Dearly beloved: ideas for remembering and honoring lost loved ones at your wedding
As wedding planning gets underway, many couples start thinking and talking about loved ones who’ve passed on…and who therefore won’t be present on the big day. Honoring a lost loved one in a way that’s elegant, meaningful and appropriate to a marriage ceremony can be a challenge, so we asked eight people who made it happen to share their stories.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.
When I got married, my dad had already passed, so I walked down the aisle by myself. I didn’t want anyone else to take his place. I had a red carnation as part of my bouquet of flowers, which symbolized him. He was from a deeply Polish family, and red carnations are a popular Polish symbol.
— Lori Ann, Virginia
My husband didn’t want to do anything extravagant for his late father. We lit a single large white candle and set it next to a single white rose at the altar with us during the ceremony.
— Lindsey, Missouri
We placed candles on each side of the altar for the relatives we wished could have been there. For my grandfather, who had died less than a year before, we had a candle made with his name on it and put it right next to where my husband and I knelt during the ceremony.
— Christina, Kansas
Both of us had lost a parent by the time we were married. We placed my dad’s signature cowboy hat and several of the milk-glass vases from Eric’s mom’s collection atop the piano in the front of the church. Everyone who knew our parents instantly recognized these personal mementos when they entered the church.
— Carri, Kansas
My grandfather passed away three days before my wedding. Our family is of Russian heritage, and polkas are a big part of family weddings. So at our wedding, I danced a solo polka in my grandfather’s honor.
— Kara, Connecticut
For my wedding, I decided to use music to honor those we had lost. I played a few specific songs both in my ceremony and at my reception. For example, we played “Let There Be Peace on Earth” during our ceremony, which was my grandmother’s favorite. I feel that music is very personal, and it brings so many emotions and memories to the surface.
— Holly, Pennsylvania
To honor my husband’s grandmother who had passed away shortly before our wedding, we had three of her great-grandchildren walk down the aisle with a garland of her favorite flowers. They hung the garland on the unity candle, and we noted the significance of this gesture in the program.
— Amy, North Carolina
We made a donation to the American Cancer Society. At the reception, we placed bookmark-sized notes at each seat informing our guests that a donation had been made in memory of friends and family that we’d lost to various forms of cancer.
— Barb, Kansas
You may also like
See more-
Birthday Free birthday coloring pages to add more fun to the celebration
The best birthdays are the ones filled with lots of little treats and fun activities, from sunup to sundown. If you’r...
-
Family Tips and ideas for preserving and displaying family recipes
Family recipes are a special kind of priceless heirloom—the kind that transport us back to our favorite times with ou...
-
Mother's Day Meaningful, personal Mother's Day gift ideas for every mom you know
It can be tough to come up with gift ideas for Mom. Most of us want to give her something meaningful: a gift that sho...
-
Father's Day Celebrating two dads on Father's Day: Tips and ideas inspired by real families
As a dad, I appreciate Father’s Day. Even though my family has never made a really big deal out of it, it’s always so...
-
Thank You 100+ teacher appreciation gift ideas to say “thanks for all you do!”
In 6th grade, my homeroom teacher made us illustrated, laminated bookmarks—each one a custom collage of our interests...
-
Christmas Dr. Finkelstein’s Lab Tree Topper
Fans of Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, we have a frightfully fun new addition for your tree! Kee...
-
Graduation Graduation gift ideas for every level of education
My little brother starts kindergarten this year, and I’m already bracing myself for the tears—mine, not his. I know t...
-
Lifestyle Free printable When Calls the Heart Bingo card to celebrate the Season 11 premiere!
Who's ready for a Heartie Party? You know we are! So much so, we created a bingo card to add a whole extra layer of f...
-
Christmas Star Wars: A New Hope™️ Collection
You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to experience an epic adventure! Each stocking holder performs sce...
-
Christmas Wreath of Memories Keepsake Ornament
Get a special behind-the-scenes look at how Keepsake Artists Gregor Benedetti and Rob Stanphill collaborated on the d...
-
Christmas Howliday Helpers First in Series Keepsake Ornament
Do you want the inside scoop on an im-paws-ibly cute new series? We’ll throw you a bone—Keepsake Artist Sharon Visker...
-
Christmas Keepsake Ornaments ShowToppers Mini Collection
We’re so excited to introduce our new ShowToppers collection. Featuring three unique designs, each tree topper is int...
-
Christmas Keepsake Ornaments North Pole Village Table Decoration
Keepsake Artist Sharon Visker is here with a special delivery of Christmas magic! Hear how she brought this bustling ...
-
Christmas Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™️ Storytellers Collection
Ready for a little magic? Featuring light, sound and real dialogue from the movie, Harry, Dobby, Ron, Hermione and th...
-
Christmas Disney The Haunted Mansion Collection
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion! Featuring interactive light, music and dialogue from the classic Di...
-
Christmas The Grinch Wreath
This amazing motion-activated wreath may not steal Christmas, but it’ll definitely steal the show! Complete with ligh...
-
Christmas Twelve Days of Christmas First in Series Keepsake Ornament
Watch as Keepsake Artist Gregor Benedetti and Senior Design Technician R.J. Stebbins collaborate on the first ornamen...
-
Christmas Christmas Is… First in Series Keepsake Ornament
Keepsake Artist Tim Bishop didn’t have to go too far to find inspiration for his first Keepsake Ornament series. Duri...
-
Christmas Cup of Cozy First in Series Keepsake Ornament
Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what the new Cup of Cozy series is made of! Hear how Keepsake Artist Iman...
-
Arts, Crafts & DIY 9 DIY memory box ideas to keep special days close at heart
Every incredible trip, amazing party and huge milestone comes with its own unique memories and little objects worth h...