Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. While you are excited and cannot wait to share it with everyone you love, there are times when you may have lost a loved one before your day arrives. While they cannot be there, there are many special ways to incorporate them into your wedding and pay respect to their memory.

In Your Bouquet – Incorporating your loved ones favorite flower into your bouquet is a simple and subtle way to carry them with you on your wedding day.

Their Picture – “A picture is worth a thousand words.” You can display a nice tribute to your lost loved one with their picture framed either on the guest book table, the sweetheart table or by the cake. If you want a more subtle touch, lockets are the perfect way to carry your loved one with you and are worn close to the heart.

Memorial Candles – Candles honoring their memory can be placed throughout the ceremony and reception hall.

In the Program – A poem and/or quote in the program at your wedding is a great way to show how much you care for your loved one.

Music – You can honor your lost one with the music by walking down the aisle to one of their favorite songs or even having a special moment with music playing at the reception in honor of their memory.

Attire/Jewelry – Some brides may choose to wear something from their loved one. For example, if a bride has lost their mother/grandmother, they can wear jewelry and shoes that belonged to their mother/grandmother. Also, they can incorporate aspects of their lost loved ones wedding dress into their own wedding. This can be done by either wearing the dress or more subtly but using pieces of the dress into details in the wedding – like wrapping it around the bouquet.

Rings – Finally, the rings themselves can play part in honoring your loved one and will be something you can carry with you forever. If you have lost your mother/father or even your grandmother/grandfather, sometimes their wedding rings are passed down in the family.