Remembering someone in your wedding photos
When someone important isn’t there, the family photos can feel like the moment their absence is most obvious. A little planning can make it a moment of remembering instead.
4 min read · Updated 7 October 2026
There’s no right way to do this, and some couples prefer not to mark it in the photos at all. If you do want to, these are the ideas photographers see working best.
Ideas
- A small framed photo held by the surviving parent or a sibling in one family photo.
- A locket, pinned photo or charm on the bouquet, photographed as a detail while you’re getting ready.
- Wearing or carrying something of theirs: a watch, cufflinks, a handkerchief, a ring.
- An empty chair with their photo at the ceremony, photographed before guests arrive.
- A photo with the people who knew them best: their siblings, their friends.
Tell your photographer
A short note is enough: who has passed, how they were related, and anything you’d like included or avoided. Photographers handle this often and will be thoughtful about it, but only if they know.
Where to put it
In our planner, the “Anything your photographer should know” notes go straight to the top of your photographer’s brief, so it’s the first thing they read.
Make your family photo list and add a note for your photographer.
Make my family photo listQuestions people ask
How do you honour a deceased parent in wedding photos?
Common ways include a framed photo held in a family photo, a locket or photo charm on the bouquet, wearing something of theirs, or a reserved seat with their photo.