How to Prepare a Wedding Ceremony when Your Fiance Is Blind

Although planning a wedding can be stressful, everyone deserves a special and beautiful day. If your partner is partially or completely blind, you will want to take extra care to ensure their comfort and enjoyment. By making accommodations, working together to plan the wedding aesthetic, and paying attention to the details, you can ensure a safe and special wedding day.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Making Accommodations

  1. If your partner reads braille, it is a good idea to include braille writing on all of the written materials for your wedding (such as programs, placards, and signs). Many companies offer this service, or you can purchase a braille printer and make these materials yourself. [1]
  2. If your partner (or guests) are visually-impaired, keeping the venue well-lit can make a huge different in their ability to navigate the space. You want to create as much light in the space as you can, and you want it to be evenly-distributed. Add standing lamps to the space, or increase the wattage on your bulbs. [2]
    • You can use incandescent, full spectrum, or florescent bulbs.
    • You can help reduce glare by covering windows with blinds or curtains, and avoiding shiny surfaces (like shiny tablecloths).
    • Using contrast (such as dark tablecloths with white dishes, or a dark rug on a tile floor) can also help make the space more accessible.
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  3. When choosing a venue, make sure that it is a safe, accessible place for your partner. Make sure the aisle is flat and smooth, and that your partner will be able to navigate the space easily. Also, make sure that the seating is adequately spaced (with rows and chairs a little father apart from one another) to make the space more accessible for your guests.
  4. Speak the manager of your venue about what can be done to accommodate your partner and other blind guests. With the help of your partner, create a list your specific needs and bring this list to the manager. Find out everything they can do to make the day easier and more enjoyable for you and your guests.
    • For example, you might inquire with the venue about your ability to bring guide dogs.
    • You might ask about adding additional lighting.
    • You might find out if you can customize and rearrange furniture in the space.
    • For best results, bring some of these needs and concerns to light before you book a venue.
  5. An effective way to help accommodate your blind guests (or any of your guests) is to provide transportation to and from the wedding. You might book a limo, bus, or car service, or simply asks some friends and family to volunteer. Providing transportation can make it easy for many different people to attend.
  6. If your partner is involved in the visually impaired and blind community, remember there will probably be several guests with visual impairments. Even if you have already tried to foresee what accommodations you could make for them, it is best to inquire about their needs. Every blind person is different, and there may be simple and reasonable ways for you to help make your guests comfortable.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Planning the Wedding Aesthetic

  1. Since your partner may not have as much authority over the visual aspects of the wedding, let them take the lead on scents and tastes. Allow your partner to select the flowers for the wedding based on scents they enjoy. Work with a florist who is sensitive to your partner's disability. [3]
  2. Give your partner the opportunity to express their opinions when it comes to the wedding menu. Select foods and dessert items that your partner enjoys. Work with a caterer and dessert-maker who offers ample taste-testing opportunities. [4]
  3. Gather together your partner's friends or siblings with whom they'd like to buy their clothes for the day. These important members of the wedding party should know your partner's tastes before going shopping. [5]
    • Make sure that the people they have chosen are used to working around the impairment. Remind them to describe things in detail.
    • Your partner can touch and feel the fabric and try things on but may want people to tell them about colors or fit.
    • Remember, they might not have a clear image of what they look like but they'll know if they feel beautiful.
  4. If your partner has partial sight or lost their sight they will probably have opinions on color schemes they particularly like. Involve them in such choices if they wish. If they were born without sight, let them choose scents and textures they have enjoyed and combine this with your own preferences. [6]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Paying Attention to Details

  1. Talk to couples who have been through something similar. They could offer invaluable tips and advice on how to make the wedding a success. [7]
  2. You may think a veil over the bride's face is obligatory but, if it hinders them, your partner might prefer to opt out. Guide dogs and canes might not be the most common aspect of a traditional day, but if they help your partner to feel comfortable, incorporate them. [8]
    • If they are happy with the idea, ribbons or a small flower can dress the cane up. Some people like to invest in a new, decorative cane for the day.
  3. Audio description is a way in which many couples have made the day more special for themselves and their visually-impaired guests. The script is partially planned in advance and a description is given of details such as the dress, the beautiful venue, what is happening, etc. Talk to your local services for the visually impaired or look it up on the internet to find more information. [9]
    • A friend or relative might like to do this for you on the day.
    • Earphones are discrete and manageable.
  4. You may have guests who are not aware of your partner's visual impairment, such as relatives who have not met them yet. It is entirely up to you and your partner what you do in this situation. Ultimately your partner may not like people to know or may prefer people to be aware.
    • If you want them to know, add a detail on their wedding invite or call them beforehand. Your family may have informed them beforehand.
    • It is highly recommended that the organizers in the venue and the person who is officiating over the ceremony are aware of your partner's impairment. Special arrangements can then be discussed.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Should a blind partner have help at a wedding?
    Ivy Summer
    Certified Wedding & Event Planner
    Ivy Summer is a Certified Wedding Planner and the Owner of Voulez Events. Ivy has over 10 years of experience consulting, planning and coordinating weddings around the globe. She has also created a DIY online wedding planning workshop for couples, called "Plan Your Wedding Like A Pro." She currently resides in Greece where she continues to work with a worldwide network of planners and wedding professionals.
    Ivy Summer
    Certified Wedding & Event Planner
    Expert Answer
    Assign someone to help your fiance or guest move around the venue. Check with your friends and family if someone can assist your visually impaired fiance or guest. If no one can help, ask the venue manager or your wedding planner if there is a staff member who can work with the person. Accessibility is essential to the visually impaired, and during the wedding, there will be people, tables, chairs everywhere.
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      Warnings

      • Remember, your partner and visually impaired guests have spent a long time living with their disabilities. Respect their independence and recognize when to step back and let them make their own choices.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://nfb.org/braille-transcription-resource-list
      2. ↑ http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/adjust-lighting.html
      3. ↑ https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-flower-florist-tips
      4. ↑ https://www.theknot.com/content/ways-to-make-your-wedding-menu-memorable
      5. ↑ http://offbeatbride.com/blind-women-get-married-too/
      6. ↑ http://adulting.tv/article/planning-wedding/
      7. ↑ http://www.vogue.com/article/how-to-stay-sane-while-wedding-planning
      8. ↑ http://offbeatbride.com/blind-women-get-married-too/
      9. ↑ http://www.perkinselearning.org/scout/audio-description

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