When your wedding comes around, you don’t have to resort to somber speeches or simply putting pictures up of loved ones you’ve lost. Although this is still a lovely gesture, there’s actually a huge variety of different ways you can include them in your day.
I appreciate everyone’s different, and the most important thing on your wedding day is to make sure you’re happy. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If you don’t want to do anything in particular and would rather keep your loved ones in your thoughts throughout the day, that’s totally up to you.
It’s obviously going to be difficult celebrating without them, and when you are grieving a family member or friend, it’s these milestones where it often hurts the most. But you can make them a part of your special day if you want to, you just have to get a little creative.
After losing my father, I’ve always been dreading getting married without him. I can’t imagine a day where it doesn’t feel like he’s a part of it. I don’t really care if anyone finds the things I’m doing odd or out of place. To me, it’s more important to be true to who I am, and celebrate my wedding with little touches that make me feel like he’s involved, even if he’s not there in person.
I won’t share with you exactly what my plans are until after the wedding, but I have gathered a few handy ideas to give you some inspiration.
Here are some wonderful ways to involve lost loved ones in your wedding.
1. Wear something of theirs
2. Include them on your invitations
3. Make something that represents them and have it with you on the day
4. Bring a small object that reminds you of them and take it down the aisle with you
5. Include them in the table names
6. Include their favourite flower
7. Leave a place for them during the ceremony with an object that reminds you of them on the chair
8. Raise a drink to them
9. Play their favourite songs
10. Quote their words somewhere in a creative way
11. Create a bracelet or ring from their jewellery
12. Donate to a charity close to their heart
13. Do a balloon release or firework display in their honour
14. Recreate a special recipe they used to make
15. Ask guests to plant forget me not seeds or any seeds and grow something in their memory
16. Display an item somewhere at your evening reception that reminds you of them, such as a guitar
17. Light a candle during the ceremony for them
18. Write their name with a sparkler and get your photographer to capture it on film
