Wedding Bells

The prime wedding season is nearly upon us. June remains tops for tying the knot, according to the Los Angeles County registrar. Costs remain staggering. Vicki Giannone, a Burbank-based consultant, said a Los Angeles-area wedding with about 175 guests can run roughly double the $17,634 national average. Still, 69,607 county couples took the plunge last year.

Gowns Galore

Demands for wedding gowns can get intense. At Lili Bridals & Formals in Tarzana, owner Lisa Litt is busy taking orders. Dresses at the shop range in cost from $350 to $3,000. June is big, but many weddings also run to late summer and fall. “Everyone thinks it’s June,” said Litt, above. “But for us it’s really August, September and October.”

Time Matters

Wedding planners urge couples to start making arrangements at least a year in advance. Of course, procrastinators always have Vegas or Studio City’s Little Brown Church in the Valley, which was good enough for Ron and Nancy Reagan. More than 20,000 couples have been married at the church in nearly half a century. Last minute? No problem.

Men in Black

With prom season fading, the tuxedo requests focus on nuptials. A basic black number can run from $40 to $90. Kathy Sampson, owner of Tuxedo Gent in Northridge, doesn’t mind monotony. “This end of the business is by far the easiest,” she said.