Honoring passed loved ones at your wedding can feel emotional, but it can also feel grounding, comforting, and even quietly joyful. After photographing weddings for eight years, I have seen so many couples find beautiful ways to include people they love who should have been there, but couldn’t be physically present. Whether it’s a parent, grandparent, sibling, or someone who helped shape who you are, there are meaningful ways to honor them without your day feeling heavy.

This is not about doing everything or doing it perfectly. It is about choosing a few intentional moments that feel aligned with you.

Here are thoughtful, real ways couples choose to honor loved ones at their wedding.

How to honor passed loved ones during your ceremony

1. Reserve a seat for them at the ceremony. This can be a simple sign, ribbon, or even a different chair to visually honor their presence.
2. Place a framed photo on the chair where they would have sat.
3. Ask your officiant to briefly acknowledge loved ones who are no longer with you. Short and sincere is often more powerful than a long explanation.
   • Add a short line to your ceremony program like “today we hold space for those who couldn’t be here” without naming names for a more symbolic and private approach
4. Include them in the processional. I once photographed a bride whose bridesmaids placed a rose on her dad’s chair as she walked down the aisle. Her mom and brother walked her in his place.
5. Walk down the aisle to an old voicemail recording or weave a voicemail into a parent dance song later in the evening.
6. Choose your processional or recessional song based on music they loved, even if guests never know why.
7. Include a reading, lyric, or short passage they loved without explaining it to guests. If it mattered to them, it belongs.
8. Release butterflies during the ceremony if that feels aligned with your values and venue.

Ways to include passed loved ones in photos

9. Photograph their empty ceremony chair or framed photo as part of the story of the day.
10. Hold their photo during family portraits so they are still represented in your wedding gallery.
11. Add a photo pin to your bouquet. A small pin with their photo attached is a beautiful way to carry them with you down the aisle.

Personal details woven into your wedding day

12. Include their favorite flower in your florals. One bride used sunflowers throughout her arrangements because they were her grandfather’s favorite.
13. Carry something of theirs. Watches, pins, handkerchiefs, or small notes can be tucked into a pocket or bouquet.
14. Wear something symbolic. I have seen stamped rings, lockets, jewelry, and small fabric pieces sewn into dress or suit linings as quiet nods to loved ones.
15. Incorporate their favorite team, hobby, or interest. One bride honored her dad with a Giants patch sewn into her dress lining and Giants themed cookies at the dessert table.

Reception tributes that still keep things fun

16. Create a remembrance table with photos of loved ones who have passed.
17. Name a signature cocktail after them or serve their favorite drink during cocktail hour.
18. Play their favorite song during open dancing instead of spotlighting it.
19. Choose their favorite cake flavor or dessert and include it at the dessert table.
20. If skipping a traditional parent dance feels wrong, invite someone meaningful to stand in and dance to a song connected to that loved one.

Private, meaningful ways to honor passed loved ones

21. Write them a letter while getting ready or reread letters and cards they once wrote to you.
22. Light a candle for them while getting ready and leave it burning through the day.
23. Gift family members keepsakes like embroidered handkerchiefs with meaningful phrases or commissioned artwork that includes loved ones who have passed.
24. Use their handwriting on signage, vow books, or ceremony programs for a subtle, design-forward nod.
25. Name tables after places that mattered to them instead of using numbers.
26. Toast privately with their favorite wine or spirit before guests enter the reception.
27. Include a small symbol that represents them on escort cards or place cards.
28. Take a quiet moment at the end of the night together to acknowledge them before the day fully wraps.

One honest note to leave you with: you do not need to honor everyone, and you do not need to explain any of this to your guests. One intentional choice done well will always feel more meaningful than ten things done out of obligation.

Your wedding day is about celebrating love in all its forms. Honoring loved ones at your wedding can feel like a quiet way of bringing them with you, exactly where they belong.

For more wedding advice/tips – check out the tips section of the blog!