Why Couples Love Having a Ground Level Patio for Multigenerational Ceremonies
Your grandmother shouldn't have to navigate three flights of stairs to watch you get married. Neither should your uncle who uses a wheelchair or your college friend recovering from knee surgery. At The Mohicans Treehouse Resort and Wedding Venue, our ground level patio ceremony space means everyone you love can be present for your vows without worrying about accessibility, stamina, or whether the venue was designed with real people in mind. When ceremony spaces are built at ground level, weddings stop excluding people and start including everyone.
A Ceremony Space Everyone Can Enjoy
Most outdoor ceremony sites look beautiful in photos but fail in practice. Stone steps leading down to a garden. A hillside with uneven terrain. A platform elevated above the lawn. These designs work fine if every guest is young, mobile, and steady on their feet. But real weddings include grandparents, young children, guests with mobility challenges, and people who simply don't want to spend 30 minutes standing on a slope in dress shoes. At The Mohicans, the patio ceremony space sits at ground level with no stairs, no incline, and direct access from the Grand Barn's lower level.
What Ground Level Actually Means for Your Guests
Ground level isn't just about avoiding stairs. It means that the ceremony space with the moderately sloping sidewalk transitions guests gradually to the ceremony site so guests move from their cars to their seats without navigating drastic elevation changes. It means your grandmother in heels doesn't need to worry about ankle stability on uneven ground. It means guests using walkers, canes, or wheelchairs can position themselves wherever they want without being relegated to a separate accessible section that feels like an afterthought.
The patio ceremony space at The Mohicans is fully handicap accessible. We provide rustic white garden chairs arranged on level ground, so seating is stable and consistent. No one is sitting on grass that's soft in some spots and hard in others. No one is worrying about their chair sinking or tipping. The setup is intentional, designed so accessibility is built into the experience instead of added as a modification.
How This Changes the Way Multigenerational Families Experience Your Wedding
When you invite 150 people to your wedding, you're inviting multiple generations with vastly different physical needs. Your toddler nephew who can't sit still for long. Your great aunt who needs a seat close to the aisle so she can leave quickly if necessary. Your friend who's eight months pregnant and can't stand for extended periods. A ground level ceremony space accommodates all of them without special arrangements or last minute problem solving.
Parents with strollers can roll them right up to the seating area. Elderly guests can arrive early, sit down, and stay seated without needing to climb or descend anything when the ceremony ends. Guests with mobility challenges don't need to ask for help or feel like they're causing inconvenience. The space just works for everyone, which means you're not spending your wedding day worrying about whether people can physically access the most important moment of the celebration.
Why Photographers Appreciate Ground Level Ceremony Spaces Too
Ground level ceremony spaces give photographers clear sightlines without obstruction. There's no elevated platform blocking half the guests from view. No staircase creating awkward angles where some family members are visible and others aren't. Your photographer can move around the perimeter of the ceremony space and capture wide shots that include everyone, close ups of your faces during vows, and candid reactions from guests without needing to climb on chairs or shoot from extreme angles to compensate for elevation changes.
At The Mohicans, the ground level patio is surrounded by 75 wooded acres, so your ceremony photos have natural depth and layering. The trees create the backdrop, the guests are all on the same plane, and you're standing at the front with the ceremony arbor framing you. It's clean, intentional composition that works because the space was designed with photography in mind, not just aesthetics.
What Happens When Weather Forces a Ceremony to The Pavilion
If rain or extreme temperatures make the outdoor patio ceremony space uncomfortable, the Grand Barn's outdoor pavilion can accommodate your ceremony under cover. The transition is seamless with a proper Plan B in place and your Event Day Manager can oversee the setup without guests needing to be impacted.
The indoor ceremony option maintains the same accessibility advantages as the outdoor patio. The main floor of the Grand Barn is at ground level with handicap accessible entry. Guests who needed accessible seating outdoors get the same access indoors. Your ceremony still happens in a space surrounded by timber frame architecture and forest views through large windows, and no one is excluded because of mobility limitations.
How Ground Level Access Extends Beyond the Ceremony
The ground level patio ceremony space is just the beginning. After your ceremony, guests move to the main covered deck for cocktail hour, which is also handicap accessible with no stairs required. The main dining room on the ground floor of the Grand Barn flows directly from the covered deck, so your reception continues without guests needing to navigate elevation changes between ceremony, cocktails, and dinner.
The only stairs in the venue lead to the mezzanine, which offers additional seating and a second story balcony with views over the ceremony space. But the mezzanine is optional. Guests who want the elevated view can take the solid oak staircase up. Everyone else stays on the ground level where all the essential spaces, ceremony, cocktails, dinner, dancing, are accessible without climbing.
Why Couples with Aging Parents Choose Ground Level Venues
When your parents are in their 70s or 80s, you stop taking mobility for granted. They might not mention that stairs are difficult, but you notice they avoid venues with multiple levels or uneven terrain. Choosing a ground level ceremony space at The Mohicans means your parents can be present and comfortable without needing assistance, without feeling like they're slowing anyone down, and without anxiety about whether they'll be able to participate fully in your wedding day.
One couple told us their grandfather, who rarely left his house anymore because of mobility challenges, attended their ceremony at The Mohicans and stayed for the entire reception. He told them later it was the first wedding he'd been able to attend in years where he didn't feel like a burden. That's what ground level access does. It removes barriers so people can just be present.
What About Guests Who Prefer Elevated Views
Some guests love being up high, looking down over a ceremony or having a vantage point that offers perspective. At The Mohicans, those guests can watch the ceremony from the mezzanine balcony, which overlooks the ground level patio ceremony space. It's an optional elevated viewing area for guests who want it, but it's not required for anyone to see or participate in the ceremony.
This setup gives you both options. Guests who need or prefer ground level seating stay on the patio. Guests who want an elevated view head up the staircase to the mezzanine. Everyone gets to experience the ceremony in the way that works best for them, and no one is forced into a setup that doesn't accommodate their needs.
How to Communicate Accessibility Features to Your Guests
When you're planning a wedding at a venue with strong accessibility features, it helps to let your guests know ahead of time. Include a note on your wedding website or in your invitations that the ceremony space is ground level and fully handicap accessible. Mention that special parking is close to the venue entrance or guests can be dropped off directly at the main entrance and that guests with mobility challenges won't need to navigate stairs or uneven terrain.
At The Mohicans, we have limited handicap accessible parking spots near the venue, and your Event Day Manager can coordinate reserved spaces for guests who need them. Letting your guests know these details in advance means they can plan confidently instead of worrying about logistics on the day of your wedding.
Conclusion:
When you choose a ground level patio ceremony space, you're choosing to prioritize people over aesthetics. That doesn't mean the space isn't beautiful. The wooded setting, the natural canopy overhead, and the way light filters through the trees make the patio ceremony space at The Mohicans one of the most visually compelling outdoor ceremony sites in Ohio. But the beauty doesn't come at the cost of accessibility. You get both, a ceremony space that photographs like a dream and functions flawlessly for every guest you invited, regardless of age, mobility, or physical needs.
Ready to see how our ground level patio ceremony space works for multigenerational weddings? Contact us at weddings@themohicans.net to book a tour of the Grand Barn and walk through the accessible ceremony space with your family's needs in mind.
FAQs
Is the ceremony space fully handicap accessible?
Yes, the ground level patio ceremony space at The Mohicans is fully handicap accessible with no stairs required. Guests using wheelchairs, walkers, or canes can access seating directly from the parking area via sidewalks.
What happens if we need to move the ceremony to the pavilion due to weather?
The Grand Barn's pavilion can accommodate your ceremony while maintaining the same accessibility features. The pavilion space is at ground level so guests with mobility challenges have the same access as they would outdoors.
Is there handicap accessible parking near the ceremony space?
Yes, we have limited handicap accessible parking spots near the venue entrance. Your Event Day Manager can coordinate reserved spaces for guests who need them. We recommend communicating these details to guests ahead of time so they can plan accordingly.
Can guests with mobility challenges access the reception spaces as well?
Yes, the main covered deck for cocktail hour and the main dining room for dinner and dancing are all at ground level and handicap accessible with no stairs required. The only elevated space is the mezzanine, which is optional seating.