One of the most popular days to wed this year has arrived. Approximately 24,133 couples are registered with The Knot’s bridal network to exchange “I dos” today, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. It’s a catchy date, but that’s not the only reason couples are lining up to wed on the perfect palindrome day.

By Amy Eisinger

For the math nerds and computer geeks of the world, 11/11/11 is both binary and, when multiplied (11×11), will produce another palindrome (121), making it a pretty unique sequence. “My fiance is a bit of a computer geek, so he loved the fact that 11/11/11 is binary — it was a major selling point for him,” says Kelly Szczublewski, who will wed her fiance, James Montgomery, in Columbus, Ohio.

The other selling point? “I get to say, ‘I’m marrying my favorite veteran on Veteran’s Day,'” says Szczublewski of her fiance, who served four years in the Army with two deployments to Afghanistan. The date also held special meaning for the couple since this Veteran’s Day corresponds with the 10th anniversary year of 9/11.

Cailey Campbell, who will wed her fiance, Chad Brinkman, on the auspicious Friday, says that the date held plenty of meaning for them. “One morning, I just so happened to text him, ‘I want to marry you on 11/11/11 at 11:11.’ Only later did we find out that I actually sent that text at exactly 11:11 a.m.!” But Campbell wouldn’t be the only one to find a deeper meaning behind these six ones. Numerologists, for instance, tie 11:11 to beliefs of “synchronicity” — the idea that seemingly unrelated events occur at this time in a meaningful way (say, you meet your soul mate “by chance” in a coffee shop as the clock strikes 11:11 a.m. Numerologists may argue it wasn’t chance at all).

Then there are the romantics: “We have a wish theme,” says Aaron Sadler, who will wed Nathan Steinman in Oklahoma City. “There will be plastic wishbones for guests, as well as a large wall clock stopped at 11:11. Our card box is shaped like a wishing well, and our favor cakes will have a birthday candle in them — [we’re] inviting guests to make a wish.”

Campbell is incorporating dandelions into her wedding day. As she and her new husband make their big exit, Campbell wants to have guests blow dandelions their way.

And even though there are 24,000-plus couples tying the knot that day, most don’t seem bothered by sharing the date.

“Honestly, I think it’s kind of fun,” says Sadler. “Our photographer said that everybody at her studio was arguing over who gets to be the second shooter [at the wedding] and that she’ll probably have to make them draw straws.”

A date this special doesn’t come around very often. The next (and last) shot couples will have at a similar date for nearly 100 years? 12/12/12 — but that’s a Wednesday, so we’re guessing that, for most couples, it won’t have the same ring to it.

— Amy Eisinger