A Wheelchair Wedding-You Fell in Love With a Handicap Girl?

For the past few days I have been rolling around like a chicken with her head cut off getting prepared for my cousins wedding. My husband and I were both part of the wedding party so we had lots of last minute things to take care of. While getting ready for my cousin's big day I couldn't help but recall my wedding and the days leading up to it. When I mention that I am married, some people are awestuck, others are shocked and the rest are speachless. When I became paralyzed I was only 14 years old. During my rehabilitaion the number one phrase I heard was "People are not always looking at you because you are in a wheelchair, they are probably looking at your shoes." It took me a long time to grasp that concept. I always imagined myself getting married when I "grew up" but wasn't sure if it would happen. One day after I moved home from my first year of college I met up with an old friend whom I havent seen in a while named Zach. We hung around with the same crowd and knew each other fairly well. After inviting him to go to church with me we exchanged telephone numbers and went our separate ways. I never expected to hear from him again but I did. He went to church with me the next day and called me that night. We have been talking on the phone ever since. When he asked me to marry him I obviously obliged and began planning the wedding. The biggest problem I encountered was finding a dress that didn't get caught in my wheel and also fit comfortably. The dresses that I liked were too poofy and too long for a bride in a wheelchair. I became weary of going into boutiques and trying on multiple dresses. Changing clothes while sitting in a chair is very time consuming. I recruited my cousin, Natalie, who was somewhat my size to try on dresses for me. By this time, I knew I had to look for a dress that had no flare to it without a train. I eventually found a beautiful dress that looked remarkable on me. Others recommended attaching a train to the back of my chair but, I decided against it. The last thing I wanted was for me to make a quick turn and snatch my train off with my wheels. Finding a venue was the easiest part of planning my wedding. We decided to host the wedding at our home church since it was very accessible to me. Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful things I have ever done. Looking back there are a few details I would change but, I would never change the person I married. I sometimes ask my husband why he loves me so much. He always replies that he thinks that I am beautiful. He doesn't mind the wheelchair. I have had guys in the past tell me that they "just couldn't do it." They were referring to not being able to date a girl in a wheelchair. I thank GOD that my husband wasn't shallow and that he "could do it." Just because you have a disablility doesn't mean you are unlovable and will never have a life. People with disablilities are being loved everyday. I was not the only wheelchair bride in the world and won't be the last one. There is someone out there for everyone and someone is waiting for you. You may have to sort through the trash to get to the treasure but, it will definately be worth it. It wasn't easy for me to find a guy who doesn't care about my disablilty. There were many guys who said they didn't care about my disablility and then left me with a broken heart. Like I have said before do not be discouraged and NEVER give up. Everyone deserves a happy life whether they have a disbility or not. YOU determine YOUR happiness. Believe in yourself and others will to. Call yourself beautiful and others will call you beautiful too. My advice is whoever you are and whatever you have been through doesn't matter. Where you are going and what you are going to do does.