TORRINGTON— A Torrington couple’s wedding plans have been thrown into flux after most of their belongings were wiped out in a fire last week.
Torrington residents Ashley Toker and Brittany Brienza’s wedding is 15 days from now.
Their wedding planning took a big hit after a fire started in the kitchen of their South Chapel Street home last Friday. The two and a half story home was engulfed by the fire, which the Torrington Fire Department says started in a waste basket in the kitchen area and spread to the second floor.
Brittany and Ashley weren’t home at the time, but most of their belongings were destroyed, including more than $1,000 worth of items purchased for their wedding.
“Most of the decorations got lost,” said Brienza.
Brienza and 10 of her family members lived in the multifamily unit and have lost everything in the fire.
Online donations can be made to the family. Click here to their Go Fund Me page.
“Everyone’s really pulled together for us. I’m really appreciative of that,’ said Brittany’s mother, Diane Hart.
Toker and Brienza are preparing to get married on July 12 in Upstate New York, and are planning to keep the wedding date despite the setbacks.
The couple says members of Brittany’s extended family have pitched in to make food for the wedding since the couple can no longer afford the cost of catering.
“I was kind of nervous of how we make it with everything because all of our money is being spent at hotels,” said Toker.
Toker says Brittany’s aunt has been making bouquets and making flowers for the men, since all the decorations, including wedding pins, were lost in the fire.
Her wedding dress was kept at her parents’ home, nowhere near the fire.
“Thank God, because I don’t think David’s Bridal would give me another one,” Toker said.
Brittany Brienza says her tuxedo was at the home during the fire but came away virtually unscathed.
“Thank God it had a bag on it,” she said.