Honoring Your Loved Ones

Your wedding day is a time for everyone near and dear to you to come together and celebrate the beginning of your new life together. Unfortunately, not all couples are so lucky have their loved ones present. When those we hold dear have passed on before the wedding, many couples find it appropriate and comforting to honor them in a special way on their wedding day.

A Special Seat

Have an empty seat in their honor. This is especially appropriate if you are recognizing the loss of a parent or grandparent. You can have a sign on the chair or pew that says “Reserved in memory of _____”. In the picture shown below the bride paused on her walk down the aisle and left a single rose from her bouquet on the chair that would have been her mother’s.

Remember the Runner

One of our couples had the names of loved ones printed onto the aisle runner. It was a beautiful way to pay respect to all of them, and in a symbolic way they were there leading the couple down the aisle to their new commitment.

Charms on your Bouquet

Another beautiful way to keep your loved one near you on your big day is to attach a charm with their picture in the bride's bouquet. She will have her bouquet most pictures, and while she walks down the aisle- they will be with you every step of the way. One bride, Emilee, reflected on this special detail of her wedding day by saying "My Pa was the one grandparent missing from my side of the family and I wanted a physical reminder to everyone else that he was still a huge part of my big day. Even though it was a small charm, everyone noticed. It ended up being a very sweet way to incorporate him. It was almost like he was holding my hand."

Make it Personal Every relationship is different. When you are deciding how to honor your loved ones you can make it as personal as you choose.

One couple shared a memory of her father in a special way. He used to always pull a dime out from behind his daughter's ear when she was a kid. When she got older and left for college, her dad would mail dimes randomly to make her smile. Unfortunately he couldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle, so instead of the flower girl tossing petals, she scattered dimes down the aisle.

Be personal, most of all, when honoring someone that you wish could be there on your wedding day. They will be there with you, in their own special way.