Your wedding day is one of the most significant in your life, one that you want to share with all the people who are precious to you.  If some of those who are closest to your heart have passed away, that can be a difficult situation that makes the day bittersweet.  However, there are some very beautiful and meaningful ways that you can include and honor your loved ones in your ceremony.

One lovely ceremony you can incorporate is the memory candle.  This is a small candle which is lit and burns throughout the ceremony as a way to symbolize the light of that person’s soul being present throughout the ceremony.  The candle can be lit as part of the overall ceremony to draw the attention of the congregation to it, or it can be lit in a private moment prior to the ceremony so that only the couple are aware of the significance.

Another thing you can do to commemorate a loved one is to include a small dedication in the program that highlights the person you want to include.  This can be as poignant or as upbeat as you wish it to be – you can even include a short poem or passage that was meaningful to that person or in your relationship with that person.

If one of the deceased is a parent of the bride or groom, it can seem like a particularly glaring omission to leave them out of the program when putting the names of the other parents there, but you don’t need to.  Etiquette dictates that you can include the names of the deceased with the precursor, “the late…”

The presentation of roses to VIPs is a common ceremony that is included in many weddings.  At the end of this ceremony, a rose can be laid at the foot of photos of the deceased that have been placed in a prominent location.

Additionally, many couples incorporate a photo slide montage in their ceremony with pictures from when they were young and pictures of the two of them together.  A section of the montage can be included that honors those who have passed away.  The great thing about this idea is that captions can be included with your photos that detail the significance of this part of the presentation.

One thing that can be done which is more private but keeps your loved one close to your heart during the ceremony is to incorporate a piece of that person’s clothing or jewelry into what you wear that day – a necklace, earrings, cuff links  – this is limited only by your imagination and the significant objects in your relationship with that person.

Another tasteful solution is to include a flower arrangement dedicated to the person or people you are honoring.  The words “in remembrance of” can be incorporated into the design, along with small photos.

Whatever you decide in terms of honoring those you love who have passed, it will be a special addition to your wedding ceremony, because it will be something that feels one hundred percent right to you.