Planning a wedding is hard. Planning a wedding during an economic panic when the bride and groom both work in finance is nearly impossible.
Gallery: Times Are Tough All Over
In July, Manhattan bride Joelle Garguilo lost her job as an accountant at New Line Cinema when the company merged with Warner Bros. Three months later, her husband-to-be, Chris Nocella, 27, received news that his company was also in a bit of trouble.
He worked for Lehman Brothers.
“When they filed for bankruptcy, it was like, ‘Oh my God, what do we do,’ ” said Garguilo, 27. “It was really tough for us. We never saw this coming.”
Luckily, Nocella’s division was bought out and he was able to keep his job, but the situation has still made planning a wedding “much, much more challenging,” Garguilo said. “With the economy the way it is, we don’t want to get locked into contracts and then start our life together in debt.”
The couple has slashed their guest list by 50 and moved the September 2009 wedding from a Saturday to a Friday to cut catering costs. Garguilo is making her own favors, having her cousin make her wedding cake and waiting for a sample sale to buy her wedding dress.
“Things would be different if the economy was different,” she said.
She’s also haggling with vendors for better prices and considering making her own flower arrangements. “I priced three florists yesterday, and after hearing the prices, I sat in my mom’s car and just cried,” she said.
“It’s the happiest time in your life, but it’s also so hard.”