Celebrating His Memory

When we got married nearly three years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to honor my dad's memory.  How do you fill the shoes of such a big personality? You want to honor and remember them, but you don't want the moment to rain on the parade of such a happy time. Also, as sad as the moment was for me to not have my dad walk me down the aisle or dance with me, I didn't want it to be a continuous shrine to my late father. As big as the loss was, I didn't want to take away from the losses Casey had or depress the mood of the party.

So, I wanted my dad to be there as I walked down the aisle. We came up with an idea to release 12 white balloons as I came down. My cousin, Lauri, told everyone the plan while waiting on the bridal party to arrive. I had friends and family who knew my dad hold and release each balloon as I walked past them. It was so special and I really feel like he was walking with my mom and I.

At the reception, we had a memory table set up with pictures of all the loved ones we had lost and scrapbooks of our childhoods set out.  We also lit a candle that said, "For those we have loved and lost along the way, a flame to remember them burns here today."

And, we also had Casey and his mom dance beside my mom and me. Though, the best moment of all, was having my dad's brother, Paul, dance with me. It was simply amazing. I really feel all of these gestures honored the memory of my dad and our grandparents at our wedding.

Now, I will leave this post with this picture. You cannot tell me we didn't have angels watching over our special day with a beautiful sunset like this behind us.