Accessible Weddings

May 14, 2018 | Accessibility, wedding planning

Consider the needs of everyone at your party. (Photo by Peter Coombs.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about accessibility lately:  How is the world accessible for some people and not for others?  What can we do to make it more accessible for everyone?  Even weddings and other happy occasions need some attention to make sure that everyone who is invited can get there and then enjoy themselves.

The most obvious kind of accessibility–the one that comes to everyone’s mind first–is mobility accessibility.  Does your venue have flights of stairs it is necessary to navigate in order to get to where the events are?  Are there elevators or ramps that allow people with wheels to get there?  You might also want to notice if there is a lot of walking involved, since some people can’t walk long distances.  Sometimes even the walking surface can be an issue.  I worked on a wedding where the matron of honor was able to walk on smooth surfaces without a problem, but she had difficulty crossing a stretch of grass to get to where the ceremony was.  These are all things to think about when you are choosing your venue, or deciding what parts of it to use.

Mobility limitations are not the only kinds of disability you can think about when making decisions about your wedding or event.  Are there people who don’t tolerate noisy environments well?  (Consider both people who have hearing loss and neurodivergent people, for starters.)  What can you do to make sure everyone is comfortable with the noise levels?  What about lighting levels?  People with limited vision might appreciate having enough light to see by.

I’ve noticed a trend toward weddings that don’t have assigned seats for a formal, sit-down dinner.  If this is your plan, you’ll probably want to make sure that there are dedicated seats for the people who can’t stand up for long periods of time.

I’m only scratching the surface here thinking about accessibility in weddings and parties.  When you consider your guest list, you may think of many other ways you can be considerate to your guests by making your event accessible to them.  Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to let your guests know that you want them to tell you if they have specific needs.  Even if you can’t solve all their problems, you can do your best to make sure they have a good time.