Honoring my parents at my wedding?

It is your wedding, you can do it however you wish! Personally, I wouldn't walk in together. When you walk in and walk up the isle, it sorta symbolizes joining together. But it is your wedding and if you want to run up the isle or dance up it, you can!

As for the two men who are father figures to you, I think that is a perfect idea. It doesn't have to be family. It's who you are closest to. I also think it would be wonderful for you to chose BOTH of them to walk you up the isle, one on each side.

Tradition for remembering those you have lost is normally a rose on the pew/seat where the parent/grandparent would have been seated. My daughter was very close to her grandfather. He passed away several years before she married. We placed a rose on the pew. However, we also made an arrangement. It was a very beautiful flower arrangement with a candle in the center. It sat in front of, yet off to the side of her and her groom. When she walked down the isle, her father gave her away, then she went to her grandfathers arrangement, then joined her groom. I will see if I can find a link with the arrangement, to give you an idea. If I cannot find the link, feel free to email me and I will email you a picture of it. You could do three arrangements. One for parents, one for grandparents and one for his friend he lost. You can have a program to be handed to the guests as the enter. In it, have your wedding announcement. Have your wedding party listed. Have the "plan" listed. In it, put what each arrangement is for and who it is for. That way everyone will understand what it is the two of you are doing, without it having to be announced. Then finish it off with the wedding, including lighting of the unity candle, etc. My daughter keeps her arrangement on a small table in her living room. It's a beautiful piece and she will always think of her grandfather when she looks at it.

As for your parents. When these two men who are father figures walk you down the isle and give you away, when asked, "Who gives this woman into marriage?" They could say in memory and honor of her parents, their names, we do.

This is just a few ideas. But as I said, this is YOUR wedding. You do whatever you and your groom wants. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

I've searched and the pictures are no longer online. I will gladly scan a picture and email it to you of the arrangement if you wish. Just email and let me know.

I wish you the very best! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and your new life as one!

First of all- I am so sorry for your losses!

You are right- they deserve to be honored somehow. They would love to be there with you!

You can walk down the aisle by yourself- I've seen it done and it is quite breathtaking actually. Consider the meaning of it- you are giving yourself away...very romantic!

You could always carry 2 additional flowers with the bouquet, and once you get to the end of aisle, simply place it on the seat/s where your parents would have sat. Very touching, and meaningful for you.

*Make sure that the officiant is not going to say "who gives this bride to be wed"

As far as remembering them...if it were only a couple of loved ones lost, than you could put their pictures up w/ candles at the guest book. But, in your case- I think a movie put together of pictures would be INCREDIBLY perfect...what a way to include them!!

Best Wishes

Your last question first - my husband and I walked up the aisle together, with our attendants walking in as couples before us. It was just great, and people loved it!

As for honoring those who are deceased - the way we looked at it, a wedding is a happy occasion - and in my case, my father had passed away two years before I got married. I knew I'd be thinking of him on that day - so I just decided to mention my parents when my husband and I did the thank you at the end of the reception program - and leave it there. And it was fine.

♥ It's fine to ask someone not in the family to give you away, it should just be someone you are comfortable with! I do believe you can walk down the isle by yourself also.

As for the way to honor those who have passed I think a small side table with a photo of each of them in a frame with a flower bouquet on the table with some candles would be nice. You could put a larger frame (maybe an 8x10) in the middle of the table by the flowers with a poem of remembrance!

Good Luck!

I am so sorry for your loss. I think a very special way to honor them is attaching tiny picture frames to your bouquet, with your loved ones photo's inside ( i think they sell the tiny frames that attach with a pin at craft stores) This way they will be right by your side all day, they will be in the pictures you take during the day. I have seen this before at a wedding and i think it is a very special and unique way to have those special people you lost by your side during the most important day of your life.

As far as walking down the isle......i think walking by yourself would be special because in spirit your parents are walking on either side of you. Everyone will understand the meaning and its a tribute to the both of them.

It's your wedding so choose a close friend or whoever you feel you want to give you away. If you have any small boys in your family it's adorable to have them walk with you down the isle. The memorial is pretty easy, for my best friend I put an in memory area on my wedding program, you may also want to put a candle for each person you are remembering, maybe even a photo, but not if it is going to upset you. I had a single candle in my best friends favorite color sitting on top of the piano. We also had her favorite color in the bouquet's

You can have a small table with a floral centerpiece and on each side put a memory candle for each parent and have a photo of them in the center in front of the floral centerpiece. After the officiant welcomes the guest he can say something about the memory candles and who they are for as your way of honoring your parents. This is what I'm doing for my brother at my wedding. Congratulations on your marriage.

I'm sorry for your losses. I totally understand your situation as my husband's parents are also deceased, and we were concerned about him feeling sad during the wedding and reception. He was even against having any photos of them present. What I did was write a tribute in the program in the back after everything else. It was perfect. The guests who knew them enjoyed reading it, and he and his family were pleased. You can also pin photos of your parents or their names into your bouquet.

In regards to your walk down the aisle, I would suggest having either one or 2 of the people who you think of as second fathers to walk you down. They don't have to "give you away." When the officiant asks who gives this woman, they can say "She gives herself with our blessing" or something to that effect or you can ask the officiant not to ask that question or you can take the walk by yourself.

Congrats and best wishes.

My friend honored her grandmother by simply putting a picture of her up at the reception. It was in a nice frame and by the guestbook. I thought it was really sweet as they were very close.

You could walk in by yourself, have an uncle or aunt, brother or sister walk you down...or you could even meet your fiance half way down the aisle and go the rest of the way with him!

you could leave an empty chair in the front row and just have pictures of each of the people who would be siting in that chair if they hadn't passed away.

and you can definately walk down the aisle without being given away.. chances are everybody will know that you have suffered the loss of your dad and they will understand that you want to walk by yourself...