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Three Tips For Planning A Wedding When One Of Your Party Members Is In A Wheelchair

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Is someone in you wedding party wheelchair bound? This is an intricacy that you'll need to take into account as you plan your big, not just to ensure that the wheelchair bound person feels included, but also to ensure that the ceremony and reception go seamlessly for all involved. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while selecting your venue, hiring your services, and otherwise planning your big day.

Make sure your venues are accessible -- and feasibly so.

Because of ADA requirements, most venues these days are wheelchair accessible. But just because a venue is wheelchair accessible does not mean it will be easy for your wheelchair-bound friend to navigate. When you tour facilities, make sure you check that the exact place within the building where your event is taking place is easy to access with a wheelchair. You don't want to book the one room in the building with too narrow a doorway or a step. If your loved one is available to come with you when you look at venues, consider bringing them along. This way, they can test out the scene and know for certain whether navigating a given venue, like Castle McCulloch, will be possible.

Plan your buffet tables carefully, or have a sit-down dinner.

If you're planning a buffet meal for the reception, make sure the caterer knows that you'll have an important guest in a wheelchair. This way, they can use lower buffet tables so that the wheelchair-bound friend can reach to serve themselves more easily. They should also avoid putting the buffet tables in tight corners or other hard-to-reach areas. Of course, serving a sit-down meal may be much simpler if this otherwise works with your plans.

Let the wheelchair-bound friend choose their own attire.

If you dictate exactly what your groomsmen or bridesmaids wear, you may run into a situation where the outfit interferes with the wheels of the wheelchair or is uncomfortable for your friend to sit in all day. So, give your wheelchair-bound friend the final say in the day's outfits. If need be, he or she can wear a similar outfit to your other attendants, but in the same colors. For instance, if you really want your other bridesmaids in fishtail gowns, but this would be uncomfortable for your wheelchair-bound friend to sit in all day, let her wear a dress in the same color with an Empire waist instead.

Even though it is your big day, it's important to ensure your friend in a wheelchair does not have to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced when standing up for you. Choose your venue wisely, work closely with your caterers, and keep his or her specific needs in mind when selecting outfits.


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