There are many ways to add delicate, sentimental touches to your wedding day. Whether you want to include memories of a loved one that can’t be with you anymore, or a lovely gesture to your parents’ weddings, with these ideas below, you can add the most inspirational touches to your big day.
Photo Credit: Sarah Vivienne Photography
Authors Bio: Vivienne May Weddings was founded and created by Kerrie May. With over 8 years of experience in the luxury wedding & event industry, Kerrie has worked at some of the UK’s most iconic venues alongside a selection of renowned industry professionals and worked with a selection of high-net worth couples.
Kerrie is a UK Wedding Planner and has a distinctive reputation amongst her fellow luxury wedding professionals. Her wealth of experience, industry knowledge and unrivalled passion for bringing her clients vision to life is what drives her to plan impeccably designed, style-led and perfectly co-ordinated weddings, with romance at it’s heart.
One of the biggest mistakes couples make when planning their wedding is getting caught up in the latest trends rather than being true to themselves. Here’s some ideas to help bring your personalities to your day.
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To make your Wedding about Both of You
Write your own vows to one another – this makes your ceremony so much more personal as you share the love you have for one another and the promises you wish to make for your new chapter together.
Why not consider a cake topper that represents your personalities. One of the most memorable cake toppers that one of my couples had was the couple deciding to have mini figures of their favourite animals on the top tier of their wedding cake – really cute too!
If you each have a favourite cocktail you could host a cocktail hour at your evening reception where you name each of the cocktails after yourselves.
Maybe you are both huge TV or Movie fans? You could collate a list of your favourites and then name your tables after them. Another popular option is if you have travelled around the world to multiple countries, all great table names with holding a significant meaning to you both.
If you either of you (or both of you) are from different countries you could add a wedding tradition from that country. One of my favourites that I have discovered so far is from Poland - The father of the bride provides the couple with two shot glasses. One has Vodka in, whilst the other has water (this is considered the couple’s first wedding toast). The bride chooses first between the two glasses without knowing which is which. According to tradition, the partner who ends up drinking the Vodka is said to become the dominant partner in the relationship. Can you guess who got the vodka? That’s right, the Bride!
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To Remember Loved Ones that cannot be with you
If there are friends or family members that can no longer be with you, part of your wedding day could feel bittersweet that those special people can’t be there to celebrate with you, however here are a selection of ways to have your loved ones with you in spirit on your wedding day.
If your looking for touching ways of remembering a loved one, you could ask a seamstress to sew a square of blue fabric (from their favourite shirt or top) inside your dress to know that they are with you throughout the day.
You could reserve a seat for them at your ceremony and/or wedding breakfast with a framed picture of any guests who can’t be with you.
A popular option is to have a memory table where you can light a candle in honour of those missing and display a collection of photographs alongside to show your guests that you are thinking of them.
Perhaps your loved ones had a special poem or favourite saying that could be added to your wedding ceremony.
Another way to remember those who can’t be with you is to include their names in your Order of Service or even name a drink after them if you are having a cocktail hour.
Place a picture of them in a mini frame or locket and attach to your bouquet ribbon or boutonniere.
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To add a touch of your loved-ones Wedding Day
If you are really close to a family member or want to include a piece of family history on your wedding day, here are some ideas to get you thinking.
You could ask your Grandmother, Mother, or Aunt if they have any broaches or favourite pieces of Jewellery that you could attach to your dress or bouquet – a lovely piece of history added to your day.
Why not ask your family what perfume they wore on their big day and borrow that scent. (Remember to try it out beforehand though in case you get an unpleasant surprise!)
If your parents or grandparents have a favourite flower (or perhaps flowers they used in their own bouquets/boutonnieres), you could add these to your own bouquet or wedding flowers.
You could surprise your loved ones by adding in their First Dance song to your wedding reception playlist – it’s a lovely way for them to relive a tiny snippet of their wedding day.
Perhaps you both have a favourite meal that your parents cooked when you were a child, Spaghetti Bolognese, Macaroni Cheese, or even chicken nuggets and chips, why not add these onto your evening reception menu.
One of my clients had a frame with the title ‘The Key to a Happy Marriage’ that each of their nearest and dearest were asked to sign a tag that were attached to vintage keys. On the tags they each wrote what their key to a happy marriage was for the couple to keep as a memento of their wedding day and sentimental advice for them to cherish.
There are so many ways to add personal and sentimental touches to your wedding day and make it a day you and your guests will remember for the rest of their lives. If you are also looking to include the tradition of ‘Something Old, Something New…’ then have a read of my blog filled with ideas on how you can incorporate this into your wedding day.