Jessica Clark and Natalie Vacha started planning their wedding as soon as the state Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage. The Lancaster couple decided to splurge on a bash for their summer nuptial, complete with handmade bridesmaid dresses from red to purple and a seven-layer rainbow cake.
It was Clark's job to book a florist. She scanned the Lancaster yellow pages and put in an order for bouquets made from rainbow frosted roses. But the florist declined.
Even the local horse-drawn carriage business said no. And Clark also had trouble finding a baker for the rainbow cake. So the couple had to drive two hours to a bakery in Los Angeles for their dream cake.
As the brisk pace of same-sex marriages continues across California, some who make a living off the wedding business -- florists, photographers, bakery owners -- have found themselves conflicted, some elated with the sudden wedding bonanza and others uncertain where to draw the line between newfound business and their personal beliefs.
In the first week gay marriage was legal in California, more than 6,300 marriage licenses were granted throughout the state -- more than double in an average June week, according to a Times survey of all 58 counties. With at least 1,450 licenses issued, Los Angeles exceeded all other counties, followed by San Diego, with 727, and San Francisco, with at least 709. Orange County, with 538 licenses, came in fourth. Most counties still had not finalized their reports.
On Friday, gay rights supporters asked the California Supreme Court to block the ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage, arguing that the measure is a "revision" of the state Constitution.
The Alliance Defense Fund, a leading opponent of same-sex marriage, accused gay rights groups of trying to "silence the people's voice." Legal experts said the supporters of same-sex marriage face a difficult task in getting the justices to block a vote on the initiative.
In the meantime, county clerks said they expect above average traffic to remain throughout the summer, and some said they will continue to extend hours as long as the demand is high.
"What we're experiencing now is a huge backlog of people who have wanted to get married for a long time," said Sonoma County Clerk Janice Atkinson.
