Ideas for Remembering Lost Loved Ones at your Wedding
M & K a bride and groom light a candle in memory of their loved ones. M is a white woman in a lace white dress, K a white man in a blue suit.
A wedding ceremony is a time for celebration! At the same time, it can be a time when you can really miss people who are no longer with you and you might be keen to find a way to remember people you’ve loved and lost as part of your wedding ceremony.
Having a celebrant wedding ceremony gives you the flexibility to do that in a way that is most meaningful to you. As a wedding celebrant, I work with lots of my couples to find ways to honour the memory of loved ones and create space for the joy they feel getting married. It’s a balance, but a really important one.
If you are thinking about how to remember someone important in your wedding ceremony, here are some ideas.
5 meaningful ways to remember people at your wedding
Celebration of light
One lovely way to remember loved ones during your wedding ceremony is with a ‘celebration of light’ in your celebrant wedding ceremony. During your wedding ceremony, usually near the start, you light a candle which shines and burns throughout your wedding ceremony bringing light and warmth. Obviously, a candle isn’t always an option in every venue, so here are some different options.
Save a chair at your wedding ceremony for someone you miss
If there is someone you love who is no longer with you to celebrate your wedding, why not keep a chair free for them during the ceremony. Be sure to create a small sign reserving it, or perhaps place a framed photo on the seat so that others know that that seat is not for sitting on.
Pick a reading or song that they loved
With a celebrant-led wedding ceremony, you can include any words or music you like and even have songs sung. So why not pick a wedding reading to remember your loved one by, or have a sing-a-long of their favourite song during the ceremony!
Photos of missed loved ones at the ceremony - in your bouquet, or on display
You might want a more private or quieter way to remember people you’ve loved and lost at your wedding. If that’s the case, you could have small trinkets that remind you of them, or even miniature photos attached and nestled in your bouquet. Or why not consider having framed photos on your ceremony table.
Handfasting ribbons made in memory
If you have chosen to include a handfasting in your celebrant or humanist wedding ceremony, you could choose to honour the memory of a loved one at your wedding during this part of the ceremony. Handfasting cords and ribbons can be made from almost any material so you could choose colours that were your loved one’s favourite, or even use material or ribbons that meant something to them.
Top tip - Your Wedding Celebrant can help you remember your loved ones
If it’s important to you to honour the memory of someone you’ve lost at your wedding. In a way that is sensitive, and meaningful but that doesn’t detract from celebrating you in a joyful ceremony, I’m really happy to talk through some different options and ideas with you as we plan your ceremony. That way we can find the right actions, rituals or symbols for you both to make sure you have a warm and joyful wedding ceremony while holding space for remembering those people who are important to you but who are no longer able to be with you on the day.