Today’s post is from one of my beautiful and precious brides, Jourdan Schulte Boyd. Jourdan shared this on her blog and it was too good not to share with my followers! The subtle ways she honored her Dad on her wedding day was very classy and simple and just perfect in every way! You are going to love today’s post!
xo, Terrica
When my dad got sick and was diagnosed with dementia, I knew there was a good chance he wasn’t going to be there on my wedding day. At the very best, he could be there physically but not mentally. At first, it totally broke my heart. I hated thinking about him not being there to walk me down the aisle or have the traditional father/daughter dance.
Eventually, I stopped being so sad about it. It took a long time, but I learned how to be grateful for what I had in him as a father growing up and for each and every day I had left with him.
Nonetheless, he passed away on June 23, 2016. I just so happened to meet my future husband in December of that year, and on August 25, 2018, we got married.
Since my dad couldn’t be there, I found little ways to incorporate his presence into my big day, and I wanted to share those sweet little mementos here!
First, I had to decide who was going to walk me down the aisle. I thought of a few different options but finally decided to have my grandfather – my dad’s dad – walk me down the aisle. My T-pa had two sons, so he never had a daughter to share this special moment with. And who better to take my dad’s place than his dad who raised him?! It was such a special moment for me, and I hope it was for him, too! (G-ma told me later that someone asked him how it went, and he said it was the highlight of his life 
)
For Christmas of 2017, I wrote a special note in a card to ask him to walk me down the aisle; such a sweet moment to watch him read that!
For my something blue, my mom cut a heart out of one of my dad’s shirts and sewed it into the inside of my dress. The shirt she cut the heart out of is the shirt he wore home from the hospital with me when I was born.
I also have a pillow made out of this shirt, and my brother has one made out of the shirt my dad wore home from the hospital when my brother was born
I also wanted to have a picture of my dad present at the wedding, so when discussing floral and table arrangements with Terrica from Southern Productions (who is AMAZING!), we decided to frame a picture on the table where people would be signing the guest book. I chose a picture I love from my childhood where we are both wearing white and look so much alike!
My sweet grandmother told me that when she came in the church and saw this, she almost broke down in tears.
Probably my favorite tribute to my dad is my wedding band. I guess in the 80’s it was the “in” thing for men to have diamond jewelry (or maybe my dad just had expensive taste!), but either way, his wedding band and some other jewelry and thumb rings he wore had diamonds in them. Early in their marriage, my mom had given my dad a ring with three rows of five little diamonds. I used these diamonds to create my custom wedding band, and I am totally in love with it! I love wearing this special ring and carrying a little piece of my dad with me everyday!
Denise at Little’s Jewelers in Corinth, MS, created both of my rings, and they couldn’t be more perfect for me! I also got a ring box from The Mrs. Box to keep my rings safe in, and I absolutely love it!
Also, my mom had my dad’s wedding ring made into a necklace, and she wore it for the rehearsal dinner and every day since!
LaBiche Jewelers in Meridian, MS, did this for my mom; such a special way to keep such a special piece of jewelry.
When it came time for the reception, I definitely wanted to do something to commemorate my dad in lieu of the father/daughter dance. So after we had our first dance, did the mother/son dance, and cut the cake, the band invited everyone to the dance floor to dance to “Get Down On It” by Kool and the Gang – one of my dad’s favorite songs – in memory of my dad. It was such a fun way to get the party started and the dancing going!
Style the Band was AMAZING! Amy was so prepared before the big day and helped me make all my wedding reception dreams come true!
Finally, it was time to leave the wedding, so what better way than in my dad’s ’69 Camaro! He looooved his car, and I know he would be so proud to have us use it to leave such a special day!
Terrica with Southern Productions did such a wonderful job on all of my flowers, but I especially loved this beautiful “Just Married” sign and floral arrangement she did to put on the back of the car!
Although my dad couldn’t physically be there on my big day, all of these little touches made me feel like his spirit was with me anyway, and they are memories and keepsakes I will cherish forever.
To read more from Jourdan you can read her blog here.
