Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang and new wife Andraia Allsop have revealed how they came up with special ways to honor their deceased loved ones on their wedding day.
The legendary rocker died in October 2020 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer, but his son Wolfgang, 32, and his new wife still wanted him to be part of their October 15 wedding.
Not only did they leave an open chair for him during their intimate living room ceremony, but they also used music and special jewelry to honor the late rock star.
“One of the things I really wanted was a way to involve Wolf’s father,” software engineer Andraia, also 32, said People prior to the couple’s wedding.
Newlyweds: Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang has married his longtime partner, Andraia Allsop, in an intimate ceremony in LA – three years after his rock legend father died at 65
“We will have an empty chair that would have been his during the ceremony,” she explained.
They also used their bookshelves to honor the other family members they had lost.
‘We cleared out all the bookshelves and filled them with photos of our family, our loved ones, people who have passed away, people who couldn’t be there. We want everyone to be included and to be able to think of them too on our special day,” Andraia explains.
Wolfgang added, “We’ve lost important family members on both sides, so it’s important to include them and make them part of the ceremony we wish they were here for.”
Aside from the decor, the newlyweds also used other elements of their wedding to honor Eddie.
Wolfgang walked down the aisle with his famous actress mother, Valerie Bertinelli, to a song his father wrote for him.
‘It’s an instrumental piece called ‘316’. The pianist will play a version of this on the piano. It’s a nice way to get my dad involved,” he told the newspaper ahead of the wedding.
As a surprise, Andraia also made keepsake charms to go with the bridal party’s floral accessories.
Tribute: Wolgang’s mother, Valerie Bertinelli, walked him down the aisle to a song his father wrote for him called 316 (the couple is pictured with his mother in April 2022)
Fighter: Wolfgang (left) revealed doctors only gave his father, Eddie (right), ‘six weeks’ to live after he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2017
“They have a picture of Wolfie and his dad on there, so anyone with the boutonniere, corsage or bouquet can have it and just continue to have the memory of their dad and think about him all day long,” she shared.
Valerie – whose marriage to Eddie ended in 2007 – said her late ex-husband would be happy for their son and his marriage to Andraia.
“Ed would have been absolutely beaming and everything, so proud of the man Wolfie has become and is becoming, and so happy to have found Andraia, someone who really understands Wolfie, who he is and who he wants to be, and supports him. congratulations,” she told People.
Wolfgang also paid tribute to his father shortly after his death.
Six weeks after Eddie passed away from cancer, he dropped the single for his first solo single, titled Distance.
‘It is heavy. Crying a lot,” he told Carson Daly Today of writing the song.
“Even though he was an icon to so many people, he was still my father. He was incredibly loving and he was my best friend in many ways.”
He also spoke about the backlash over releasing the song so soon after his father’s death due to power.
Heartbreak: Eddie was 65 when he died after battling throat cancer for several years
Wolfgang admitted: ‘I’m terrible. It’s terrible. Every day, dude. Some days are better than others’
“And I know the first reaction people are going to have is, wow, this is a little early,” he admitted.
“I think if people realize that this is just an honest tribute to my father, then any money I would have made will go to my father’s favorite charity, Mr. Holland’s Opus, which ensures that underprivileged students can get instruments and play music.’
He also admitted that the past six weeks after his father’s death had been difficult for him.
“Some days it’s just really hard to get out of bed.” he added.
‘It doesn’t seem like the pain will ever really go away. You just have to figure out how to wear it better.”
‘I am bad. It’s terrible. Every day, dude. Some days are better than others,” Wolfgang admitted.
‘The pain is still there, but as time goes by you figure out how to bear it a little better. But it will always hurt.”
The former Van Halen bassist added: “We had such a close bond and now, for the rest of my life, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to think about him again, no matter what I do – which is good, but also hurts. lot.’
RIP: It was Wolf who first announced that the legendary Van Halen guitarist had died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a decade-long battle with cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain
The former Van Halen bassist added: “We had such a close bond and now, for the rest of my life, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to think about him again, no matter what I do – which is good, but also hurts. fate’ (pictured in 2015)
The Van Halen guitarist passed away on October 6, 2020.
That day, Wolfgang wrote a heartfelt tribute to his father on Instagram.
“I can’t believe I have to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, lost his long and hard battle with cancer this morning,” it read.
‘He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I shared with him, onstage and off, was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I will ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, daddy.”
Eddie was initially diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2017. However, shortly after his father’s death, Wolfgang revealed, thanks to German doctors, that he lived three years longer than he should have.
Wolfgang revealed that American doctors gave his father Eddie Van Halen just ‘six weeks’ to live after he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2017.
‘And then he went to Germany. Whatever they do there, it’s great because I got three more years with him,” the 29-year-old musician marveled during an episode of The Howard Stern Show.
“I was with him every step of the way. Every second.’