You want your wedding day to be everything you’ve always dreamed of, but you’re worried that your wheelchair will prevent it. With just a little creativity and ingenuity, though, your wedding can be spectacular.
Location, Location, Location
The first thing you need to do after getting engaged is set the date and pick out a venue. Or vice versa. In some cases, the venue you want may determine the date of your wedding. Once you and your fiancé have narrowed the choices down to a few, take a day to go check out their accessibility. Prioritize your wants versus your needs. If the reception hall that you want has small steps in different places or more than one level, decide if the look you want for your wedding is worth some loss of your ability to move freely throughout the building. You can also check out this episode of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? to see how a professional wedding planner handles the issues of a bride in a wheelchair.
You may also want to consider having your ceremony and reception in the same location; A restaurant or a country club, perhaps. For brides in wheelchairs, especially, it is often much easier to have both in the same location rather than attempt to transfer in and out of a vehicle while wrapped in yards of tulle and lace.
The Dress
The one thing that every bride, wheelchair or not, needs to remember: Don’t let anyone talk you into a dress that you don’t absolutely love. The sales people will almost definitely try and you may feel tempted to just “pick a dress.” If your mother, friends, sisters or even your fiancé is there to help you try on dresses, you may begin to feel guilty after the first few you try on. If you begin to feel this way or like a burden for the people helping you change, step back and let everyone know that you would like to take a break and try again another day.
There are fashion “rules” that women in wheelchairs should follow regarding the dress. It has been said that you should look for a two-piece dress that will hang better on a frame that spends all day in a chair. Forget this rule. The only fashion rules you should take into consideration when shopping for your wedding dress is what looks best on you and what you feel best wearing.
Everything Else
- The bouquet and toss. It is very difficult to maneuver a wheelchair, especially an electric one, while holding a bouquet. Ask your florist to attach a wrist strap, similar to a corsage, to your bouquet. If you’re doing the bouquet toss and are unsure about your throwing ability, try tossing your flowers underhand while facing the group.
- The First Dance. Dancing at your reception can be a tricky situation. Again, it all comes down to comfort. If you are comfortable standing up to dance, by all means do so. If not, don’t feel that you have to because you think it will make for better pictures. Do whatever you are comfortable with.
These are just a few of the things you can do to make your wedding day beautiful and fun.
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