Jenni Pettican, 30, who uses a wheelchair due to chronic illnesses, says her wedding day at Newland Hall near Chelmsford turned into a painful memory after staff forgot the ramp she needed to reach her husband at the altar.
The bride, from Basildon, Essex, spent months ensuring every aspect of the £16,000 wedding on 16 May was accessible. But when she reached the front of the aisle, the ramp had been left tucked inside the gazebo after being moved earlier to avoid obstructing other wheelchair users.
Heartbreak at the altar
Jenni recalled: “My heart just sank. The ramp had been left where they'd moved it, tucked inside the gazebo.” With no staff available, her father and the best man, guided by a friend who also uses a wheelchair, attempted to assemble the ramp. “They got it upside down, got it the wrong way round,” she said. “That could have been a massive problem. If I'd fallen off that ramp, again the venue would have been liable.”
Once the ramp was correctly installed, Jenni finally reached her husband Ian. She said the rest of the day passed without further issues, but the incident haunted her. “I had 100 people watching me. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment I'm never going to get back,” she told the Mirror.
Ongoing accessibility concerns
Jenni said problems began months earlier when she discovered the venue planned to lock the Grade-II listed Tudor house during the reception, blocking the only step-free route between the garden marquee and the car park. After a month of back-and-forth, she said she was initially told the doors could remain unlocked only if she paid a larger deposit due to insurance concerns. “I called out the Equality Act,” she said. “They tried to charge me more for accessibility.”
An agreement was eventually reached, but Jenni had lost confidence in the venue. She submitted a formal complaint, seeking an acknowledgment and assurance lessons would be learned. “I said no one has acknowledged this, no one has apologised for this, and I need to make sure you're going to do better,” she explained. Communication stopped after she shared a video online.
Venue response under new ownership
In a statement, Newland Hall said the wedding took place before the venue came under new ownership on 1 June 2026. “The current owners had no involvement in the management or operation of the venue at that time and therefore are unable to comment on the circumstances surrounding this wedding.” The new owners said they are committed to accessibility and have begun reviewing policies, arranging a professional accessibility assessment, and investing in disability awareness training.
Jenni said the lack of accountability after the event was the biggest disappointment. “I deal with access issues every single day. It's a very frustrating and sad part of disabled life. But the one day I didn't think I would have to deal with it was my wedding day.”
