Heartfelt Ways to Honor a Late Loved One at Your Wedding
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. So, not surprisingly, you want all your loved ones by your side, including the ones who aren’t there with you anymore.
This brings us to the important question, “how to bring their memory alive on your big day?” Whether you want to remember your loved one during the ceremony, speeches, or reception, here are some great ways to honor them on your big day.
Honor Them During the Ceremony
The ceremony is usually the perfect time to honor a late loved one on your big day. Sure, the process might take a little planning, but the results are well worth the effort. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Reserve a Seat for Them
You can feel the presence of your late loved one at your wedding by saving a seat for them in the front row throughout your ceremony. You can embellish this seat with photos of your loved one, and some of their favorite things. For instance, if you want to honor your late grandma’s memory, you can drape her chair with her favorite jewelry that she wanted to wear on your wedding day.
Include a Message in the Programs
Are you planning to print a program that lays out the events for your big day? This would be a perfect place to craft a message in honor of your loved one. For this, you can either write a short tribute or simply mention their name with the words “In remembrance” or “remembering.”
Incorporate a Memento into Your Wedding Attire
Another way to honor your loved one would be to keep them close to you throughout your big day by adding something that reminds you of them to your wedding outfit. For instance, if your grandma passed away, you could wrap decorative lace around your bouquet and include a special locket with her photograph in it.
Pay Homage to Them with Flowers
Floral arrangements are one of the greatest highlights of your wedding. If you want to honor your loved one, you can fill your venue with their favorite blooms or simply go for florals (like pansies, gladiolus, and rosemary) that signify remembrance.
Meghan Markle, for instance, incorporated forget-me-nots (Princess Diana’s favorite flower) into her bridal bouquet to pay tribute to the late Princess Diana. Don’t forget to mention it during the toast so everyone at your wedding can appreciate this gesture.
Honor Them During Speeches
Another great way to honor a late loved one at a wedding would be to include their memory in the wedding speech. Here are some ways you can go about it:
Make a Toast to Your Loved One
Couples often give short speeches during the reception. This is the perfect time to show gratitude to the guests that have come to celebrate your big day and also to honor a late loved one who couldn’t be there.
When toasting your loved one, you can either talk about the individual who means the world to you or share a short story to bring their memory alive. Didn’t your grandma always say you’d marry the most charming man or woman one day? Well, this toast will help celebrate the fact that they were never wrong!
Use Poetry to Honor Them
Poems are a great way to express feelings and experiences closest to our hearts. Whether it's about your grandpa’s wisdom or your mother’s love – you can always use poetry to stitch together or find words that align closely with your feelings. Make sure you write it down (or print it) and place it somewhere visible so you can read it when the time comes.
Have a Moment of Reflection
Another easy and interactive way to honor a loved one at a wedding would be to have a moment of silence before you carry on with your celebrations. You can either have this moment of silence with your guests during the reception or quietly reflect on their memory on your own.
Read a Letter to or from your Loved One
If your heart oscillates towards something more personal, you can simply read a letter your loved one had written to you in the past.
Have you preserved a letter your grandma or your mother wrote to you? Consider reading it on your wedding day to be reminded of their love for you.
If you don’t have a note or a letter from your loved one, you can try writing a letter to them. Here, you can stitch together words explaining how much they mean to you and why you want them to be a part of your special day.
Honor Them at the Reception
Some of the best ways to honor your loved one during the reception include:
Craft a Meaningful Presentation in Their Honor
You can use slideshows and videos to bring the memory of your loved one alive. When creating a commemorative presentation, you can include special moments of the time you and your loved one spent together and also add in some family photos. You can either play this in the background or you can include a special time slot during the reception to view it with your guests.
Play Their Favorite Song
Playing your loved one’s favorite song to kickstart the party is another great way to keep their memory close to your heart during the reception. Did your father ever mention a song he wanted to be played during the father-daughter dance? He may not be with you now but you can always honor his wish and feel his memory by including that song during the party.
Give out Favors in their Honor
You can also honor your late loved one by leaving your guests with their memory. Give out a special favor to guests at the reception in your loved one’s memory and include a sign to explain what that token means. For instance, if your late uncle loved cigars, your wedding favor sign could say “Take a cigar for Eric!”
