Fatherless Brides.... ;-(

My mother passed away when I was only 11. Now my father is fighting cancer and having a rough week from chemo. I am hoping he is both alive and healthy enough to walk me down the aisle or even attend the wedding. If needed, I will get my brothers to push him down the aisle in a wheelchair. If he gets to sick, we will have a small private ceremony with just immediate family and closest friends.

Omg Vanessa the same thing happened to me when i went to a wedding two years ago (lost my dad 4 years ago to lupus) --i started to cry uncontrollably when the bride danced with her father--it just sucks, theres no other way to put it.

I plan to honor my dad's memory by adding a charm with his picture on my bouquet. so he can 'walk with me'

no table with photos, no special song, i feel like those things would bring down the mood.

I lost my mom about 6 years ago. I lost my father this last June. It has been very hard thinking about the wedding without them here. Especially since the holidays are coming up. I get the same questions a lot of you get, which doesn't help.

I am going to have a picture of my parents on a table from their wedding day with a yellow rose (their flower). I will also have a small picture on a button that will be on my bouquet. My mother and I wore friendship rings and I will be wearing mine on my right hand. I was able to get one of my dad's blue shirts, which was used to have a small heart sewn in the chest of both my ceremony and reception dresses. Just a few small things that won't draw too much attention, but that will mean the world to me the day of.

Best wishes for everyone that is dealing with these losses, no matter how long it has been.

I found my dads stopwatch today and attached it to my flowers, so that i'll see it as I'm walking up the aisle.

My father died my senior year of high school so he has been gone a very long time. My mother passed away two years ago. I will think of them fondly on my wedding day and know they would be happy to see me happy. That's all I need.

My dad died a few months before the wedding to cancer and heart issues.

everyone needs to do what is right for them, and a memorial table was not for me. mostly because my dad's family would put pictures out of the deceased at funerals. so for me a memorial table is the kind of thing you do at a funeral, not a wedding.

I took a seashell that my dad gave me from a trip to florida and put it out on the kitchen table and played music like 'tie it up' the morning of the wedding as I got ready. he liked country music, and it's a wedding song, so it felt right.

at our breakfast the morning of the wedding day, my husband make a toast with the breakfast juice to my dad, for 'creating such a wonderful women that will today be my bride'

it was best for me to keep it toned down and simple, and kind of fun.

do whatever feels best for you, no matter how unusual or silly it may seem and feel what you feel! no one has the right to tell you any differently.

I lost my dad when I was 19 my brother walked me down the isle for my first wedding and my son will be walking me down the isle for this wedding. You will always feel that loss during the Holidays and at special times in your life but it does get easier. We are skipping all of the special dances except for our first couples dance.

I have been planning with no parents or grandparents. My fh lost his father as well. We are doing a memorial candle at the ceremony along with a chair with a rose in it in their honor. My aunts one of my mom's sister and one of my dad's sister are standing in for my parents.

I am so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how difficult that would be. Some nice ideas I've seen performed at ceremonies:

- My uncle lost his mother years ago, and he and my aunt honored both of their mothers by releasing doves during the ceremony. Everyone, especially my mom, was truly touched.

- Some friends got married recently, and they had their officiant say a few nice things about their grandfathers who had passed away as they each gave a single rose and a hug to each of their grandmothers. The officiant then lightened the mood by naming those who also couldn't be there like (insert names of the couple's future pets).

- You may also want to consider having someone walk you down the aisle who has supported you during those hard times, like your mom or brother.

- Other ideas: lighting a candle and saying a prayer to that person, welcoming them to your celebration in spirit, and knowing they are at peace now and will always be watching over you.

- I am not sure how I am going to handle that dance either at my wedding, though it may help to talk these feelings out with your circle of support, then your DJ/MC in order to come up with an alternative that is happy and meaningful to you.

Hugs.

Both my parents have passed. I'm having my ex-brother-in-law walk me down the aisle (was going to have my twin brother but idk if he'll even make it here considering he's from out of state). We don't plan on doing any memorial stuff. My oldest sister is insisting that she plays the role of "mother of the bride" but I feel like this is disrespectful but am uncertain myself as to how to tell her no. I've already agreed to it even though it really bothers me to think of it. I don't really understand why she insists on being called the mother of the bride or playing that role, it's really not a big deal. I plan on having all of my siblings "giving me away". It's a hard decision, you just have to choose what feels right for you. You can always have a small table representing those that could not be there that day with pictures and maybe a poem of some sort.