In Loving Memory...

I've already talked about losing my grandmother. I still think about her nearly every day and I will always hold her memory in my heart. David has lost all 4 of his grandparents and also had an aunt pass away before we started dating. We knew before we were even engaged that honoring their memory was a huge deal to both of us. I'd seen several different ideas, including putting a rose/flower on the seat where the loved one would've sat or putting a few lines in the program. The first option seemed like a little too much as it's been 2 years+ without our loved ones and the second one didn't seem like enough.

We decided on doing memorial candles instead. They'll sit next to our parents' and grandparents' framed wedding pictures (more on that soon!).

I had planned on wrapping candles with vellum with a damask print for our head table, so I figured I'd use the same type of candles and wrap them with plain vellum. Our venue requires that all candles are in glass holders, so religious candles were the perfect option. They're cheap ($1.69 at Dillons) and just the right size at 8 inches tall. They started like this:

And I used these supplies:

Double stick tape, damask print ribbon, sissors, my paper cutter, the candle, and vellum (8.5 x 11) printed on with my laser printer

I trimmed down the vellum on the sides so that it didn't overlap as much in back and then used double stick tape to secure it around the candle. I cut ribbon to go all the way around and then cut the 2 pieces you need to make a bow a la Mrs. Emerald on Weddingbee! I used double stick tape to put them on the ribbon at the top. They ended up looking like this:

I hate having to blur things - The font is so pretty! (By the way it's Pea Valerie from Fonts for Peas)

Here's a close-up of the bow and text:

They don't take long to make at all, and I think they'll be such a meaningful touch on our big day.

What do you think? Are you doing something to honor your loved ones that will only be there in spirit?