Jenni Pettican, 30, who uses a wheelchair due to chronic illnesses, spent months planning her £16,000 wedding to ensure it was fully accessible. However, on her wedding day at Newland Hall near Chelmsford, Essex, she was left humiliated when the ramp needed to reach her husband at the altar had been moved by venue staff and not replaced.
On the morning of the wedding on 16 May, Jenni tested a ramp leading to the gazebo where the ceremony was to take place. Staff moved the ramp to avoid obstructing other wheelchair users, promising to put it back before the ceremony. But when Jenni arrived at the front of the aisle, the ramp was nowhere to be found. It had been left tucked inside the gazebo.
Guests Forced to Assemble Ramp Incorrectly
With no staff on hand, Jenni's father and the best man, guided by a friend who also uses a wheelchair, attempted to position the ramp. They got it upside down and the wrong way round, causing further delay. Jenni cracked jokes to ease the tension, saying 'How am I supposed to get up there?' which drew awkward laughter from the 100 guests.
Only once the ramp was correctly installed could Jenni finally reach her husband Ian. Although the hold-up lasted only minutes, Jenni says the incident continues to haunt 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.
Prior Accessibility Concerns
Jenni's problems with the venue began months earlier. During planning, she learned that Newland Hall intended to lock its Grade-II listed Tudor house during the reception, preventing the only step-free access between the garden marquee and the car park. Concerned about the independence of disabled guests, she contested the decision. Jenni said she was initially told the doors could stay unlocked only if she paid a higher deposit due to insurance concerns. 'I called out the Equality Act. They tried to charge me more for accessibility,' she said.
After a month of back-and-forth, Jenni secured permission for disabled guests to use the house. By then, she had lost faith in the venue but felt unable to relocate due to deposits and guest bookings.
Complaint and Venue Response
Following the wedding, Jenni lodged a formal complaint, seeking acknowledgment and assurance that lessons would be learned. However, she says the venue failed to accept responsibility and stopped communication after she posted a video of the incident online. 'If they had apologised and taken accountability and explained how they would do better, things would have been so much better,' she said.
Newland Hall, which came under new ownership on 1 June 2026, issued a statement saying the events occurred before their tenure and they could not comment on the circumstances. The new owners said they are committed to accessibility, adding: 'We are arranging a professional accessibility assessment and investing in disability awareness and customer service training for our team.'
Jenni says the incident has tainted her wedding memories. 'My husband has been really shocked by how the venue has behaved afterwards. We're only going to do better when we take accountability and learn from it,' she added.
