Elán™ Consultants Planning for Special Needs Weddings

Elaine Parker PO Box 50901 Nashville, TN 37205

Persons getting married or inviting guests with limited vision, or a loss of hearing, and /or a person using a wheel chair will find Elaine most qualified to offer suggestions for the wedding event. Elaine has designed invitations both in Braille and assisted couples to prepare a CD. She has worked with seamstresses to design wedding gowns to fit over a wheel chair. Elán™ can have you contract with persons who can sign and Elán™ and her staff work on the seating of guests who prefer to be in full view of the signer.

Please let Elán™ know your concerns and she will work with you. Elaine has a B.S in Special Ed and a Master of Education for persons with physical disabilities; she has organized adult education classes in East and Middle Tennessee area for many years, as well as having been both the Tennessee state director for the blind and was president of the America Association of Workers for the Blind for 4 years.

She is the founder of a summer camp in Nashville for blind children that has recently celebrated its 35 th year. Both the Middle Tennessee Chefs Association and the TWESA wedding professionals gathered to have a gala picnic, dancing, swimming and singing afternoon and evening event.

A wedding should be celebrated by all, so do not hesitate to invite a person who has a disability to be either a wedding party member or a guest.

Our Publication:

Weddings for Special Needs: Elaine Parker, with input from Colorado and Tennessee Schools for the Blind and Perkins Institute, have worked many solutions for Bridal Participants and/or guests with limited vision. Likewise, persons getting married or inviting guests with loss of hearing and/or using a wheel chair can benefit from Elaine Parker's work with Sara Franco, and staff at Easter Seal Society.

This A to Z listing is designed to assist consultants and vendors working with special needs persons or families, who are getting married with suggestions for their wedding keeping in mind some persons may or may not want to incorporate in their planning.

A Percentage of the proceeds from these publications will be donated to the American Foundation for the Blind, to Gallaudet College, to Easter Seal, and to the Disabled American Veterans Association..

Some examples of useful ideas include:

• Designing invitations: either in Braille or on a CD
• Designing a wedding gown to fit over the wheelchair
• Placing persons who will be signing and seating of guests
• Aromatic flowers and / or candles