Subtle ways to memorialize family members? (that isn't a photo table or empty chairs?)

I’ve known people do displays of family wedding photos - depending on how that might sit with the aunt and cousins, it would be a way to remember family members without it being a memorial table. You could do photos of parents and grandparents only, if you wanted to mark his grandmother, without having a photo of his uncle that would be upsetting to his aunt.

I also really like the idea of charms as something personal that you can let key people know about if you want to without it being a public display.

Daughter included a number of subtle things to include her beloved grandparents. For example, we used fabric from her gramma's wedding gown (that my sister and I had also both worn) to wrap her bouquet stems -- daughter said it was like "Gramma was holding her hand all day." All four of her grandparents were married in the same year. Daughter found a penny from that year, FOB drilled a small hole in the penny and we tied it to daughter's bouquet. Since her grandpa passed, whenever we find a penny, we say "Pennies from heaven!" and assume he's with us, so it also had that meaning for her. Good luck!

I would echo suggestions to do something personal to your FI. Sew something to the inside of his jacket that was meaningful or reminds him of his loved ones. I think memorials at weddings should be small and/or personal and not flashy or obvious (that's just my opinion, obviously!) but I also feel like it's more meaningful.

We did programs at our ceremony and I included a small note about our grandparents who weren't able to be there, etc. I also wore a ring that came from my great grandma (my deceased grandfather's mom).

I will be sewing a piece of shirt into the underneath of my dress for my grandfather (he was like a father to me), I fear that FH's nannie will pass before we get married, she is in one of the last stages of dementia. For him, I think we will sew one of her handkerchiefs or something into his jacket. You could also do a cufflink that has writing from one of the grandparents, I have a silver bracelet that has my grandfathers handwriting that says "I love you forever Anabethy" and a locket with his picture inside. Those are some subtle ideas to honor them!

We are doing a single memorial candle to honor all of our lost loved ones. That candle will be on a chair in the front row during the ceremony and then moved to the gift or guest book table afterwards. The candle is customized with our colors and says, "In loving memory of those celebrating with us in heaven." It's a small thing that will hold a lot of significance for FH and I, but also won't be too in-your-face for those who either don't know the departed or knew them well and that reminder may be painful.

Yes, my mom surprised me for my high school graduation with it. It is very special, I will be wearing it for my wedding day too. Like your FH I have piles of letters he had written me over the years, my mom found one and used the writing "I always have your back and love you forever Anabethy" in his cursive (he always spelled my name wrong because of his horrible arthritis and it is extra special because of that). I bet you could even do it to a pocket watch!

This would be my suggestion, and something I might actually do. The empty chair thing is beautiful but can be quite jarring. My grandfather's best friend recently got remarried and had an empty chair for him at our table, and hell if I didn't find it a bit overwhelming