Bridesmaid Refuses To Attend Wedding Because The Venue Isn't Wheelchair Accessible

The woman is a wheelchair user, but the venue is far from being accessible for her.

Senad

• Published in Interesting
• March 31, 2023

The story begins with a 25-year-old woman who has been chosen to be a bridesmaid for the fiancée of her older brother. Although the two women aren't particularly close, the woman agrees to be the bridesmaid, as she suspects that her being her brother's sister is the reason for the request.

OP is fine with the fiancée choosing whatever style of dress she wants, as long as it doesn't involve any major changes, like cutting or dyeing her hair. She wants to make the fiancée happy on her special day, even if it means wearing an ugly dress.

However, the issue arises when OP, who is a wheelchair user, asks the fiancée if the reception venue is accessible for her. The fiancée doesn't get back to her right away, so the woman follows up after a week.

The fiancée tells her that she isn't sure, and when OP looks up the venue, she finds out that it is an old building that is not accessible at all for her, with no accessible bathrooms either. When OP informs the fiancée about this, the fiancée gets upset and suggests that someone could carry her into the building, and her family or the other bridesmaids could help her use the bathroom when needed.

OP is mortified by this suggestion and refuses to agree to be carried in or need help to go to the bathroom. OP then offers the fiancée two options, if she wants her at the reception, she needs to pick a venue that is accessible.

The argument escalates, and the fiancée tells OP that if her brother didn't already know she was going to be a bridesmaid, she wouldn't want her to be one anymore. OP decides to call it quits at that point and tells the fiancée that she has two options, and it's up to her to decide which one she wants.

In the end, OP wonders if she is the one in the wrong for asking for the minimum accessibility, so she turns to Reddit for guidance.

OP is a 25-year-old woman and she's suppose to be one of the brother's fiancé's bridesmaids

The issue with this is the fact that OP is a wheelchair user and accessibility is an often an issue at wedding venues

OP looked up the building where the wedding would take place and she noticed that it wasn't accessible for her at all

OP told the fiance that if she wanted her at the wedding, then she would need to find a different venue

OP was enraged by the fiance's response

All of this led to a huge argument and OP decided to call it quits

Give the brother a chance

Get that brother involved!

It's the brother's wedding too

Accessibility is important!

It's important to remember that accessibility is a basic human right, and people with disabilities shouldn't have to compromise their dignity or safety to attend events or participate in society.

Understandably, the fiancée may have had her heart set on a particular venue, but when it comes to accessibility, it's important to prioritize the needs of all guests, not just the majority. In this case, the woman's needs were not being met, and she had every right to ask for a more accessible venue or to skip the reception altogether.

Senad