Are you looking for a great way to include some friends or family members who have passed away prior to your special day? Or perhaps pay homage to those strong relationships who have been your marriage role models your whole life? That is what my husband and I decided to do….
Our grandparents are all first marriages and have those lasting eternal loves that we both idolized. So we wanted to pay tribute. I gratefully still have both sets of my grandparents, but both of his are no longer here. To keep it sort of mutual for passed or living we decided to get a wedding picture from each of them cutting their wedding cakes. Instead of making a separate homage display somewhere else in our venue that probably would have been elaborate or looked funny just floating out in the middle of anywhere. We thought that our dessert buffet and cake tables were prime real estate for our purposes. Plus, each picture had a cake in it!
While our guest perused the cupcake flavors they got to look at our grandparents cutting their wedding cakes. We thought the sentiment was… well… sweet! Playing off the whole “Love is Sweet” theme too.
How to Coordinate Homage Displays
There are many more ways of honoring friends and family. You may also choose to honor your relationship and the path you both took together on your way to the altar.This Project Block is about collecting photos, scrapbooks, frames and memorabilia, then finding a clever way to mix it into your wedding day. Let’s explore some options:
Tribute
Like the pictures of my grandparents above you can pay tribute to those you idolize or even want your marriage to emulate. You can choose your parents, or even some hopelessly romantic poet, romance novelist or scholar with their wise words. Your wedding could have quotes, poetry and verses intermixed everywhere you look. Your Project 17 would actually have many locations or one focal location {such as a cake table or sweetheart table}
In Memory
Sadly, there are people in our lives who will miss our Big Day. We wish they could be there in person but can only honor their memory and invite them in spirit. Among the many, many ways to do this, I will only highlight a few and refer you to the Project 17 Pinterest Board for more…
- Carry something: Brides or grooms can wear something of their loved ones as a brooch or boutonniere. {Holding you hand or being close to your heart}
- Light a Flame: Candles are a beautiful way to reignite their spirit on your big day. We put a candle for my husband’s best friend at our Welcome Table {P2}for all to see as they entered. Most of these candles live either somewhere among the Projects 1-4 or at their own table {if there are a few} at the reception. You can also move candles from the ceremony to the reception. You can also light them as part of your ceremony.
- Hold a Place: I truly get choked up over this one when it happens. Couples opt to frame a picture of their dearly departed and give them a seat to witness the ceremony. The frame is then re-displayed at a reception location.
Reminisce
The two of you have likely taken some romantic journey together on your way to the altar today. That journey will forever be a part of your lives and your marriage. It may have been long, or short, but it is important. It is your Love Story and who doesn’t want to share that?
- Engagement Photos at your Welcome Table
- A display of the Proposal Story {did someone catch pictures in action?}
- A Slideshow played of your relationship growing into a history
- Scrapbooks displayed of your lives together
- The list continues…
You may have no Project 17 and that’s okay. You may have an idea floating around in your head that you didn’t realize WAS your 17. Let’s make it happen. I absolutely LOVE Project 17 and giving homage where it’s due.
Think about any display of pictures or scrapbooks you might want to bring and the story you want to tell. You may even have a Slideshow in the works! That’s a P17! Together we’ll find a way to show it or make your story appear throughout your wedding day!
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