Involving your family in the wedding is certainly not an easy task.
Everybody has an opinion and more often than not, they’re not holding back when it comes to expressing it.
Plus, if a family member does get involved, you run the risk of either:
- Losing the spotlight on your big day,
- Or offending those family members who were not included.
But don’t despair!
This blog article offers 8 amazing ways on how you can involve your family without losing the spotlight on your big day!
Make sure to check back soon for a post on how to avoid offending family members who were not included in your wedding.
First things first
Here at WedTexts, we’re really big on our core values.
They were not just chosen willy-nilly & slapped on some piece of paper that got shoved to the back of the filing cabinet.
We chose them for very specific reasons.
Whenever we are faced with a tough decision, we refer back to those core values to arrive at a solution.
Our NUMBER ONE core value is Acceptance.
That is why we think it is important to note that while the term “family” is used abundantly in this post, we acknowledge that family comes in all shapes and forms and is not bound by blood.
Just because it is called a “Father-Daughter Dance” does not mean that it couldn’t also be a “Great-aunt – Nephew Dance”.
I think you get the point.
So you want to involve your family in the wedding, huh?
You’ve decided that you want to involve your family in the wedding.
Yet there is this nagging feeling that if you give them a part of it, you also lose the spotlight on your wedding day.
(And it goes without saying that the bride(s) and/or groom(s) should be the center of attention on their special day.)
To make sure that does not happen to you, we have prepared 8 fun ideas that you can use to involve your family in the wedding without risking to lose the spotlight.
Wear Your Mother’s Wedding Dress
After seeing one of our social media posts, bride Daniela reached out to us with a personal story.
To the surprise of everyone (except her husband – she didn’t want him to run!), she walked down the aisle in her mother’s wedding gown.
Talk about being in the spotlight!!
Not only that!
Daniela and her fiancé also chose to have their ceremony at her grandmother’s house, so that “Nan” could be there for her granddaughter’s special day.
To Daniela, it was the most memorable way for her to involve her family in the wedding.
Especially because only a few short months after her wedding, “Nan” passed.
If you like the idea of wearing a gown your mother, grandmother, or other family member has worn to their own wedding, but are not ready to forgo that “Say Yes To The Dress” moment, fear not!
Just have both!
After wearing her mother’s gown to the ceremony, Daniela changed into a hot little number for the after-party and wore her own stunning gown to their destination wedding.
Or here’s a great post from our friends at Twenty-Two Words about how several brides wore their moms’ dress but made alterations to make it their own!
Incorporate a Family Heirloom
Mother’s gown is a total no-go for you but you still want to honor a keepsake that has value to your family?
How about choosing an heirloom to involve your family in the wedding?
This can be anything, really.
- A brooch, ring, or necklace,
- A piece of fabric from an old shirt sewn into your dress or wrapped around your bouquet,
- A headpiece,
- A rosary,
- Or whatever else your family has passed on through the years!
Just make sure to hang on to it extra tight.
Could you imagine losing your family heirloom at the wedding?!
Save a Seat for Those Who Have Passed
Don’t really have any material things that have been passed down?
How about the memory of a loved one, instead.
Similarly to how restaurants reserve tables for soldiers lost in action, save a seat for family members who have passed.
Set aside a seat and mark it with a ribbon and a letter or a picture of your loved ones to show that they may not be there in person but certainly in spirit.
Special Father-Daughter Dance
Maybe you’re lucky enough to have everybody you love at your wedding in person.
So, how about doing something fun to involve your family in the wedding like a special dance shared between father and daughter?
(Of course, this works just fine for every other combination, too. Mother-daughter, father-son, aunt-niece, you get the point.)
Not only will you be able to show off the special bond between you, you get to spend some extra quality time learning and rehearsing the dance.
Publicly Thank Your Family
True, people don’t exactly come to weddings to hear the speeches.
(Unless you’re Ted Mosby and your friends can’t wait to humiliate you for bawling your eyes out.)
While there are some wedding toasts that rock the house, most are long drawn out and straight-up awkward.
Nevertheless, it is a prime opportunity to monopolize on the spotlight and to involve your family in the wedding. More than likely everybody is already sitting down to enjoy the food, so they’re busy and, most importantly, quiet.
Just remember: don’t be a Ted.
Involve Your Family Members
If getting up in front of a bunch of people to speak is not really your thing, I don’t blame you.
(Except, you kinda have to if you want to get married. Anywhoooo…)
How about involving your family in the wedding by actually getting them involved?
Let your aunt read a piece of scripture for your ceremony, get your cousins to help guests find their seats, or for something a little more out-of-the-box: ask your grandmothers to be your flower girls!
It’ll be a surprise to your guests and honestly, grandmothers are probably easier to deal with than little kids, too!
Ask Your Family to Share Their Talent
Maybe someone in your family has a true talent.
How fun would it be to involve them in the wedding by letting them showcase it!
They could sing, play music, entertain the crowd, perform a dance (like this super awesome Haka), the list is endless.
By doing this, you’ll hit two birds with one stone: your guests will be entertained and your family will be glad to be involved in the wedding.
And you can always join in if it’s a talent that you both share.
Honor Family Traditions
Last but not least, the most subtle (or not-so-subtle like the bagpipes in the picture above) way to involve your family in the wedding is by honoring a family tradition.
For example, you could remember to do a secret handshake with your siblings from when you were younger.
Or you could showcase your family’s cultural heritage with traditional dresses or music.
Whether it has to do with the geographical area from which your family originated or something that’s more personal to your family, honoring a family tradition is a great way to involve your family in the wedding.
Ultimately, family is everything.
Your family will feel appreciated no matter what you decide to do.
And keep in mind that what you do to involve your family in the wedding is not what matters, but that you do it.
It’s important that people remember to include the most important people and to take a step back when planning. Don’t get caught up in the fluff!
Bride Daniela
Thanks for the comment :-D
Will you please help us reach more people with our content by sharing this post with your friends?