I had to fight for access at my own wedding.

I had to fight for access to my own wedding. It's taken me a while to process this but it felt important to share so this doesn't happen to others & we can all be aware of how disability affects life every single day. Before booking our venue, we visited twice to check access. I visited in different wheelchairs, asked questions, checked routes & was reassured that everything would be accessible. After we'd booked, I accidentally discovered that the only step-free route between the venue & car park would be locked during the reception. I repeatedly had to explain why independent access mattered & why disabled people shouldn't need to ask permission to enter or leave a building. At one point, we were even told our damage deposit would increase if the accessible route remained open, leaving me with no choice but to reference the Equality Act. Eventually the venue agreed to keep the route open, but after months of unnecessary stress and tears, I had lost trust. Then came the wedding day. I'd tested the ceremony ramp beforehand & was reassured it would be in place. When I arrived at the top of the aisle, it wasn't there. I was left sitting in front of all of our guests, unable to reach my own wedding ceremony. My wheelchair-user friend ended up directing my best man & my 70-year-old dad on how to position the ramp so I could get to Ian. Nobody from the venue stepped in to help, acknowledged what had happened or apologised. Before sharing this I submitted a formal complaint to the venue. They apologised for the distress caused & committed to disability awareness training but did not accept responsibility for the accessibility failures I experienced. It's not about one wedding venue. I'm sharing because disabled people are constantly expected to advocate for access, explain our needs & fight for basic inclusion. We shouldn't have to do that every day & we especially shouldn't have to do it on one of the most important days of our lives. Have you ever had to fight for access at an important life event? I'd love to hear your experiences below. #AccessibilityMatters #DisabilityAwareness #WheelchairLife