If you have a deceased father milestones like your wedding can be bittersweet due to his absence. Honoring your deceased father at your wedding is one way to keep his spirit with you during your big day and also keep his memory alive with friends and family. If you’ve lost your father but want to make sure he is still very much a part of your upcoming nuptials, learn how you can incorporate his memory into your wedding tastefully.

Discuss with your wedding officiator prior to the ceremony an appropriate time to take a moment for your father and hold a brief silence or prayer. If your significant other has any loved ones they have lost and wish to mention use this time for that as well.

Include in the program a remark for your father. You can stick to tradition and list him next to your mother’s name or reserve a special memorandum section just for him with a quote about his spirit or small paragraph.

Place a rose in the seat he would have been placed for the ceremony. If he and your mother were married at his passing this will be a seat next to her or if he was single or they weren’t married then simply a seat anywhere close to the front.

Set out a donation box by the gift table with a photo or plaque of your dad and ask guests to make donations to go to your father’s favorite charity. This is a good idea if your father died of a specific illness and you can list a local research organization your father favored to donate money to. Or include in the invitation that in lieu of presents guests can donate to this organization.

Plan to dance with a close male family member such as a brother or uncle for the traditional father-daughter dance. If you had a song selected you would have liked to dance to with your father use this or select an appropriate song your father enjoyed.