It’s June and wedding season is here. So if you are looking to get married, hitched, plight one’s troth, settle down, drop anchor, walk down the aisle, take vows, say i do, tie the knot, make it legal, put a ring on It, let the library be your official wedding planner!

There are a few reasons why June has traditionally been the favorite month for weddings.

June gets its name from the Roman Goddess Juno, who was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. The festival celebrating her was held on the first day of June. June+Juno+festival=wedding. This one’s gross, but apparently during the medieval time people only bathed a few times a year, some only once, usually in June. If a couple timed it right, they would be smelling their very best for their wedding. In case they missed bath time, the wedding party was known to hold bouquets of flowers to disguise the stink, and June was a good month for an abundance of blooms. This practice is where the flower holding tradition originated. June also worked out as the best month to conceive, so babies wouldn’t interfere with harvesting schedules. Nowadays, and mostly why the tradition has held steadfast, is that June works out well for summer vacations, kids off from school, time off from work, no hurricanes for your honeymoon etc. Just take note June, October is right behind you as the favorite month to have a wedding.

Weddings are a time of joy and celebration unless of course, you are the one planning and paying for it. Then it’s somewhat less thrilling. The wedding machine is a billion, yes billion, dollar industry! From the location and invitations to the flowers and the cake, everything can be planned out and priced out. If you are in the throes of it, or just barely dipping a toe, The Los Angeles Public Library is here to help. We can help you plan every detail, and at the low, low cost of free!

Here is a list, by no means exhaustive, of what’s new and special for all things wedding related.

Weddings 101

General Planning

• The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook: More Than 1,000 Cakes, Centerpieces, Bouquets, Dresses, Decorations, and Ideas for the Perfect Day by Carley Roney
• Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding by Kirsten Ott
• 2brides 2be: A Same-Sex Guide for the Modern Bride by Laura Leigh Abby
• The Mother of the Bride Guide: A Modern Mom's Guide to Wedding Planning by Katie Martin
• The Wedding Book: An Expert's Guide to Planning Your Perfect Day-Your Way by Mindy Weiss
• The Knot's Yours Truly: Inspiration and Ideas to Personalize Your Wedding by Carley Roney
• Weddiculous: An Unfiltered Guide to Being a Bride by Jamie Lee
• A Practical Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration by Meg Keene
• Modern Brides & Modern Grooms: A Guide to Planning Straight, Gay, and Other Nontraditional Twenty-First-Century Weddings by Mark O'Connell
• Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette by Anna Post
• Lynda.com: Financial Planning
• Universal Class: Wedding Planning

Bachelor/Bachelorette/Rehearsal Parties

• Hoopla: Wedding Party Music
• The Playboy Guide to Bachelor Parties: Everything You Need to Know About Planning the Groom's Rite by James Oliver Cury
• The Smart Guide to Bachelorette Parties by Sharon Naylor

Dress Shopping

• Magazine: Bride Magazine
• Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Brides by Ariel Meadow Stallings
• Couture Wedding Gowns by Marie Bariller
• The Wedding Dress: The 50 Designs That Changed the Course of Bridal Fashion by Eleanor Thompson
• Wedding Jewelry: 30 Inspirational Designs to Make by Sian Hamilton

Food

• The Perfect Wedding Cake by Kate Manchester
• The Wedding Cake Decorator's Bible by Alan Dunn
• A Perfect Event: Inspired, Easy Elegance for Every Occasion: Grocery-To-Gorgeous Recipes, Stylist by Debi Lilly
• Magazine: Martha Stewart Weddings
• Universal Class: Cake Decorating

Decor

• The DIY Bride, An Affair to Remember: 40 Fantastic Projects to Celebrate Your Unique Wedding Style by Khris Cochran
• Stylish Weddings: 50 Simple Ideas to Make From Top Designers by Jenny Doh
• Rustic Chic Wedding: 55 Projects for Crafting Your Own Wedding Style by Morgann Hill
• Designing with Flowers by Preston Bailey
• Weddings in Color: 500 Creative Ideas for Designing a Modern Wedding by Vané Broussard
• Wedding Flowers by Karen Tran
• The Inspired Wedding: Seven Handcrafted Themes for Your Big Day by Emma Arendoski

Wedding Professionals

• Lynda.com: Wedding Photography
• Freegal: Wedding Music
• The Wedding Officiant's Guide: How to Write & Conduct a Perfect Ceremony by Lisa Francesca

Travel Planning

• Weddings Away: The New Destination Wedding and Getaway Wedding Celebrations Guide by Sharon Naylor
• The 100 Best Romantic Resorts of the World: Perfect Places in All Price Ranges for Honeymooners and Others in Love by Katharine Dyson

Invitations

• Lynda.com: Calligraphy
• Wedding Calligraphy: A Guide to Beautiful Hand Lettering by Laura Hooper and Alyssa Hooper
• Wedding Papercrafts: Add Handmade Charm to Your Celebration by Lark Crafts

CouplesTherapy

• 52 e-Mails to Transform Your Marriage: How to Reignite Intimacy & Rebuild Your Relationship by Samantha Rodman
• The Science of Couples and Family Therapy: Behind the Scenes at the Love Lab by John Mordechai Gottman

And if it all falls apart, we can help you through the divorce too!