Up in the Air

We all know that this economy can wreak havoc on the best-laid plans, including weddings. So what do you do if both you and your fiancé lose your jobs after you’ve already set the date, bought your dress, booked the venue, musicians, honeymoon and paid your deposits? Well, today I spoke with lovely B-to-B, Megan Larson from Ft. Worth, Texas, who faced these very same dilemmas but managed to come through it all without having a breakdown.

Megan and her fiancé, Jeremy, were engaged last March and immediately set about planning for a wedding in August 2010. Since they are paying for the wedding themselves and hope to have about 150 people in attendance, it was devastating when Megan lost her job last July (due to company downsizing), and Jeremy lost his retail job just two weeks later. Naturally, all their plans came to a screeching halt. “We realized that we just couldn’t do it. I cried for two weeks but we had no choice. We had to cancel the wedding.”

Fortunately, Megan was able to retrieve most of her deposit money (read your contracts carefully…if you cancel over a year in advance you can usually get your initial layout back). And the one deposit that was kept could be applied for a later date. “My vendors were very understanding,” she said, “and that helped us deal with the situation. They also said we weren’t the only ones who had to cancel their wedding!”

Megan also advises anyone who suddenly finds their plans postponed and their lives turned upside down not to lose hope. Both she and Jeremy focused on getting jobs and reassessing their goals. She also decided to keep her dress in good condition and took it to a dry cleaner to have it professionally preserved. “Otherwise, I was afraid it would yellow or get dusty.” Another word of advice: “Talk to people wherever you go because you don’t know what they do. We met our caterer at puppy school and he offered to cater our wedding and gave us a discount!”

Fast-forward to present day and Megan in now working at a job she loves (making a lot more than she had been!) and Jeremy is back in school furthering his education. The wedding is back on track for January 2011 and a big Texan-style barbecue is planned with their nearest and dearest. So, kudos to Megan and Jeremy for taking a step back when their lives were up in the air, being flexible and focused and staying optimistic. I can’t wait to see their wedding photos and thank you, Megan, for sharing your story. Don’t you just love happy endings?

Posted by Diane at 4:46 p.m.