When bride Marina is taken down the aisle in a wheelchair festooned with flowers to meet her groom, there’s not a dry eye in the house.
Both Marina and Vaughn Akinin have cerebral palsy, which means they’re severely restricted in movement, are wheelchair reliant and have trouble with their speech. Yet today, the Aussie pair are just like any other couple in love – ready to share a vow of commitment to spend the rest of their lives together.
Heartfelt vows
“Marina, we have known each other since we were kids,” begins Vaughn, 30, who then shares his memories of meeting Marina, 31, when they were eight, recalling how “cute” she looked in her Harry Potter-style glasses. Guests at the Sydney ceremony chuckle as he adds, “You bring joy and meaning to my crazy life, and I will try not to blow my gasket whenever things are not good.”
Marina also remembers meeting Vaughn as a small child and recalls the “twinkle” in his eye. In fact, her father predicted Vaughn was the man she would marry as he watched them together in
the playground. Sadly, he didn’t survive to see his prediction come true, but when he died, Marina’s friend Vaughn was by her side for support.
“I love that we can laugh and cry together,” Marina tells Vaughn in her vows. “You are my rock and the one man I look up to.” When celebrant Rita O’Reilly tells the groom he may kiss the bride, Vaughn shows his sense of humour again, joking, “Hang on, this will take a while!”
Chairs to the bride and groom! Their gorgeous cake has the wow factor.
After manoeuvring their wheelchairs for several minutes so they’re positioned at an angle where they can reach each other, the lovebirds seal their union with a smooch and the room erupts in a roar of applause.
But support for the couple is not only heard – it can also be seen in the beautifully arranged flowers gifted to them by a local florist, the donated venue and the bridal party’s dresses, which were made free of charge by local students.
Believing the wedding of his dreams would never be possible, Vaughn was thrilled when his carer Vickie Schuldt explained 40 local businesses and individuals had come together to make it real.
“Everyone deserves to have happiness,” he explains. “With a dream and special people in your life, anything is possible. For the first time in my life, I felt very special.”
Marina’s late dad predicted she’d marry Vaughn back when they were kids.
Vaughn with his groomsmen, who all met playing wheelchair rugby
