Top Tips for an Accessible Wedding

Every day, all over the world, there are millions of disabled brides / grooms / couples who are wheelchair users or have accessibility considerations, who have the most beautiful, wonderful wedding days. But they can also face quite a few issues when it comes to planning their wedding. From searching for a suitable accessible wedding venue to outfit inspiration and decorative choices. It can be an overwhelming process, albeit an exciting one!

If you’re planning an accessible wedding for yourself or with guests in mind keep reading for our top tips on how to ensure everything runs smoothly and everyone has all the support they need.

Wedding Venue Accessibility

The accessibility of your chosen venue is one of the most important aspects to consider when booking the location for your big day. Modern venues may already be geared up to allow for wheelchair access with doors at a minimum of 80cm wide, but it becomes much more difficult if you have your heart set on a rambling country house or charming historic castle. Check if your venue has portable ramps available to use, a lift to access different floors (if required) and at least one suitable disabled toilet.

If these things aren’t already in place it could cause yourself or your guests quite a lot of distress and discomfort. Don’t be afraid to ask your venue lots of questions, including whether they have hosted wheelchair users before and how the logistics might work for your big day.

Start the Conversation

It’s not always easy to talk about personal health issues but if you’re planning a wedding and need extra help, or if you have a guest attending and you’re not sure what assistance they might need, start the conversations and just ask. They are experts at living with their condition and managing their day-to-day life so will be happy to offer up some guidance which will in turn make everyone’s experience a much more comfortable one.

Transport & Parking

Depending on your style of venue and the location you will need to find out beforehand if they have allocated disabled parking, and if so where this is. If you can reserve and allocate specific spaces for particular guests, even better!

If you’re organising transport for your wedding party yourselves, simply make sure in advance that it is accessible, and the vendors know to expect disabled guests.

Hearing & Visually Impaired Guests

Having a hearing or visual impairment could make you feel quite isolated. If you have someone attending who has an impairment but you’re not inviting a partner to join them, they might appreciate the opportunity to bring an interpreter or someone close to them that can assist them on the day. This person can also be available to describe what’s happening during different aspects of the day and can make requests on their behalf.

And if your guest has a guide / assistance dog just make sure this is ok with your venue beforehand and there is adequate space / facilities for the dog during the day.

Catering

Requesting a variety of dietary options from catering companies is fairly commonplace these days and is an information request that we would always recommend you include on your wedding invitations/wedding website. Nobody likes to feel left out, so make sure your caterer can cater adequately for any different diets / allergies that arise. From vegan to diabetic requirements, to gluten free and Coeliac disease. You want each and every guest to have a wonderful experience, and not feel that they have been short-changed because they need to have something different. A little bit of extra planning in this department will go a long way!

To ensure all your guests feel happy and comfortable with what to expect from your celebrations, keep communications open and try not to leave too much as a surprise. Your wedding website is the perfect place to share information about the day so that everyone can feel comfortable and confident in what to expect when.