Has anyone walked down the aisle by themselves?

[Cinderella9-09-09]

My father passed away from cancer almost seven years ago and I am getting married in September. Does someone HAVE to walk me down the aisle? I have no brothers and I am not close with the one uncle I have. My dad and I were EXTREMELY close and If HE can't walk me down the aisle I belive no one should. Everyone keeps asking me questions about who is walking me down the aisle and looks at me weird when I say NO ONE. Am I going to be alone standing at the back of the wedding pavilion or is at least the wedding coordinator going to be there? Is there a way to tell people to stop asking me questions about the "father of the bride"? because everytime I get asked I have to stop myself from crying. I am remembering him with flowers at the ceremony and a dance at the reception and that is about all I can emotionally handle.

 

[MainStMandy]

I think it's perfectly ok for you to walk down the aisle by yourself!!

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

My father passed away from brain cancer in 2005, so he didn't get to walk me down the aisle.
I walked down alone..I wish I had thought to have a flower placed on a chair in memory of him..but that probably would have made my mother and me burst into tears.

 

[MegKate]

I agree - go down alone. There's nothing wrong with it.

Are you planning to do programs? Perhaps you could put in a blurb about him and the things you're planning to do to remember him. Then perhaps people wouldn't be constantly asking about him. Or maybe have the minister say a prayer for him, or mention him in the service?

 

[Swmhc]

We did a little different twist. I walked half-way and my DH met me at the half-way point and escorted me the rest of the way. I think Rev Tim was the one that suggested it and it was a nice twist since none of our parents could be there.

 

[becpee]

I was in exactly the same position, and my dad is my dad, nobody can replace him so nobody replaced him on my wedding day.
You do what feels right for you

 

[Ember]

I walked down alone! I'm not close to my father at all, and am not at all fond of the idea of being given away. For me it was a great choice.

 

[figment fan21]

Awe dont be sad I'm going to be walking myself down the aisle. My Father and I aren't as close as we should be and like the previouse poster i dont like the idea of being "given" away either. I want DF to meet me half way and i've been told that alot of people do that.

Another way of having your dad with you is to make a memory charm for your bouquet... that way you'll have him with you when you walk down the aisle.

 

[Knelson85]

I am not in the same situation at all, but thought I would tell you what I am doing. We are not traditional, and do not beleive in being given away. DF and I are going to walk down together! We beleive it is a choice we made together, and we should go through the whole process side by side

 

[KSchwagg86]

If you feel like you really need someone, how about your mother?

 

[MOREMICKEYFORME]

My dad passed away right before my wedding. I had my mom walk me down the Aisle.
On a side note: When I spoke to the baker about my dad's passing, she offered to make a yellow butterfly out of sugar and it was placed on the cake with flowers. (right after my dad passed away, I saw yellow butterflies everywhere) Everyone thought it was beautiful, but no one knew the story behind it- just a secret between my dad and I...

 

[Bride-to-be]

I think you should have a memory charm on your bouquet with his picture - that way he can walk you down the isle.

I don't think you need another person to walk you down the isle at all. I am sure if you ask your planner to be there at the back of the wedding pavillion with you they will be. It seems like such a simple request.

 

[Lorelei528]

Our wedding was just 13 days ago at SBP. My dad passed away back in 1995. I'm pretty close to my brothers and my mom, but walked down by myself. I just didn't want my mom walking me down, if my dad couldn't do it.

To be honest with you, I'm 41 and I just feel like I'm more a grown woman than my mother's little girl (although I'm sure she'd say otherwise) and I just really wanted to walk down by myself.

We did a memorial candle for my dad (and DH's brother who passed away as a child) and Rev. Miller mentioned them in the beginning of the service. We didn't want to do the flower on the chair, I find it very depressing and I know my mom and Eoghan's mom and both of our families would as well.

Everyone mentioned to us how nice it was that my dad and Eoghan's brother were mentioned and that we had the candles for them.

If you want to walk down the aisle alone, you should. You need to do whatever makes you the most comfortable on your day.

HTH!

 

[CharacterFan]

I'm planning on walking down the aisle alone. My dad will be there, but he doesn't like the attention so I'd rather him be comfortable in his seat then feel he has to walk me down the aisle. Also, I too believe that I don't need to be given away.

 

[momplus3]

My parents are unable to attend our wedding in September because my mom has stage 4 bone cancer and is extremely weak. My sons are walking me down the isle.

Rosie suggested that we have a family table at the front that will have pictures of our family members on it. We will have DFiance's mom and sister (who are unable to attend), his dad and brother (who passed away) and my mom and dad). We are also having 2 vases with a long stem calla lily in each to represent our families.

 

[Cinderella9-09-09]

Thank you everyone for you kind advice. I think with support I will be fine walking down the aisle by myself. I plan on having a dozen roses and a candle for my dad on the alter and I will dance to "A Dozen Red Roses" with my new husband and dedicate to my dad.
The post about the butterflies is very coincidental. Where I grew up it was not common to see butterflies and I had not seen one is years before my dad died. The day of my father's funeral a single Monarch butterfly landed on his casket and stayed there for the longest time. When the funeral was over it hung around us until we got to the limo and left the cemetary. Seems kinda unbelievable but it really happened. Maybe I will put a butterfly charm in my bouquet

 

[Rawr]

It doesn't look weird at all when the bride walks herself down the aisle, but have you considered your mother? I don't have a father to walk me down the aisle either, so I might just have my mother walk me down the aisle, or I'll walk alone down the aisle. There's no shame in that! And I think the butterfly charm is a very sweet idea! I'm sure it will look very nice!

 

[jdybnsn]

I walked down the ailse with my bridesmaid (my daughter) as we had only 4 guests (we married abroad)....my parents did not attend due to the travelling distance and TBH I did not it a second thought until you mentioned it.

You must do whatever you feel comfortable with, and what feels natural to you....there is nothing strange or unusual in a bride coming down the aisle on her own these days.......and given your circumstances I fewer people than you imagine would give it a second thought either.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[Kismetdreams]

My father is alive and both my parents and step-parents attended, but I was 30 when we were married and it was my second marriage, so I didn't feel like I was being "given away."

We were married at the YC Gazebo and about halfway down the aisle, my hubby met me and we walked the rest of the way together.