By When you start to plan a wedding, there are lots of things to consider. For some couples, they face issues as they struggle to plan the wedding without certain family members there. If one, or both of the couple, have lost a close family member, it can be hard imagining the wedding without them. If this is something you are going through when planning, it can be a hard decision.
Do you acknowledge this publicly with your guests at the wedding? Or would you just do something as a couple to honour the family member? It can be hard to get the balance right. You want to honour them as well as keeping the joy of the wedding day. So here are some ideas for ways that you could honour that person. It will depend on how ‘raw’ it is for you, as to what you choose. But hopefully, you’ll find something that will work.
Wear Something That Will Help You To Remember Them
This is a way to honour that person, without anyone else really knowing. So if it is still a hard time for you, and talking about it will make you upset, this is a good option. You could wear a pair of their earrings, cufflinks or brooch. You could have their favourite flower as part of the bouquet. You could even out a small photo of them into your bouquet. You could wear something from their wedding day, like their veil. You could choose to wear a ring of theirs too. Or how about a custom made diamond ring from their ashes? A place like dna2diamonds.com can make these for you. It would be a special thing to have the memory of the family member with you for the wedding day.
Include a Tribute
If you wanted to, you could include a note in the ceremony programme. It could be a dedication to them, including a favourite quote of theirs, for example. It could be something simple that says ‘in loving memory’ or ‘remembering on this special day.’ Most guests will know who you are talking about so it will be nice for all. You could even include a tribute in the speeches. If it is a parent that has passed away, it would certainly be appropriate to thank them for raising their son or daughter the way they did. You could toast to them as part of the speeches and toasts. You could even toast with their favourite drink to make it extra special and more memorable.
Have a Small Memorial
In the location of your ceremony or reception, you could have a small stand or table. It could be filled with photos of the family member. Those who knew them can remember them fondly. Those that didn’t, can get to know them a little bit through that. If the loss is still quite a new thing, having too many pictures of them around could be upsetting, though. So decide what will work best for you.
