Like all brides, Lucy Edwards was very particular about choosing the perfect wedding gown. But unlike most brides, she couldn’t pirouette and ponder before the dressing room mirror as she donned gown after gown.
Instead, Edwards had to use her hands to help her “see” the dresses. That’s because Edwards, who is from Birmingham in the U.K., lost her sight 10 years ago. In the decade since, she has learned to use her senses, like her sense of touch, to help her navigate through the world.
Edwards is well-known for her advocacy work on TikTok, where she makes videos that show how a young woman with blindness thrives in the sighted world. In this TikTok at @lucyedwards, she talks about how she navigates something as simple as walking up the stairs with a cup of hot tea:
@lucyedwards This is how I walk upstairs with my hot mug of tea…it isn’t always smooth sailing when you have no useable eye sight but I do make it work most of the time. I do spill some as for some reason I can never truly tell if I have the mug at a slight slant to be honest so if anyone has any tips I would love to hear your opinion on this one. I apologise in advance about my house, we are having a lot of work done at the moment so it looks quite demolished. . Video Description: Lucy is standing in her kitchen wearing a pink patterned jumper smiling looking directly at the camera. She is holding a yellow mug full of tea. As she explains that she doesn’t hold her mug straight Lucy is seen putting her hand under the mug. She turns around walks through her door and starts to walk up the stairs which have red carpet on them. She puts both hands under her mug and uses her elbow to guide her up the stairs by ensuring that it touches the grey wall. Lucy continues up the stairs as she chats about mugs finally turning around and taking a sip of tea as she says “cheers”. . #blindnotbroken #celebratediversity #cupoftea #accessibility ⬠original sound – British blind girl
Her content has gone viral numerous times, and her wedding video received a lot of attention, too. The video of Edwards walking down the aisle quickly garnered over 6.2 million views.
That’s because she had a unique idea of how she wanted her big day to go. She asked her guests to put on a blindfold before she approached the altar so that they live “a moment in my shoes.” She wanted her family and friends to experience the wedding the way she was experiencing it. Her groom, Ollie, also wanted to participate.
“Myself and Ollie thought it would be a really good idea to blindfold him as well, as when I got to the end, and my dad passed my hand to Ollie, he was able to feel my wedding dress in the exact way that I felt it when I first had it on,” Edwards wrote on her TikTok post. “It was such an important experience for us both, even though Ollie isn’t blind.”
The raw emotion on Ollie’s face is evident even behind the blindfold, and he can’t help but cry as he reaches out to feel his wife’s textured wedding gown so he could “see” it the way she did when she picked it out. It’s a poignant moment that would rival any romantic movie scene.
MORE: This bride asked friends to wear their old wedding dresses to her wedding
Watch the video below on TikTok:
@lucyedwards So this is the moment that I blindfolded all my guests, and I walked down the aisle on my #wedding day… Myself and Ollie thought it would be a really good idea to blindfold him as well, as when I got to the end, and my dad passed my hand to Ollie he was able to feel my wedding dress in the exact way that I felt it when I first had it on. This was such an important experience for us both even though Ollie isn’t blind, but we thought it was really important for him and all of my guests to experience what it’s like for me in the most important moment of our life so far. As you can see me, Ollie and my dad are really struggling to hold it together. It was such an emotional moment and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am so lucky that I have a husband that accepts me for exactly who I am my disability and everything. The whole me. I walked down the aisle to arrival of the birds by @The Cinematic Orchestra, as this is the song at the end of one of my favourite films, the Theory of Everything. Stephen Hawking has been a massive role model in my life and I always cry at the end of that movie at his final monologue. I really believe in the philosophy that we are all just small beings and atoms on this massive planet and Stephen taught me that you can love and hate your disability equally, and that’s a truly beautiful thing. It’s a sense of self that I’ve had to work on and I felt truly independent when walking down the aisle with my dad to this song. This is quite an emotional and raw moment to share with you guys, but I thought it was so important as it’s not a typical way that a bride walks down the aisle but it was my way. Just remember you are so special and you don’t have to follow traditions if you don’t want to. Our wedding day is about you and the person that you love and every moment needs to feel right for you. Thank you to the amazing harpist @Amie True Music ⬠Arrival of the Birds (From “The Crimson Wing Mystery of the Flamingos”) – The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
How sweet! May this couple experience many years of happiness and understanding as they walk together through life’s journey.
MORE: Bride swapped engagement photos for a final photo shoot with her dad
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