Two Wedding Dress Brands for Wheelchair Users! Plus Tips on Accessories and Venue Selection

A wedding dress that many women dream of. Are you giving up on wearing one or having a wedding because you're in a wheelchair?

This time, we will introduce wedding dresses that can be worn by wheelchair users and tips for choosing a venue!

Please take a look for reference.

1. What is a "Universal Wedding" that allows weddings despite disabilities?

Recently, the term "Universal Wedding" has been seen in many hotels and wedding venues. This refers to wedding plans designed for brides who use wheelchairs.

There are also wheelchairs specifically for universal weddings, which can have adjustable seats and are available in white to match wedding dresses.

With traditional wheelchairs, there were issues such as height differences between the bride in a wheelchair and the able-bodied groom during the ceremony, and the bride being unable to enter with a dress train due to sitting in a wheelchair.

Wheelchairs designed for universal weddings solve these problems effectively.

Additionally, the wedding dresses used in these settings are designed to be easy to put on and take off, and to maintain a beautiful silhouette even while seated.

Below, we introduce two dress brands that wheelchair users can wear comfortably.

2. Two Wedding Dress Brands for Wheelchair Users

2-1. W2-Dress

W2-Dress is named after the two "W"s in "Wheelchair" and "Wedding." The founder, Kumi Miyazawa, was inspired by her family's experience with spinocerebellar degeneration, which led her to think deeply about disabilities and fashion.

W2-Dress was established with the mission of "Making tomorrow enjoyable for people with disabilities through clothing." They offer customized remake products from ready-made dresses.

The features of W2-Dress are as follows:

• Easy to wear in about 5 minutes while seated in a wheelchair.
• Allows wearing a voluminous princess line dress in a wheelchair.
• Can be freely designed based on body shape, wheelchair type, and personal taste.

They also offer wheelchair dress rentals, allowing you to fulfill your dream of wearing a wedding dress without spending much on remakes.

Consultations can be done online, so you can create your ideal dress without the burden of travel.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact them through their inquiry form.

W2-Dress also provides dress-related information on Instagram.

There are many posts that can serve as coordination references, so be sure to check them out.

Reference: W2-Dress｜Instagram
Reference: W2-Dress

2-2. Campanella

Campanella is a brand established by Shoko Ishikiriyama, who has over 30 years of experience as a stylist.

She has developed over 10 wedding dresses for wheelchair users.

The development cost for each dress is about 400,000 yen. However, the rental fee is between 30,000 to 70,000 yen, which is about one-tenth of the average cost of regular dress rentals. Despite the difficulty in covering development costs, the price is set with the hope that people can shine brightly with fashion.

Additionally, the dresses are made from skin-friendly cotton material, allowing for comfortable wear.

Both rental and custom orders are available, so if you're interested, feel free to inquire.

Reference: Campanella

3. HopeWeddings: Proposing Universal Wedding Plans

HopeWeddings supports the realization of universal weddings by planning weddings and photo weddings for wheelchair users, arranging dresses, and more.

They provide dresses from W2-Dress, introduced in section 2-1.

The venues they introduce have been thoroughly pre-checked for barrier-free access (routes and steps), the presence of universal toilets, the size and steps of the bridal room, dress carrying fees, and staff arrangements.

Moreover, they only introduce venues that agree with HopeWeddings' philosophy, eliminating the need for venue changes or trouble later on.

Additionally, they offer services such as assistance by service care workers (support for wheelchair users, hemiplegic individuals, guide help for visually impaired individuals, sign language interpreter dispatch for hearing-impaired individuals, etc.), ensuring a safe and smooth ceremony.

Their website features model plans and testimonials from actual users, so if you're interested, feel free to check it out.

Their Instagram account showcases scenes of people wearing dresses and venue information, which can be a helpful reference.

Reference: HopeWeddings｜Instagram
Reference: HopeWeddings

4. Shoes Born from Hemiplegia and Orthotic Users: "EKAHI"

Image Source: Mana’olana Select Shop

For wheelchair users, prosthetic users, or those using lower limb orthotics looking for shoes to match their wedding dress, we recommend "EKAHI" from the store "Mana’olana Select Shop," created by hemiplegia and orthotic users.

Orders are semi-custom, allowing you to try a sample of your desired size and make fine adjustments to fit your orthotics or foot shape and condition. You can also order different sizes for each foot.

The "EKAHI White (with glitter)" features a glamorous and sophisticated design perfect for a wedding dress. The overlapping straps around the instep are secured with Velcro, allowing for a snug fit and easy on/off.

It also features a high-grip sole that provides support when standing or moving, which is a great point.

Note that depending on the type of orthotics used, it may not be compatible, so be sure to check before ordering.

Reference: EKAHI White (with glitter) | Mana’olana Select Shop

5. Can Wheelchair Users Wear Traditional Japanese Attire?

Many people may want to wear traditional Japanese attire in addition to a wedding dress.

Traditional attire is often perceived as heavy and difficult to wear, leading to the belief that it might be challenging for wheelchair users.

But rest assured! Wheelchair users can wear traditional Japanese attire.

For example, HopeWeddings, introduced in section 3, offers a lineup of traditional attire such as white kimonos and uchikake. The attire is designed in separate top and bottom pieces, with the obi secured using hook-and-loop fasteners, minimizing the burden on the body.

Reference: Wedding Attire｜Wheelchair Traditional Attire

Be sure to check out the report on a traditional Japanese photo wedding for more inspiration.

Reference: Odawara Castle Park Photo Wedding｜Weddings for Everyone～HopeWeddings｜note

6. [With Real Experience] Tips for Choosing a Dress Without Compromise for Wheelchair Users

From here, Ayumi representative Yamaguchi, whose partner is a wheelchair user, will summarize tips based on personal experience.

Initially, it was difficult to find information through searches on Google or Yahoo!.

Therefore, I decided to use social media for information gathering.

I chose Facebook because I wanted to keep the information sharing within my acquaintances and their friends.

The following are things I wish I had included when gathering information through Facebook.

• Organize the information you want
• Organize and disclose the information already gathered

In this case, it would be helpful to include:

• The wedding date and when the dress needs to be ready
• Budget
• Dress image
• (If possible) The state of the disability (e.g., a simple dress without decorations or frills)
• Whether you want to remake a ready-made dress or request a full custom order
• What you prioritize when choosing a wheelchair-compatible dress (e.g., ensuring the tires don't get caught)
• List of services already gathered or inquired about

Including these details will facilitate smooth information gathering and cooperation requests.

It also reduces the effort of those willing to help, so I recommend it.

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