Written in partnership with Claire G

How to plan a wedding ceremony when you are blind or visually impaired

If you're blind and planning a wedding you might have questions about how to make sure your wedding ceremony works for you. A wedding celebrant can really help in this situation as they will completely personalise your wedding ceremony and will get to know you in the time leading up to your wedding. 

So what are some of the specific parts of your ceremony that you might want to think about to make sure they work for you both and make sure you have a feel-good, fabulous wedding day! I was lucky enough to chat to Claire @claraghty who is currently planning her wedding to find out some of the things she’s considered and made sure work for her and everyone involved!

Ideas for walking down the aisle when you’re blind

My dad’s going to walk me down the aisle. He’s also visually impaired so I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable doing it.  I would definitely recommend a rehearsal so we both get used to the space and he would know where to sit once at the top of the aisle. 

Also it’s really important that I  know where to stand or sit and that I’m clear on this beforehand. Fully-sighted people can usually follow a gesture of the head for directions but I might miss that especially with all the added emotion and excitement! It’s just one of those things I don’t want to worry about on the day. 

I really considered the look of our aisle, I know a lot of aisles have flowers or candles down them for decoration. I was worried either me or my dad would trip over them. But I also felt if I took them away It would look less pretty. One idea is to have flowers and decoration behind where the celebrant would stand instead.

Tips for moving around your wedding venue when you are visually impaired

Steps. So many! Especially in country houses where there might just be one step, but it’s there. I really wanted to visit the venue so that I knew what to expect on all the routes we might have needed to take during the day. Like, once we’re married and we’re walking up the aisle, where do we walk to next? Is there a corner or a random step in the next room? These are things it’s really worth understanding in advance!

Working with your humanist wedding celebrant to create an accessible ceremony

We had a few initial conversations with our celebrant before our plans had to change. If we’d had the planning meeting, I would have been asking for a really clear run through of the order of the ceremony. I also recommend finding out anything you need to say (That may sometimes be on cue cards) in advance so you can practice and learn those bits ready for the day.

Also, you can ask your celebrant to make sure they quietly verbalise any directions for you during the ceremony instead of using non-verbal gestures that you might not spot.

A large part of the celebrant’s job is putting the couple at ease, so I would say don’t be afraid to make suggestions if you think you can make something easier. The couple has (likely) never done this before so it’s all new. A celebrant knows exactly what’s going to happen and where issues may occur. While a celebrant may not know exactly what someone can or can’t see, they have so much experience to draw on.

For example, one person might not be worried about reading a cue card, another might want to have it in Braille. Someone else might not have even realised there was much reading involved and then could be worried about it. 

Some people will foresee every part of the day and have a solution for any problem, but I think it’s so easy to forget small things, especially when it’s a mostly new experience for a lot of people. 

Choosing a symbolic act that has impact and meaning for you at your wedding

Some symbolic acts may feel like they lose some impact if they cannot be accessed visually. There are still lovely wedding rituals that you can include that can really bring warmth and joy to your ceremony while impacting other senses. 

You could choose to drink from the quaich.  A quaich is a Scottish traditional two-handled cup. You each take a handle, showing you trust one another to share the cup.  If you’re not using your own quaich cup, ask your celebrant to show you the cup in advance so you can get used to how it feels and what it looks like, it’s a great way to know you’d feel comfortable holding it. You could also opt for a handfasting where the knot and binding is completed by chosen guests.  

Or how about a ring-warming but a verbal one? In a ring-warming, your wedding rings are passed  around your guests. Upon receiving the rings, guests hold them in their hand briefly, “warming them up” with good wishes for your future together. Usually this is done silently - but wouldn’t it be fabulous to have these wishes said out loud!?! To hear all those amazing wishes! Your wedding celebrant can help you think about wedding rituals that will really resonate for you!

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Thanks so much to Claire for sharing your experiences as a blind bride-to-be!  Go and follow @claraghty to follow her wedding planning journey.

If you have any questions or if you’re ready to start planning your unique wedding ceremony with me? Drop me a line and say hello!

Photo by Sofia Hernandez on Unsplash - [Alt Text: Two Brides kissing and in love, both wear white gowns and have floral crowns, the celebrant is in red]