Honoring the Groom's Mom

My husband also lost his mother and we had a photo slide at our wedding for her and her own memorial table. Everyone loved seeing the photos of her through the years and he really loved sharing it.

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Thank you, this is something I will consider. The step Mom is pretty sensitive, so it makes things difficult too. I don't want to cause any "issues" at the wedding! Thanks again!

I can see cufflinks with her initials happening

I got my groom cuff links with a picture of his mom on one and a saying on the other. That way she will be with for the wedding.

Our daughter was very close to her grandparents who have passed away. At the same time, she's not a fan of the memorial tables/empty seats/etc. -- she finds those too depressing and they did not fit her view of what she wanted at their wedding. Instead, there were some small subtle things that only she and a very few of us knew about. Daughter would have loved to have worn her grandmother's wedding dress (as I and one of her aunts had), but it was way too short and the fabric much too fragile after 70+ years. Instead, we gave some of the lace fabric from the dress to her florist. She wrapped daughter's bouquet stems with it, and daughter said "it was like she was holding gramma's, her auntie's and my hands all day." Her grandparents were married in 1948. Daughter found a penny from 1948 and asked her dad to drill a small hole in it (which was surprisingly easy to do with a standard power drill) and she tied it to her bouquet. She was extremely close to my dad and ever since he passed away, any time we find a penny we always say, "Pennies from Papa" because he always had a pocket full of change that he'd give her every time she saw him when she was little. She also had an old dress shirt of my dads that she wore as a paint shirt when she was in preschool/Kindergarten. I sewed a small heart cut from that fabric on to the inside bodice of her dress. I know it's different for the groom, but perhaps you can do something similar. Maybe a piece of fabric from something of his mom's could be sewn into his suit jacket. Daughter and son-in-law also each carried a handkerchief -- hers was an embroidered one that belonged to my mom and his had been an "everyday handkerchief" from a collection that my dad used to keep in his pocket all the time (kind of old school, I know). If there is a small piece of jewelry of his mom's, perhaps it could be incorporated into his boutonniere, etc. Clearly, I think the fact that you want to do this for him is wonderful -- the sentimental things mean a lot in our family! Good luck!

My FH mom passed away a few years ago. He had a dog tag thing that had an artist rendering of his mom's picture on it. I put that on his boutonniere. There is also a candle and a picture of her and of both sets of my grandparents on a table at the reception. And a single flower on a chair at the ceremony.

I don’t think surprising him with anything at his wedding is a good idea. I would think how he chooses to honor his mother at his wedding should be his decision. He may not feel his wedding day is a day to be reminded that his mother is no longer with him or he may just feel that is a personal and emotional moment that he needs to have in his own. Making it public is very much trying to overshadow him and his fiancée at their wedding.

I would ask your nephews fiance what they would be comfortable with.

View Quoted Comment I have discussed with her and she is open to whatever I would like to do! I told her when I decide I will check with her before moving forward.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your comments, however I wouldn’t be doing anything if 1. My nephew didn’t love surprises, 2. He loved his mother and wants to honor her as much as possible at his wedding, (they are doing a number of things) 3. I hadn’t already discussed doing something with his fiancé and 4. I did something at his brothers wedding and he was VERY happy that I did. Every family and person is different and I know my nephew and he would love it!

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Do you have any of his mothers clothing? I have seen people stitch a heart shape cut out of a passed love ones clothing in to the inside of their suit jacket. This way it is still private and personal.

Etsy sells a variety of items like this that are nice! Also, did his mother have a favorite song or artist you could have played in her honor?

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Thank you so much for sharing your story and idea. Sentimental things mean a lot to our family as well and especially my nephew when it comes to his Mom!