Getting married is one of the most precious, joyful and celebrated times of a person's life. It is a day filled with gleeful festivities and dreams of the future, but what about remembering the past? Even more so, what about remembering a person or people that have passed away, however recently? Remembering those who have passed away at your wedding can be one of the most emotional and fitting ways to link together the past, present and future on your special day but is something that needs to be approached with a level of caution and sensitivity. Whether you are thinking of having a whole table filled with memorabilia of those who have passed away, or simply an open locket on your bouquet; this is something that will most likely stir up lots of feelings of emotion with your family members, so try to make sure that you treat it with sensitivity and respect, and it will be something wonderful to share memories with your family and friends. Here are some wonderful ways to remember loved ones on your wedding day.

Have a memory table

As far as wedding memorials go, the memory table seems to be the most popular way of doing things. The idea is simple: just gather some photographs of those who have passed away and place them (framed if possible) on a table. Many couples tend to also include special objects on the table too! (For example, one young bride I spoke to used her late Granddad's suit jacket as a sort of table throw). Another bride-to-be said: "we plan on having a small table out of the way at the reception venue with a framed photo of both my brother and my future husband's dad, maybe with a little sign saying something like 'in memory' or 'wish you were here' a candle, or some flowers." For some ideas of what to put on a memory table, click here.

An empty chair

The whole idea behind this gesture is to create a presence in the room during the ceremony. Not in a creepy ghost type way, but by using an empty chair (or even several of them) to represent those who have passed away. This is an incredibly emotional and personal way to include loved ones in your ceremony. However, tread with caution, as one wedding guest says: "I've seen weddings where they reserved a seat complete with a framed picture and candle for every deceased guest and it was a little overwhelming for everyone who knew them." Just remember that people deal with memories, nostaligia and grief in different ways and, whilst you think that having an empty chair at your ceremony may be a wonderful gesture, others may find it a little distressing.

Include them in your wedding program or mention them in a speech

If you would like to include your loved ones who have passed away in your big day but would like to keep it subtle, then it is a good idea to mention them in your wedding program or in a speech. One bride-to-be says: "We have a section in our program titled 'In Remembrance' with something underneath it like "in remembrance and honour of those who are no longer with us, [name], grandfather of the bride, and [name], grandfather of the groom. This way, our guests can remember them in their own way without having it jammed down their throats that they are not there.'" Mentioning your loved ones in a speech (spoken by you or somebody else) is a great way to speak your feelings to your guests, and let everyone know that you're thinking about those who cannot be there to share in the celebrations. One bride said: "My mum passed away 11 years ago. We chose to script up something short that we both say to remember everyone who has passed, think of those who can't be with us, and also to thank everyone." If you are religious, you could also include a specific prayer for those who have died and are celebrating in spirit.

Have a little photo of them connected to your bouquet / cufflinks

A nice way to remember someone, whilst still keeping it subtle and personal to you, is to fashion a small photograph of your loved one and connect it to your bouquet (or even your cufflinks if you are the groom). This way, your memory of them will accompany you as you walk down the aisle. One bride-to-be said: My grandmother passed in January, and we were super close (typing this is choking me up). I am honoring her and my grandfather by putting together a miniature of their wedding portrait onto a bead that will be tied onto my bouquet."

Get older generations involved

"My future mother in law made a collage of memories of people who had passed away" says one recent bride, "It actually worked out perfectly because she wanted to be more involved in the planning, and her mother recently passed so it as a good way to honour her. It has all our family members from both sides who have passed and some family pets as well." Getting older generations involved in creating wedding memorials is a great way to get them more involved in the wedding planning, plus chances are they will have more old photographs!

Have a bowl of their favourite food/sweets at the ceremony or reception

Often deceased family members can be remembered by involving their favourite foods in the ceremony or reception. "I'm remembering my Grandpa, with whom I was exceptionally close, by having for dessert an ice cream parlour for guests who can choose their ice cream flavour and toppings." Says one excited bride-to-be, "My grandpa and I used to spend long summer evenings at the ice cream parlour in Long Island and he would always let me get every single topping despite the fact I never once finished my tub." It doesn't even have to be as extravagant as that, one recent wedding guest said: "I saw something; the bride's grandmother would pass the children sweets (wafers or some kind of old folks candy) to keep them hush during church service. So they kept a dish of wafers at the beginning of the aisle and a little sign explaining why."

Represent them with flowers

Flowers on your wedding day is pretty much a given, so why not use specific flowers to symbolise your loved ones that have passed away? You could even have a whole bunch of beautiful flowers, one to symbolise each person that has passed away. This way, you can keep the memory of them alive, whilst still keeping it more subtle than the empty chair idea. One bride-to-be shared her experience: "We are going to have some white roses in vases on the table near the alter, and put a note in the program saying the 6 roses are to remember and honour our grandparents that have passed away."

Final thought...

Remember that your wedding is a joyous occasion - you don't want to make anyone feel upset! It is often worth checking with the rest of the family before you decide on how you remember a loved one on your special day. Remember that they will want to remember the relative too so make sure that everyone is comfortable with the way that you have chosen.

We would love to hear your ideas! How are you planning on remembering a loved one at your wedding? Let us know in the comments.