.
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