Honoring Those Who Have Come and Gone

With all of the hustle and bustle of wedding planning sometimes I forget to lift my head up and pay attention to reality. In my fantasy world, my wedding will go off without a hitch and every moment will be just like it's from the movies. My new husband and I will exchange teary eyed but beautiful vows. Everyone will stare in awe as we glide across the floor for our first dance. And all of our guests will gather as we exit to wish us farewell amidst sparklers.

Even though I know that those things probably won't happen the way I envision (my venue doesn't allow sparklers for one) there are a few moments I know for a certainty I won't get to experience. My dad walking me down the aisle or our father-daughter dance.

Six years ago my father passed away. I wish I could say it gets a little easier as time goes by, but if you've ever had experience with death you know that's not true. I've missed so many moments with him. He never got to see me go to prom or graduate from high school, or college. And my wedding is just another event I won't get to share with him. But I plan on including him in my day as much as I can with photos and such. It won't make up for not having him there, but I still want to acknowledge him in some small way.

Here's an idea I might steal borrow from another bride:

Photo attached to the bouquet

(Source)

(Source)

This is just one of the ideas I had. I thought it was really touching. So my dad won't be able to walk me down the aisle, but I can still carry him with me. It's a small gesture, but I'm working on a few more ideas. What about you, Hive? How are you remembering past loved ones?