How to acknowledge mom who can't attend

Can you skype her in so she can watch the ceremony?

I wish I could but she doesn't have a computer and to add to being bedridden, she is also deaf.

Does she have a smart phone, or could someone lend her a tablet/computer? Maybe you could have an interpreter at the ceremony so she can still enjoy it? Otherwise, maybe you could have someone film her well wishes to you and the video can be played after the other speeches at the reception?

That might work. I hadn't thought of her filming well wishes.

Skype her in if you're able to. Use someone else's computer. Have an interpreter at your wedding she can see through the feed, or have a friend who knows sign language to be there with her interpreting.

Dana has some great ideas. FH's family can't attend our wedding and I'm trying to convince him to Skype the ceremony or let me coordinate with his family to send well wishes on a video that we can show. I think your mom would love being able to send her well wishes to you!

Some other possible ideas: (1) Could you sneak out during the cocktail hour to visit her quickly? (2) Give her a hand written note to open on your wedding day. Even if she can't be there, the note will let her know how important she is to you and how much you wish she was there.

Hi! My dad is also home-bound and ill, so neither of my parents were able to attend either. We skyped them in. They're not very technologically oriented but a family friend came over and helped set up the video call. We placed the laptop where they would have sat, and our friend handled the computer.

We also mentioned them during speeches. MIL opened her speech mentioning those who couldn't be there but were celebrating us from afar, and both DH and I talked about them.

I'm sorry she won't be able to make it. Everybody else has great ideas! Skype seems like the best way to go. But I like Samantha's idea too. It would be great if you could somehow visit her quickly.

Thanks for the great ideas. :-)

Also, my parents aren't deaf but they don't speak English, so they couldn't follow the ceremony either. Still they enjoyed watching it. I waved at them when I walked down the aisle, and the officiant asked them who gave me away in marriage. The friend handling the computer whispered the answer to them, lol - and the family friend also translated for them when this happened.

Before saying my vows I turned to the computer and discretely nodded at them. It's an inside joke my parents and I have about the princesses of Spain, so I'm glad I was able to do that during the ceremony.