Wedding ceremony honors bride’s and groom’s fathers
WESTPORT — When Heather Bennett got engaged she imagined the perfect wedding, with the right color-scheme, the best dress and with the perfect man.
She imagined walking down the aisle toward her groom, Greg, and being given away to him.
However in Bennett’s case, she would be given away by a mentor instead of her late father.
“It was hard to process the fact that I would never be able to share the joy with my dad of marrying the love of my life,” Bennett said. “So I knew that I had to somehow find a way to memorialize his presence on our day.”
Greg’s father had also died and so the Westport couple decided to think of a special way to honor the two men who could not be there.
They stumbled upon a unique way to incorporate their fathers’ ashes.
With the help of glassblowing artists, Bennett infused her father's cremated ashes into a keepsake holder for her bouquet so that he could still be by her side in spirit. To also signify coming together as one, the now-Bennetts infused both of their dads' ashes into a vase displayed at the reception.
“It was one of the best days of my life,” she said.
Bennett said due to the pandemic she had an extra year to think about how she would incorporate their fathers in the wedding. She said she was struggling to find a way, however, her and her husband were set on doing something for them.
She said when her friends suggested putting a photo around her bouquet, she wanted something that would last forever and not be a one time thing. She said with her husband being a fan of glass-blowing art it led them to stumble upon Celebration Ashes, a Seattle-based art studio that creates remembrance pieces incorporating cremation remains.
“When Heather first approached us with the idea of wanting to carry a glass bouquet holder, it was a piece unlike any we had ever created before,” said Mark Feldman, co-founder of Celebration Ashes. “Our design team was determined to make Heather’s vision a reality and I’m thrilled that we were able to develop a bouquet holder that was both beautiful and functional for Heather’s special day.”
Bennett said the idea surrounding the glass bouquet was a process. She didn’t know if it would be able to get done and even some people, including the florist, did not know if the bouquet would fit. However, Bennett said Feldman and his team were very supportive and got it done.
“Younger brides take for granted having their fathers there,” she said. “It was super important for me.”
Bennett said she didn’t see the vase and bouquet holder until the day of her wedding; it was enough to make her emotional.
“It’s truly an indescribable feeling to know that my dad really did walk me down the aisle,” she said. “Celebration Ashes made it all possible.”
“It was beyond expectation,” she added. “I started crying, everyone started crying. It was perfect.”
Bennett said the point of it all was to have something that could last forever. Now it is something that they sit next to each day, they put flowers in the vase and it is a constant reminder of their families and their wedding day.
Feldman said the vase and the bouquet holder can be displayed in the household and feel proud. He said they’re conversation pieces.
“Seeing the reaction from customers like Heather really makes doing what we do so special,” Feldman said. “It means so much to everyone.”