Inclusivity + Inspiration at Wick Farm Bath

Thank you to Kirsten from The Little Wedding Helper for highlighting the issues faced by disabled couples when searching for a wedding venue; from accessibility, to outfit considerations and decorative choices. But let’s be clear, this isn’t just an education piece, this is an editorial bursting with gorgeous wedding inspiration whatever your ability.

Keep scrolling for beautiful bridal style (we love the veiled bow!), dreamy tablescape decor, elegant stationery and the cutest wedding car adorned in summery meadow flowers!

Kirsten says…

Wick Farm is a medieval farm steeped in history that dates back to 1372. It is set in 37 acres of beautiful countryside and the original threshing barn is a stunning space for holding your celebrations. I’ve been styling at Wick Farm for over 8 years now and it really is a venue for all seasons. So whatever the season, the venue and the surrounding gardens are a stunning blank canvas to put your stamp on. One aspect of the venue that the owner has given special attention to is the accessibility of the barn which is what I wanted to showcase and promote. Nothing is too much trouble for Sophie whose family have owned Wick Farm for many years, meaning that personal touch and family feel is present throughout.

I wanted to bring more diversity and inclusion to the wedding industry and knew that Wick Farm would be the perfect venue for our shoot and had the right accessibility for our model. I took inspiration for the style of the shoot from the rural countryside surrounding the barn and the beautiful gardens full of wild flowers. The feel of a wedding is often overlooked for the visuals, but both are equally important!

I wanted to design a look that could be adapted to any season but with it being the summer, I picked a fresh colour palette of soft pinks, greens and white. Lots of natural touches and delicate details in the stationery and cake, as well as bringing in coloured linens for the tables to step away from the traditional white.

With our model Lucy being in a wheelchair, we had to ensure that she felt comfortable in the dress and it was easy to move in. Lucy tried on several dresses at The White Collection boutique in Portishead who hit the headlines worldwide when they incorporated a mannequin in a wheelchair into their window display. They help many brides with disabilities to find their perfect dress and so as soon as the dress was picked I was able to search for the hair accessories and also a beautiful veil bow that I loved!

The main room for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast is a great blank canvas and very neutral. We didn’t include a top table for this shoot as I wanted to consider the space needed for a wheelchair. A sweetheart table is a great alternative where couples don’t need to squeeze into a designated space. Meadow flower arrangements have a natural, country look so can be used to line an aisle and then moved in front of a sweetheart or top table or even around the table plan display. White table cloths were swapped out for soft pink almond linens and coloured glassware with gold cutlery to add a touch of luxury.

Sarah from The Petal Emporium created the most beautiful and natural looking arrangements for our shoot. From footed bowls of blooms to stunning meadow style arrangements, Sarah really focuses on designing with flowers as they would grow in nature. The scent and textures were so gorgeous and attention was also given to the bouquet so that it was manageable for Lucy to hold. Her wheelchair was also decorated with small posies attached to the wheels.

If you have accessibility needs or if any of your guests do, you can explore different scenarios when visiting venues to be able to get a feeling for how flexible and understanding they are of helping you create the best day possible.

Couples taking inspiration from this feature could consider stepping out of the traditional wedding box and maybe incorporate less traditional elements such as a sweetheart table, coloured linens, different coloured glassware and cutlery and really adding touches that reflect the two of you (and not because they’re ‘on trend’). If you have accessibility needs or if any of your guests do, you can explore different scenarios when visiting venues to be able to get a feeling for how flexible and understanding they are of helping you create the best day possible.