The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.
Antoine Francois Prevost, Manon Lescaut
For many brides, showing their love for their fathers on their wedding day is important but while dads would often be helping with finishing off home works, their input on the big day might be limited to walking the bride down the aisle.
Two of the brides being featured in this issue, Marilyn and Elaine, had their fathers involved in deciding on the bridal gown. If your father is anything like most fathers, he would definitely not appreciate dress shopping but there are plenty of other ways to include him in your wedding. A simple option would be, inviting him to do a reading or a blessing. Make it more personal by choosing a reading that has meaning to both of you.
Make your “something old” a tribute to him. A lot of brides wear jewellery that has been passed down to them from previous generations of women in their family but similarly, you can adapt something belonging to your father or his side of the family. Such simple gestures would honour your dad in a special way.
If your father is musically inclined, ask him to accompany your wedding singer or sing a short song at your ceremony. Any personal contribution would be special and something you’ll always remember.
While a father-daughter dance is often a given, you can make it more special by taking dance lessons together in the months before the wedding or choreographing a special dance that you’ll burst into after a few moments of slow dancing. You can also choose a song that has a shared meaning.
And, why not ask him for input? Reaching out and asking him how he would like to be involved in the wedding could be the perfect opportunity to find a meaningful way to include him.
