Do any of your parents have Alzheimer's Disease?

That is really difficult. My grandmother has Alzheimer's and she definitely does not do well with crowds. She's progressed quite far. Unfortunately I have no advice for you except to wait until the rehearsal and see how he does. If he's nervous then, you'll know he'll be nervous day of

@JennV I thought about that too but only the bridal party will be at the rehearsal. At the ceremony, 100 people will be there. Also, he may be fine on the day of the rehearsal and not be fine on the day of the wedding or vice versa. This is so difficult

I would have a back up plan. My grandpa was so hard to read daily. My heart goes out to you and your family it's a hard battle.

I would plan on no.

It's hard and I am so sorry for what you are going through - but upsetting and confusing your dad isn't going to make you happy on your wedding day.

Have you discussed this with your mom or your dad's doctors

How long is your entrance? Maybe you could walk with him up to the aisle then have your mom meet up with him there (or whoever he's comfortable with) and you could walk solo down the aisle?

My grandmother has advanced stage dementia of the Alzheimer's kind and Parkinsons. It's been a very difficult journey...we've been her primary care givers for years since she's been sick. I also don't have an advice, especially not knowing your wedding date. There was a time where we may have considered having a nurse with her, but now not only has her condition declined so much but she may not even be alive by then.

It's very difficult to have a close loved one with this disease... My sympathies. I also think you should wait until the rehearsal dinner, but prepare yourself for him not being able to do it.

My wedding is August 27th of this year

I think I'm going to walk alone. His moods changes from time to time. I've noticed that he won't always tell me the truth. So even if he was nervous, I don't think he would tell me. He is also very self- conscious about his shaking. I also don't know if I'm going to do a daughter-father dance. I know that my MIL wants to dance with her son. Would it be weird if my dad and I didn't dance but my FH and his mom did?

I don't think it would be weird at all not too. People who know and love you will get that you would love to share a first dance with your dad. It's just no practical.

My grandfather had A.D. and I'm a health care professional. If his behavior is erratic and he suffers from anxiety, please leave him in the comfort of his home, with a reliable caregiver.

It will not be disrespectful to your father if you walk with your mother. I walked with both my parents. I started singing at weddings almost 14 years ago; for that first wedding, and for the majority of those since, the bride walked with both parents.

P.S. You can have a dance with your mother. My father is disabled, so I danced with my mother.

Thanks @erinC.

@dreamer his anxiety is not that bad to the point he can't attend the wedding. I just don't think he would want to be the center of attention. He also feels comfortable as long as my mom is with him (who is also his caregiver).

Hi. I'm sorry that you are dealing with this difficult situation. I'm a scientist and work with patients with the neurological disorders you have mentioned (as well as others). Given the PD and AD combo diagnosis, it may be best that your dad isn't put on the spot in walking you down the aisle. Not only may it trigger a massive anxiety attack, but possibly also aggravate fear of falling (and postural instability) and a freezing of gait incident. It may be best to have a family friend be close to your dad during the wedding & reception... as kind of an usher for the night to help if there are any incidents. Also, speaking to his neurologist & neuropsych team ahead of the wedding (for anxiety management) would be a good idea. If you would like to chat one on one about this, I'm happy to share email & phone #. You aren't alone!!!!

I am a RPN and work on a floor solely for residents with dementia. It is very common for patients to have high anxiety especially with lots of people and new situations as their brain can't process the situation properly. Hopefully your doctor is able to prescribe some medications that can help. I personally would not put him in a situation that will make him uncomfortable. As hard as it will be I would walk with your mom or brother. Your dad I'm sure would understand if he could. You don't want to be stressing or put him in a situation that he can't handle. Best of luck. I'm sorry for the long winded post.

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I talked to my mom about it and I'm going to ask my brother to walk me down the aisle. My dad feels safe with my mom, so she will stay with him during the ceremony.

View Quoted Comment I’m running into the same problem. My dad has severe Alzheimer’s and dementia. His speech is very diminished and his mobility has him walking gingerly without assistance. I feel guilty not having him there, but I also feel like it’s a huge burden to have someone stay with him the whole wedding

View Quoted Comment

My mom has dementia and my dad passed away years ago. My mom isn't too bad--she kind of remembers that I'm getting married, at least--and I've been debating whether to have her walk me down the aisle. Ultimately, though, I don't think she wants that kind of attention, so I'm going to have my 11-year-old nephew walk me down the aisle. It's a crap situation and there's no good answers. My mom will definitely be there, but I need to figure out someone who can pretty much keep an eye on her/stay with her throughout the day and take her home.