A bride from Essex has described the distressing moment she was left stranded at the altar because staff had forgotten to position the wheelchair ramp she needed to reach her husband.
The forgotten ramp
Jenni Pettican, 30, who uses a wheelchair for chronic illnesses, spent months ensuring every element of her £16,000 wedding day was accessible. However, disaster struck when she realised the ramp required to reach her husband at the end of the aisle had been overlooked by staff.
Mortified, Jenni found herself cracking jokes to ease the awkwardness as family members rushed to determine how to construct the ramp in front of guests. Speaking to the Mirror, she said: 'I had 100 people watching me. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment I'm never going to get back.'
The couple, who had been in a relationship for six years, married on 16 May at Newland Hall, near Chelmsford. They chose to take advantage of the beautiful gardens at the location, featuring a gazebo and marquee.
On the morning of the wedding, Jenni claims she personally checked a ramp that provided access to the gazebo. She maintains staff subsequently relocated it to avoid obstructing other wheelchair users, assuring her it would be returned before the ceremony. Yet when she arrived at the front of the aisle, the ramp was absent.
'My heart just sank,' she remembers. 'The ramp had been left where they'd moved it, tucked inside the gazebo.'
Attempting to ease the tension, Jenni quipped: 'How am I supposed to get up there?' She reports guests chuckled uncomfortably before she noticed the ramp. With no member of staff on hand, one of Jenni's wheelchair-using friends instructed her father and the best man as they tried to position it correctly.
'They got it upside down, got it the wrong way round,' she describes. 'That could have been a massive problem. If I'd fallen off that ramp, again the venue would have been liable.'
Only after the ramp was fitted properly could Jenni eventually reach her husband Ian. She reports the remainder of the day proceeded without additional accessibility difficulties. However, she acknowledges it wasn't until later that she understood how the episode impacted her. She confesses: 'It tainted the day for me. We have a beautiful picture of us going back down the aisle, but all I can focus on is the ramp.'
Prior accessibility concerns
Jenni maintains difficulties with accessibility at the venue started months prior. Following an initial viewing, she returned with her support worker to evaluate accessibility. 'I mentioned I had guests with a variety of disabilities, and they said it wouldn't be a problem,' she recalls.
While organising her wedding, Jenni learnt the venue intended to lock the Grade-II listed Tudor house on the site during her reception. She claims this would have prevented the only step-free access between the garden marquee and the car park. Worried about guests' independence, she opted to contest the decision.
'I was explaining the importance of disabled people being able to be independent, not having to ask to unlock the door. It ended up being about a month of back and forth,' she stated. Jenni alleges she was originally informed the doors could stay unlocked but only if she paid a higher deposit due to insurance considerations. 'I called out the Equality Act,' she says. 'They tried to charge me more for accessibility.'
She claims she ultimately secured an arrangement permitting disabled guests access through the house. By that point, Jenni had lost faith in the venue but felt unable to relocate, having paid thousands in deposits while guests had already booked accommodation.
No apology from venue
Jenni lodged a formal complaint with the venue, stating she wanted recognition of what had occurred and assurance that lessons would be learnt. '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 said.
From the bride's perspective, the venue didn't acknowledge responsibility in their replies, and correspondence ultimately ceased after she posted a video of the incident online. Jenni states the greatest letdown has been the absence of accountability. She added: '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.'
In a statement, Newland Hall responded: 'The events referred to took place before Newland Hall 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.'
'As the new owners, we are committed to ensuring Newland Hall is a welcoming, inclusive and non-discriminatory venue where every couple, guest and member of the wider community is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. Accessibility and inclusion are incredibly important to us, and since taking over we have already begun reviewing our policies and procedures. We are arranging a professional accessibility assessment and investing in disability awareness and customer service training for our team as part of our ongoing commitment to continually improving the experience for all visitors.'
