Honoring loved ones through one of the most meaningful wedding traditions.

Sometimes the smallest details on a wedding day carry the most meaning.

While photographing Rebekah and Kaylee’s bouquets, I noticed the small charms tucked quietly among the stems of their flowers. They were easy to miss if you didn’t know to look for them, but for each bride they represented someone deeply loved who couldn’t be there in person.

Over the years I’ve seen many brides include these small tokens in their bouquets — a photograph, a locket, a piece of jewelry, or another meaningful symbol. These charms allow a bride to carry memory, family, and love with her as she walks down the aisle.

Kaylee & Anthony | St. Mary’s Church Newport Wedding

Kaylee carried a bouquet charm to honor someone close to her heart, a quiet detail tucked among the flowers as she walked down the aisle.

Small touches like this often go unnoticed by most guests, but for the bride carrying them they hold incredible meaning.

As Kaylee prepared to walk down the aisle at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, she carried a small charm tucked quietly into the stems of her bouquet. Designed by Forget Me Knot Flowers, the bouquet held a subtle detail that meant a great deal to her — a way to honor someone close to her heart as she began one of the most important moments of the day. After the ceremony, the celebration continued at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, where the joy of the day carried on into the evening.

Notable Vendors

Rebekah & Josh | Regatta Place Wedding

Rebekah’s wedding day carried both joy and deep meaning. Her father had passed away shortly before the wedding, and she chose to honor him in a quiet but powerful way. A small photo charm was attached to her bouquet beautifully designed by The Secret Garden so she could carry him with her throughout the day.

She and her husband shared their first look and portraits at The Elms before heading to Regatta Place for their waterfront ceremony and celebration. In one of the most emotional moments of the day, Rebekah’s mother walked beside her as she entered the ceremony. Surrounded by the people who loved her most — and with her father close in spirit — it was a moment that beautifully reflected the meaning behind these small but powerful traditions.

Notable Vendors

First Look & Portraits: The Elms, Newport Rhode Island
Venue: Regatta Place, Newport Rhode Island
Floral Artist: The Secret Garden
Photography: JL Photography

Kylie & Stephen | Newport Beach House Wedding

Kylie carried a small charm on her bouquet designed by WR Designs in honor of her late father. The charm had been given to her by her aunt as an engagement gift, making it an especially meaningful piece to have with her on the day she walked down the aisle.

Her mother walked beside her as she entered the ceremony at Newport Beach House, and the charm tucked into the ribbon of her bouquet was a quiet way to keep her father close throughout the moment. Small details like this often hold the deepest meaning — a way to honor loved ones who may not be physically present, but who remain deeply part of the day.

Notable Vendors

Venue: Newport Beach House, Middletown Rhode Island
Floral Artist: WR Designs
Planning: Kristin Nicole Events
Photography: JL Photography

Alexis & Christian | The Dunes Club Wedding

Alexis carried several memorial charms on her bouquet to honor the loved ones who could not be there in person on her wedding day. The charms held small photographs of her Uncle Keith, who was also her godfather, along with her Nanny, Pop-Pop, and Poppy. Each one was a quiet way to keep their presence close as she walked down the aisle.

Her bouquet, beautifully designed by Flowerthyme, held the charms within the ribbon so they remained part of the day without overwhelming the natural elegance of the flowers. Alexis and her husband were married at St. Francis of Assisi Church before celebrating with family and friends at The Dunes Club in Narragansett. I had the joy of photographing their proposal, engagement session, and wedding day, which made documenting these meaningful details even more special.

Notable Vendors

Venue: Dunes Club, Narragansett RI
Floral Artist: Flowerthyme
Photography: JL Photography

Monique & James | Wright’s Farm Wedding

Monique chose to carry a deeply meaningful tribute on her wedding day. Attached to her bouquet was a photo charm honoring her Aunt Paula, who had passed away just a few months before the wedding. Her aunt had always been someone Monique looked up to, and carrying her with her down the aisle felt incredibly important.

Monique also wore a special ring that had belonged to her aunt. The ring held the birthstones of her aunt and grandparents, all of whom had passed. It was something her aunt had asked her to wear on her wedding day, making it a quiet but powerful way to keep their presence close throughout the celebration.

Her bouquet, beautifully designed by Rose Buds Floral Design, held the charm delicately within the ribbon — a small detail that carried so much meaning as she walked down the aisle at St. Judes Church.

Notable Vendors

Ceremony: St. Jude Church, Front Street Lincoln, Rhode Island
Reception: Wrights Farm, Rhode Island
Floral Design: Rose Buds Floral Design
Photography: JL Photography

Jess & Adam | Wright’s Farm Wedding

Jessica included a small white ladybug pin on her wedding bouquet in honor of her cousin Melinda, who passed away in 2015. Growing up, Jessica and Melinda were incredibly close — more like sisters than cousins. They often talked about their future weddings and imagined standing beside each other on such an important day.

After Melinda passed away, ladybugs began appearing to Jessica in unexpected places throughout the year. Over time she came to see them as a quiet sign from her cousin. Years before the wedding, a close friend gifted her the white ladybug pin as a way to remember Melinda. Jessica knew immediately it belonged on her beautiful bouquet designed by Bloom. Creative Florals & Events.

As she walked down the aisle at Wright’s Mill Farm, the pin was a small but powerful reminder that Melinda was still part of the day. Behind her at the altar, a bridesmaid’s bouquet and childhood photos honored the role they had always imagined sharing together.

Notable Vendors

Venue: Wright’s Mill Farm
Floral Design: BLOOM. Creative Floral & Events
Photography:JL Photography

Katey & Nate | The Dunes Club Wedding

Katie chose to honor both of her grandparents by carrying memorial charms on her wedding bouquet. They had passed before her wedding day, but they had always been incredibly supportive of her throughout her life.

Her bouquet, beautifully designed by Flowerthyme, held the charms so she could carry them with her as she walked down the aisle. It was a small but deeply meaningful way to feel their presence during such an important moment.

As Katie began her day at The Dunes Club in Narragansett, the charms served as a quiet reminder that the love and support of family continues to surround us, even when loved ones are no longer physically there.

Notable Vendors

Ceremony & Reception: The Dunes Club — Narragansett, Rhode Island
Floral Design: Flowerthyme
Photography: JL Photography

Jessica & Nick | The Towers Wedding

Jessica carried several meaningful charms on her bouquet designed by Les Isle Rose at her wedding at The Towers, Narragansett. The charms honored the people she loves who could not be there in person. One charm held a photo of her mom, who passed away when Jessica was just three years old. Even though she didn’t have the chance to grow up with her, her mom has always remained part of her life through the stories her family shares and the love that continues to keep her memory alive. Jessica’s stepmom surprised her with that charm before the wedding, a gesture that felt incredibly thoughtful and deeply meaningful.

She also carried two additional charms — another photo of her mom and one of her grandpa, who she remembers for giving the very best hugs. One of her closest friends gifted those charms before the wedding. Having them wrapped around her bouquet made Jessica feel as though both her mom and grandpa were walking beside her down the aisle on one of the most important days of her life.

Jessica also incorporated another meaningful tribute into the day. Her bridal party wore red dresses and carried bouquets with touches of red as a nod to her parents’ wedding day, a beautiful way to weave family history into the celebration.

Notable Vendors

Venue: The Towers, Narragansett
Floral Design: Les Isle Rose
Photographer: JL Photography

Bouquet Charms are Beautiful and Meaningful Ways to Honor our Loved Ones

Weddings are filled with traditions, but the most meaningful ones are often the quiet, personal touches that honor the people who shaped us. Whether it’s a photograph charm, a piece of heirloom jewelry, or a small symbol tucked within a bouquet, these details allow brides to carry loved ones with them in a deeply personal way.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing so many thoughtful ways couples choose to remember those who could not be there in person. These small tributes often hold some of the most powerful emotion of the day — gentle reminders that love, family, and memory are always present.

For many brides, attaching a charm to their bouquet becomes a beautiful way to walk down the aisle with the people who will always be part of their story.

If you are planning a Rhode Island wedding and looking for thoughtful ways to honor loved ones throughout your day, these small details can become some of the most meaningful moments you carry with you.

I’m grateful to work alongside so many talented florists who thoughtfully design bouquets that not only carry deep meaning for the bride, but also become part of the lasting images that tell the story of the day.