So much of your year, or in my case years, leading up to your wedding day is spent planning all the big details; venue, date, guest list, music, photographer and the list goes on and on. You become so consumed with all of the larger check list items that you sometimes forget that the little details are what is going to make your day the most memorable to YOU. I don’t mean the extra set of flowers on an entry table, or a tent card with a hashtag, I mean the small, intimate, traditional things that just add the warm and fuzzies to your wedding day. There are so many of those that I look back on now and say to myself “Self, I am so glad you did that!” I wanted to share with you all, as you plan your big day, some of the little things that you shouldn’t forget to plan out. Trust me, some of my favorite images and some of my absolute most memorable moments came from those tiny little details.

Writing a card for your soon to be husband/wife to read on the wedding morning

My husband and I wrote cards for each other that we both read on the morning of our wedding. The cards were filled with beautiful words, touching thoughts and mine were captured in images and on video right before I put my wedding dress on. For some reason, just hearing these loving thoughts in my head, right before I headed to the church to marry my best friend just filled my heart with love and put a permanent smile on my face. It also helped to calm some of the jitters and nerves and truly was the right words at the right time that morning. Make sure you work with your friends and family to ensure that the cards are there in each location and that someone reminds the groom (usually the bride is on point with this stuff, lol) to read it when the photographer and videographer are present.

Remembering those you love who have passed on

It was so important to me on my wedding day to pay tribute and honor my  mother who had passed just two months before I got married. My mother battled cancer for the year leading up to our wedding and sadly did not make it to see me walk down the aisle. It was on my mind to ensure that every part of my day included her somehow so I felt like she was right there with me. Do whatever means the most to you when it comes to remembering your loved ones who have passed. Please know they are there with you on the day and you will feel them – I had so many moments I knew my mom was there. I did a few special things like include a blue ribbon, photo charm, mom charm and cancer awareness charm on the base of my bridal bouquet. It was something only I could see, but as I held my flowers I felt like she was there holding them with me.

Inside my gown my seamstress did the most amazing thing for me to pay tribute to my mother – she took a piece of a gown I had brought in on the second to last fitting of my wedding dress, cut it into the shape of a heart and sewed it into the bodice of my gown. Many people include small pieces of fabric from articles of clothing from someone they have lost into their wedding gown. I loved not only the fact that a piece of my mom was with me on that day, but it was also the gown she wore on my Communion day, red, and then placed in the shape of a heart over my heart. I mean it couldn’t get any more perfect than that. I loved the symbolism of her heart and mine being paired together on my special day.

We also made sure to include small photos and a special memorial candle at our sweetheart table to remember my mother and my husbands grandmother who was such a big part of his life and childhood. The two memorial candles burned all night at our table, with us, and were a gentle reminder of how their fire will always burn in us, throughout our lives. We still have these today in our home near the photos we kept from that day.

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