Honoring Loved Ones at Weddings
Honoring loved ones at weddings can be accomplished in a few different ways. If the person (or people) were close to you, you’ll want to find a way to include them in your special day. But weddings are happy occasions, and you don’t want everyone getting sad and distracted during your ceremony.
Honoring loved ones can be done subtly or in a bolder fashion. If you’re having a ceremony program, a remembrance section naming family and friends who have passed may be sufficient. Including a general comment early in the ceremony can also be done gracefully. It can have more impact if you name your loved ones. You can even include a moment of silence in their honor. But if you want something more visual, here are a few options to consider:
- Set up a table at the back of the ceremony space with pictures of your loved ones with a plaque and/or candle.
- Place a flower or other memento in their honor on the chair they would have occupied.
- Bring a memento of them into the ceremony – this couple hung a favorite wind chime to honor the groom’s mom.
- At one ceremony I performed, the bride placed a uniform and dress on chairs to honor her grandparents.
Moving beyond the ceremony, honoring loved ones can also be a part of your reception. Place wedding pictures near your cake or gift table can bring them symbolically into your celebration. Or perhaps you’ll dance to their favorite song or raise a toast to them. All are ways to honor the role and impact they’ve had in making you the person you are on your wedding day. Honoring loved ones can be a sensitive topic, but it’s worthwhile to reflect on those important people in your life and choose a way to include them in your wedding day.