Dearly beloved: Personalized wedding memorial ideas to make your day even more special

Dearly beloved: ideas for remembering and honoring lost loved ones at your wedding

You’ve finally found the person you want to move through life with—your one. As the two of you start planning your wedding and thinking about everyone you want to be with on one of the most beautiful days of your lives together, your minds turn to loved ones who have passed on.

Celebrations and milestones have a way of highlighting the absence of someone we love. But a wedding can also be an opportunity to create ways to make their presence felt through touching commemoration and joyful celebration.

Here are a range of wedding memorial ideas that let you honor your dearly departed ones and include them in your ceremony in ways that feel like they are nearer to you in spirit.

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Wedding Memorial Clothing and Jewelry Ideas  

Before you even walk, strut, dance, glide or proceed down the aisle surrounded by family singing cheerful well-wishes, you can add sweet touches of remembrance by getting creative with your wedding clothes.

  • Brides can use cherished personal items that belonged to a loved one, like jewelry, photo charms, handkerchiefs, hair combs or hairpins for the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” tradition or another cultural ritual or custom.
  • Both brides and grooms can wear something meaningful that came from or belonged to a loved one. Maybe something sentimental that a loved one gave you. Or something from a loved one’s own wedding—cuff links, a tie, gloves, a repurposed wedding dress or veil. Or something from another significant occasion or day.
  • For a subtle remembrance, sew a monogram, name or term of endearment into your clothing—in a hem, a cuff, a sleeve, a seam or somewhere else inside your clothing to give you the feeling of having your loved ones close to you throughout the day.
  • Create an emblem of them to wear close to your heart in an inside pocket or slot. It could be a picture in a small frame, an old wedding ring, a folded note, letter or card from them, or a scrap of fabric with their favorite scent on it.
  • For the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere or any way you will be using flowers (leis, garlands or other cultural floral presentation), incorporate their favorite flowers, a small piece of jewelry or a memento.
  • Create a charm bracelet for both brides and grooms with meaningful emblems representing your loved ones or what was important to them.

Wedding Memorial Table Ideas  

Set up a remembrance table or tables to honor one or more loved ones. You could place a table at the back of the room or in an area near the front to greet friends and family as they enter, where it can feel more like an integral part of the ceremony. Here are some specific ideas to help it feel more personal:

  • Use the table to display a family tree honoring your lost loved ones and family ancestors. You might include photos or names with beautiful lettering.
  • If it feels culturally and spiritually appropriate, make a little altar with pictures of the departed loved ones and beautiful flowers, candles, a penny from heaven or other meaningful tokens or mementos.
  • Name the table after the loved ones you want to honor. For example, “Mama Bette’s Corner,” “Pop-Pop’s Place” or “For Sadiq: Reserved with Love.”
  • Put beautifully lettered sentiments like “Love Will Always Save You a Seat” on the table among pictures and keepsakes.
  • Place your guest book on the table where guests will be sure to see it. 
  • Incorporate their favorite color into the table decorations. For example, if your grandmother loved blue or purple, use blue or purple napkins, ribbons, place mats or coasters.  

Wedding Memorial Candle Ideas  

Lost loved ones can’t be there physically, but lighting a candle in their honor can show how their spirit still shines bright.

  • Leave a candle on every table and at a special moment, whether it’s during a time of silence or during a song, have your guests light them in honor.
  • In a moment of silence, have your guests light candles to send a private wish or prayer to loved ones.
  • As part of the ceremony, the couple can each light a candle for special loved ones they want to remember.  
  • If the ceremony is outside near water, on a lake or the ocean, or has a larger water feature inside, guests can light floating candles or lay flowers on the water and release them in tribute to enduring love.
  • During the ceremony, the couple can light candles for each loved one they want to remember and honor. 
  • Place candles inside lanterns that members of the wedding party can carry down the aisle or through the wedding space to represent a loved one’s presence.

Wedding Memorial Chair Ideas  

Chairs can be especially poignant emblems of a loved one’s presence. Since an empty chair can be a reminder of who is missing, filling it with loving mementos can make it feel meaningful.

  • Place a picture or pictures from a happy time in the chair. Help guests remember your loved one’s smile.
  • Put tokens from your loved one’s life on it—a quilt they made, a medal or award they won, their favorite game to play, a glass of their favorite wine.
  • Light a pretty lantern or votive to symbolize the brightness they brought to your life.
  • Make a chair part of the ceremony by having each member of the wedding party lay a beautiful flower, charms or crafted paper hearts in it as they pass by.

Wedding Memorial Photo Ideas  

When it’s culturally appropriate, pictures offer the opportunity to represent a life well lived.

  • Choose pictures of your loved ones looking happy, relaxed and loved.
  • Highlight any pictures that you have of your loved one with you and your intended.
  • Include both formal and candid photos from different times in their lives that you could place on guest tables as a way of telling their life story.
  • Run a photo slideshow in the background at your reception.
  • Place all your photos on a memory table in beautiful frames that suit the style of your wedding. Frame a beautifully lettered memory or short story to sit with the photos.
  • Leave pretty stationery at each table. Invite guests to leave notes about the memories the pictures bring.
  • Make a memory box. Leave notes or greeting cards among the photos on your remembrance table where guests can write memories, anecdotes or messages about your loved ones that can keep forever.

Wedding Memorial Music Ideas  

Think of music to remember family members by, especially songs they loved.

  • Before the wedding processional music starts, play feel-good songs that remind your guests of your loved ones and make them feel like a part of the day.
  • During your ceremony, play a song or snippet of a song and invite guests to sing along. Invite or reflect your loved one’s presence.
  • At your reception, have the DJ or band dedicate a song to the ones you miss. Invite everyone to the dance floor in their honor.
  • Alternatively, you could dedicate your first dance to the ones you miss.
  • If it feels right, have a memorial moment at your reception where the DJ plays a reflective song like Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran, Fire and Rain by James Taylor, Arms of an Angel by Sarah McLachlan, Heaven by Beyoncé, or Dance with My Father by Luther Vandross.

Wedding Memorial Ideas for the Ceremony  

A wedding is a day when so many beautiful words are spoken. Consider using storytelling to include loved ones who have passed. 

  • Have the person who marries you express gratitude and bring attention to the presence of everyone in the room, including those who have passed on (“I can feel your gammy smiling down on us…”) 
  • If prayer will be a part of your ceremony, have your minister, rabbi, imam, elder, pandit, officiant or other clergy mention your loved one in the ceremony’s opening grace. 
  • If the person who marries you delivers a sermon or speech during the ceremony, ask them to build it around a story from your loved one’s life or around a memory of you and the loved one and the joy they brought to your life. 
  • Insert a story, meaningful memory or quote from your loved one in your wedding program.
  • Choose someone—another family member or friend—to share a favorite story of you and the loved one during the ceremony.
  • Include a reading of your loved one’s favorite poem, book excerpt, scripture, religious text or even song lyrics to reflect who they were as part of the ceremony.
  • Have guests gather for a tree or flower planting in your loved one’s memory.
  • Frame lettered quotes from your loved one and invite guests to a tree where they can be hung from the branches with beautiful ribbon.
  • Offer guests the opportunity, in lieu of gifts, to contribute to a loved one’s favorite charity or to commit to doing an act of service in their name.

Wedding Memorial Ideas for the Reception  

Your reception offers many opportunities to reflect the spirits of your loved ones.

  • Think about making beautifully lettered or fun signs that say, “Here in Spirit” or “Toasting Us from Heaven” with illustrated clinking champagne glasses.
  • Put an enlarged portrait of your loved one on an easel that guests can sign with loving messages.
  • Make a loving toast where you acknowledge the presence of your lost loved ones and ancestors. Speak from your heart and, where it’s culturally appropriate, welcome their spirits in.
  • Hold a “moment of gladness” where guests can tell loud, funny and even boisterous stories about your departed family members or friend.
  • If your loved one had a signature recipe or a favorite dish they loved from a restaurant, make it part of the menu.
  • Have a flash mob re-create their favorite dance to their favorite song.
  • Name signature cocktails and mocktails after loved ones, based on what they liked to drink or based on their characteristics. First instance, serve a pineapple chili cocktail in honor of that auntie who was so spicy!

Wedding Memorial Ideas for Destination Weddings  

A destination wedding is an exciting adventure. There are good ideas for including your lost loved ones even if you are far from home.

  • Get married in a location that has special meaning; a place your relatives shared loving times together. Now your wedding can be an added chapter to the family story.
  • Hold the ceremony at their favorite time of day or during their favorite season. 
  • When you welcome guests at the destination, welcome your lost loved ones, too, through a toast, moment of silence or moment of gratitude.
  • Ask your guests to gift something reminiscent of your loved one: a favorite scented candle, a favor box with a favorite saying of the person, luggage tags with pictures, etc.
  • Add a favorite snack or souvenir in the guest welcome bag that reminds you of them. For example, “Treat yourself to Mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies.”

Wedding Memorial Ideas to Add Cultural Touches  

Your wedding day should reflect exactly who and what you are, honoring your traditions, faith and beliefs, and wishes for your future together. Think about adding wedding memorial elements that speak to your particular culture and history. For example: 

  • Where it’s culturally appropriate and meaningful, ask for your ancestors’ blessings for your marriage as a way of honoring them as is done in many cultures.
  • Where it is culturally appropriate, include a spiritually significant item that was used in the loved one’s own wedding, like a holy book, a chuppah, a prayer shawl, gold jewelry or other meaningful items. 
  • If it’s your tradition, pour blessed water or wine as first libation for ancestors from a beautiful cup as some do in African-American weddings.
  • Add a memorial touch to your chuppah, or marriage canopy, as can be done in some Jewish weddings.
  • Create a dua book in honor of your loved one to pass out to guests if you are Muslim.
  • If you have a mixture of cultural wedding traditions, let those traditions inform how you can honor, commemorate and include your people who have passed on.

Wedding Memorial Quotes and Readings  

Let Hallmark writers help you honor your loved ones. These words can help inspire wedding memorial readings, toasts, signs, and speeches—and hopefully offer you some comfort.

 

Their love
still adds
to the beauty,
the goodness,
and the joys
of our world.
– Suzanne Berry

 **

In the hopes of our days,
in the dreams of our nights,
in everything loving
and gentle and bright,
whenever we yearn for
their wisdom and care,
we’ll look in our hearts—
and they will be there.
– Linda Staten

**

Up high, across the sapphire sky,
the stars would gently gleam.
They’d glow together through the night
and watch the people dream.
One twilight, as the day turned dark,
another star came by.
The universe had gained
a new celestial butterfly.
They welcomed Star with beaming smiles
and blew bright, starlit kisses.
They said, “It’s time to shine your light,
to help with hopes and wishes.”
Then, from below, Star heard a voice
that said, “Wish you were here.”
Star twinkled, “Here I am, my love…
I’ll dry your every tear.”
The softest shimmer streamed to Earth—
an answered prayer from Star.
“My light will always be with you…
My light is never far.”
– Katherine Stano

**

We will always
be connected by
these moments of joy,
happiness, stories,
and memory-making.

We will always
be connected by
love that defies
any distance.
– Katherine Stano

**

The ones we love
surround us in spirit–
They visit us in our laughter,
and in the stories we share.
They meet us in our dreams
and show up in a song,
or a sunset
or a butterfly.

The ones we love
live on in beautifully good things
like the joy, togetherness,
and celebration of today.
– Katherine Stano and Melvina Young

**

Let this joyful celebration
give us the chance
to restore our spirits
and feel a little light
and music in our souls.
Just like they want for us.
– Melvina Young

**

In this moment of joy,
the heavenly distance
between us softens.
– Melvina Young

**

In heaven or on earth—
our love goes on.
– Melvina Young

**

We loved her laugh
and how she chose to live
like she couldn’t wait
to get to the next minute.

 When we take even a little
of the way she loved life
into each day with us…
she is with us.
– Melvina Young

**

A life beautifully lived.
A spirit wonderfully present.
– Melvina Young

**

She lived out loud.
Honoring the beautiful song
of her spirit today.
– Melvina Young

**

Our hearts are lifted
by the love
of friends and family
and the sweet memories
of the ones we miss.
– Melvina Young

**

Every day we live, laugh,
come together, and celebrate in joy
is a tribute to their love
and the happiness they want
for us.
– Melvina Young

** 

They are here with us…
Held in our memories,
Wrapped in our love,
Kept in our hearts.
– Melvina Young

**

We will always be family,
in heaven or on earth,
there will always be love.
– Melvina Young

 

 

We hope these wedding memorial ideas help make your day a sweet and memorable occasion honoring your love and your loved ones. 💜

 

Looking for more ways to commemorate or remember lost loved ones on special days? Take a look at these ideas: