Unique Memorial ideas

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I know you don't want to cut anyone out, but what about just keeping it smaller. Since your fiance's parents are both deceased maybe you could do something special for them....like the candles with their names and pictures of them. For everyone else you want to memorialize maybe just have a votive candle lit for them and then in a different frame list their names in there and that you are memorializing them.

My father passed away so that is what we are doing. He is the big one since he was a parent. Then we'll honor the others by doing something smaller.

Here's a suggestion that we used at one of the weddings we did, I can't say it's unique, but it may be helpful. At the back of this couples wedding program they wrote,"TO those loved ones who could not be here today", (listed the names and how they were related)

"We wish you could be standing here with us today, but we know you are here in spirit. You are in our hearts always, we love and miss you".

Take your time with your planning and enjoy your time together.

Best Wishes to both of you,

Debbie

Instead of engraving the names on the candles you could print them on nice card stock and pin them to the candle. Same effect as engraved, just much cheaper.

Depending on how many you have, me and my FH are having a vase with 4 roses in it for our loved ones. my FH said if we mention anything about them, he will cry and his dad will cry, and he doesn't want that.. (he lost his Grandpa and Mom.. i think.. that's bad that i don't remember, but i haven't met most of his family yet) and i lost my grandparents. but that's just an idea. and you could maybe have something etched in the glass.

I've incorporated a number of roses in a different (but complimentary) color in the altar arrangement, and the officiant made reference to them in their service. Simple, but not morbid. If allergies are a huge problem, you could use silks.

You could do a ballon bouque different colors for different people, cheaper than flowers and would not cause allergy problems. For your FH's parents do a pretty charm for each one and have it either on his boutunier or in a pin like form. it would be a cute detail and people would ask what they mean. if you are having a bouque of flowers you could do the same with smaller charms.

I would make two special chairs up front on the grooms side for his parents, you may even want to put a flower on each chair, you said you had allergies, so maybe a photo on each spot, Then you could also include a nice poem/verse on the back of the programs and list everyones name and relation to you guys. I am putting a flower on each seat for my grandpa and auntie, then as I walk down the aisle I will add them to my boquet, Then on our way to the reception, we are stopping at the cemetary and putting one flower on each grave (I'm also going to have extras, not from my bouquet to put on other family member's grave). It will be hard for me to do, but I will pull through because I want to include them, even if they are only here in spirit..

Feel free to contact us for more information in regards to the memorial ideas. We specialize in memorial tables for the ceremony and reception. Give us a call and one of our customer service reps can give a more details and ideas. We are able to incorporate your loved ones in all aspects of your wedding.

Thank you soo much everyone!! I loved the ideas I'm going to present them to my fiance and see which one we wants to do. If everyone is still on in September I'll write another post saying what I did and I'll include photo's on my profile. Thanks again even if you felt it wasn't unique it was something I didn't think of so for me it was unique. Thanks again all I really appreciate all the feedback.

When my dad passed several years ago my had teddy bears made from some of his shirts for me and my two sisters. i will be placeing my bear on a chair in the front row and as my sisters and i pass we'll each be placing a rose next to the bear. Maybe your fiance has a special item that represents his parents... I like the idea someone had about honoring loved ones by saying their names durring the ceremony.

My mother passed and i wanted to find a way to include her in the ceremony that wouldnt make me cry like a baby. I really liked this idea:

http://offbeatbride.com/2008/06/wedding-memorial#referrer

My fiance and I both come from large families and have lost many as well. We are going to design a silk arrangement that can be transported throughout the wedding activities. It will contain a candle to represent each loved one who has passed and a ribbon with their name on it. It may seem like a lot of extra work to transport it, but it is well worth it to us to include those we have lost.

We've seen some unique things come through our stores. Big collages of one person or a couple work well, and so does a cleanly laid out collage or poster of multiple people with a message in the middle or on the top. In fact, one of my employees did a memorial service for her uncle and included many different photos of her uncle and the rest of the family and friends against a black border. So it was like a collage, but each image had it's own place and had a nice background in between images. We liked it so much that we saved that particular layout as a template for others to use.

This is just one such idea, but we have seen many different ways of presenting loved ones in a special way. Depending on your particular setup, a dvd slideshow at the reception might be a nice way to entertain guests by using images of yourselves through the years as well as including a section on your remembered loved ones. Please contact us with any questions!

List their names on your program with a special note

You can do place cards for them and put them off to the side with a candle in front of them on your place card table/display. Hand write their names on ribbon that matches your wedding colors and stripe a couple of large pillar candles with them (don't have to light the candles) Use their names as table names...I'm at the Maria Francesca Table

Other couples have chosen to have me read the wedding blessing or prayer on behalf of all their loved ones that "are with us today in spirit"

Here are a couple of other examples/readings you could incorporate either into your ceremony or into your program:

In Loving Memory of those who could

not be with us to share our special day

For those we have loved and lost along the way,

A flame to remember them burns here today.

For the laughter, smiles and memories remain,

Together today their presence sustains.

Never forgotten and loved forever more,

Today their blessings flicker and soar.

Two more for you...

Example 1:

Although we can't see you, we know you are here

Smiling down, watching over us. As we say "I DO"

Forever in our hearts, Forever in our lives

And so we say our vows, In loving memory of you.

Example 2:

Although death has separated us physically, faith and love have bound us eternally. Though we cannot see you, we know you are here.

Though we cannot touch you, we feel the warmth of your smile, as we

begin a new chapter in our lives. Today we pause to reflect upon those who have shaped our character, molded our spirits and touched our hearts. May the lighting of this candle be a reminder of the memories we have shared, a representation of the everlasting impact you have made upon our lives.

Releasing a white dove for each parent, could be very moving.

My FH Grandfather past away a few years ago and my uncle just died about a month ago so we are having a rose sitting in the place they would have sat, and a card that says there names and a little saying

I just had a coworker who got married and she did something I think is very unique. The groom's mother had passed away so instead of a candle or a vase, they released balloons in her memory. I may do the same at mine for loved ones.

I too have several deceased family members. My sister actually had a large candle burning on the guest book table with a picture frame next to it with a list of all the family members who could not be with us. Everyone who walked in and signed the guest book was able to see it and see the memorial.

You know how the bride and groom light the unity candle during the ceremony? You could also have another candle lighting event in the ceremony. Rental places sell candelabras and you could light one candle on the candleabra for each deceased family member. While doing that, you could play a song about missing deceased loved ones. And so your guests know what the event is for, you could put in your wedding program something like Memorial Lighting Ceremony. That way you can honor all your deceased loved ones without having a very long memorial service.