modern wedding ceremonies

[weddingneedさん]

A popular poem often read at funerals and in sympathy cards begins with the
heart-felt line “Those we love never go away... .”

Those words are also heard at weddings to honor loved ones who have
passed.

For many couples, their wedding isn't complete without that special someone.
They still want them to be part of the wedding.

Jacoby Duckworth posted the poem with the memorials during her wedding to
Macklin Andrick. But her wedding tree was the most touching remembrance.
Duckworth and Andrick, both of Nashville, Tenn., were married on the front porch
of her grandmother's home. The September wedding was decorated with the natural
beauty of the 100-year-old farmhouse in Decatur. “Since it was outdoors, we used
the tree and the yard,” Duckworth said.

Source: jadeprom.co.uk

When the guests approached the home, they could see the tree adorned with
photos of deceased grandparents and great-grandparents. One grandpa was killed
in Vietnam. The groom had never met his ancestor, but knew it was important to
recognize him.

“His memory has always lived on,” Duckworth said.

Acknowledging loved ones during the special day has become part of many
wedding ceremonies. According to Angela Burgener, owner of Elaburg Weddings and
Events in Moweaqua, each family has its own ideas for memorials. “Some will
think it is morbid,” she said. “Others find it reassuring.”

Common tributes can include simple gestures, such as a lit candle, a poem in
the entryway or a special locket worn by the bride. Others have something more
visual during the ceremony, such as an empty seat with a picture or photos on
the altar.

“Some will have something at ceremony, but not reception,” Burgener said.

The remembrances often reflect the personalities of the couple. When Rachael
Sapp, of Tuscola, began planning her wedding, she wanted something more than
just pictures to honor her family and those of her groom, Patrick Ward of
Taylorville.

“I'm in the museum field,” she said. “So I started with just the Wedding Dresses, then it
just snow balled.”

Sapp currently has four dresses to display at her July 2015 wedding
reception. “We have the mothers' and both mothers' mothers' dresses,” she
said.

Each dress will be displayed on mannequins along with a photos of the couples
and a brief description of their lives and how long they have been married. “I'm
dedicating a huge portion to that,” Sapp said.

For Duckworth, she chose the location of her wedding ceremony because of its
past and the memories it holds.

“My cousins spent so much time on that porch,” Duckworth said. “It's a very
special place for all of us.”