More than ever today, as a husband and wife unite in marriage, they need the prayers and blessings of friends and loved ones to help them build a strong foundation of godly love established on Christ, their Rock. Whether you need an opening prayer to start the ceremony, a prayer to use during communion, or a word of blessing for the couple during the reception, you've come to the right place!
If you want to give something special and lasting to a couple on their wedding day, here are sample prayers you can offer on their behalf. Feel free to use these prayers and marriage blessings as a part of your own ceremony!
A Wedding Day Prayer
Dear Lord, As this couple begins their lives together on their wedding day, I pray that their hearts will unite as one with You in their desire to make You the center. May this day be the start of something beautiful, a celebration unlike any other.
As they offer their vows to one another in the sight of God and others, give them a clear understanding of their commitment to each other. May their loyalty in marriage mirror Your own love and faithfulness to all Your children. Let them know that two are better than one as they mutually invest in and depend on each other—but that the third strand of their marriage ties should always be You.
May their love—like the wedding rings they will wear—be a circle that never ends. Grow that love relationship into one that is patient and kind, not boastful or proud, one that is unselfish and trusting, and a love that protects and perseveres through every season of life.
I pray you will give this couple unforgettable moments, unending dedication, and unselfish motives as they pledge their devotion to each another. In every way possible, make the house they build together a godly home—a place where hurts are healed with grace, a place where hearts are sealed with forgiveness, and a place where emotions feel safe when shared with honesty and gentleness. Keep their communication open—with You, and with each other as they make prayer a constant priority.
Lord, today and every day, let laughter echo in the halls of their hearts and home; let joy fill every room; and let the radiance of Your face shine on them, bless them, and give them a gracious peace that passes all understanding. Light a fire of passion that prompts them to love you with all their heart, soul, and strength, and one that engulfs their own union as man and wife in purity and oneness. Help them to bear each other’s burdens, even as they cast their cares on Your shoulders. May they always choose to see the best in each other, even in the worst of times.
May they visualize their marriage as more than just a bonding of two lives, but as two on mission for You, Lord—a lighthouse of refuge, a welcome place for encouragement, and a testimony to Your power and grace. Help them to cherish their wedding day as a sacred memorial, and their union as a treasure to protect at all costs. Make it a reminder of hope that keeps on going and faith that keeps on growing. Help them to believe that all things are possible through Christ, the One who began the good work in them.
Lord, on their wedding day, may every word spoken and every precious token remind them of the One who holds all things together and who makes all things good. Together as this couple stands side by side, and hand in hand, hold them tightly and never let them go. Fill their hearts with unceasing gratitude. Be their vision, their strength, and their constant companion.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
Prayer Before the Wedding
Lord, we pray that as (bride’s name) and (groom’s name) get ready for their wedding day, not only would their love for each other grow stronger, but they would become more and more aware of your great love for them. Amen.
Short Opening Prayer
Gracious God, we thank You for gathering us here on this beautiful day to witness and celebrate the union of this loving couple. We ask for Your blessing on this ceremony and on their future together. May the love they share today grow stronger as they journey through life side by side. Guide their steps, fill their hearts with kindness and understanding, and let their love shine as a beacon of hope and joy. In Your holy name, we pray, Amen.
Opening Prayer for a Joyful Beginning
Loving God, as we gather to celebrate the union of these two hearts, we invite Your presence among us. Bless this ceremony with joy, understanding, and love that reflects Your own. Guide the bride and groom into a future filled with happiness and grace. May this day mark just the beginning of a journey filled with blessings and laughter. In Your holy name, we pray, Amen.
Opening Prayer for Celebration of Love
Heavenly Father, thank You for this beautiful day that brings us together in love and celebration. We ask for Your blessing on this marriage, that it may be a testament to the strength and beauty of Your love. Grant the couple wisdom, patience, and kindness, and guide them in Your ways as they walk this new path together. May their union be a source of light and joy to all around them. Amen."
Opening Prayer for Blessing on Union
Gracious God, we come before You to celebrate the love and commitment of this couple. As they stand before us, ready to join their lives, we ask Your blessings upon this union. Infuse their relationship with Your love and peace, that they may build a life together that glorifies You. Strengthen their bond and fill their hearts with mutual understanding and respect. In all their days, let them be a symbol of unity and love. Amen.
A Wedding Ceremony Blessing Prayer
Father in Heaven, thank You for this husband, ______, and wife, _______, and their commitment to Christian marriage. As we look ahead, we pray that their future will never lack the convictions that make a marriage strong.
Bless this husband, ______. Bless him as provider and protector. Sustain him in all the pressures that come with the task of stewarding a family. May his strength be his wife’s boast and pride, and may he so live that his wife may find in him the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.
Bless this wife, ______. Give her a tenderness that makes her great, a deep sense of understanding, and a strong faith in You. Give her that inner beauty of a soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May she so live that her husband may be pleased to reverence her in the shrine of his heart.
Teach them that marriage is not living for each other. It is two people uniting and joining hands to serve You. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will sustain them through all of life’s challenges.
May they minimize each other’s weaknesses and be swift to praise and magnify each other’s strengths so that they might view each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Help them every day to be kind and gentle, more like You. Give them a little something to forgive each day, that their love might learn to be long-suffering.
Bless them and develop their characters as they walk together with You. Give them enough hurts to keep them humane, enough failures to keep their hands clenched tightly in Yours, and enough of success to make them sure they walk with You throughout all of their life.
May they never take each other’s love for granted but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, "Out of all this world, you have chosen me." Then, when life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now, still hand in hand, still very proud, still thanking You for each other.
May they travel together as friends and lovers, brother and sister, husband and wife, father and mother, and as servants of Christ until He shall return or until that day when one shall lay the other into the arms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Great Lover of our souls. Amen. (excerpt by Lysa Terkeurst)
A Simple Wedding Prayer
Heavenly Father, we gather today in joy and gratitude to celebrate the union of this couple. Bless their marriage with love and laughter, understanding and respect. Guide them in their journey together, that they may be a source of strength and comfort to each other in all their days. May their love grow deeper with each passing year, and may their home be filled with peace and happiness. Keep them close in Your care, and lead them in Your paths. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Short Wedding Blessing Prayers
Blessing for Unity: Heavenly Father, bless this couple with a unity that withstands the tests of time. Knit their hearts together so that they may always find comfort and strength in each other’s arms. Let their love be a beacon of Your own steadfast love and faithfulness. Amen.
Blessing for Enduring Love: Lord, shower this couple with Your grace and bless their marriage with enduring love. May they face each day with hands held tight and hearts united in Your love, growing closer through both joy and adversity. Amen.
Blessing for Peace and Joy: Almighty God, bless this marriage with peace and joy. May their home be a sanctuary of peace and their lives filled with laughter and happiness. Guide them in paths of contentment and mutual respect all the days of their lives. Amen.
Blessing for Wisdom and Guidance: Merciful God, grant this couple wisdom and guidance as they embark on their journey together. May they make decisions with prudence and love, always trusting in Your divine will to lead them through life’s complexities. Amen.
Blessing for Prosperity and Health: Gracious Lord, bless this couple with prosperity and good health. May their lives be full of your abundance and their days marked by vitality. Help them to support each other in all circumstances and share in the joys of life’s blessings. Amen.
The Blessing of the Marriage
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the
way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (from the Book of Common Prayer)
Two Are Better Than One
Lord, In your great wisdom you created marriage for our good. “Two are better than one, because we will have a good return for our labor. If either of us falls down, one can help the other up. If the two of us lie down together, we’ll find warmth and comfort we could never find alone. When we’re threatened by trouble or enemies, the two of us can find strength and power side by side. As you knit our lives together in Christ, our cord of three strands will remain unbroken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Make us one in every way. Let us share our work to build a life that lasts. When one of us stumbles over sorrow and trouble, may we offer reassurance and a helping hand. Make our marriage a place of joy and intimacy in a cold and lonely world. Give us strength no matter what we face. Amen. (Joanna Teigen, Beautiful and Meaning Prayers for Your Wedding Day)
Wedding Prayer to Love and to Cherish
Lord, No matter what we achieve in our lives, we have nothing without love. We pray for the Spirit’s fruit of love in our hearts. Give us patience that shows mercy when we fail. Teach us gentleness and self-control to speak with kindness and respect at all times. Guard us from pride that demands our own way. Purify our hearts from selfishness so we will help, serve, and give with cheerful hearts.
Enable us to forgive one another as you have forgiven us. (Colossians 3:13) Keep us from anger and bitterness that will bring division and pain to our marriage. Let us continually face forward, leaving the hurts and mistakes of the past behind. Fill our home with truth and integrity as we live by your Word. Make us worthy of trust and honor, persevering in our love until the end. Amen. (Joanna Teigen, Beautiful and Meaning Prayers for Your Wedding Day)
5 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Wedding Day and Marriage
Dear Lord, we want to honor You completely with our marriage. Help us to remain dedicated to praying over our relationship. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters ... You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light" (2 Samuel 22:17 and 29, NIV).
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6, NIV).
"What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31, NIV).
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23, NIV).
For a Marriage to Reflect Christ's Love
God we come before You today on behalf of every woman that reads this and every marriage that is reflected. We ask that You dramatically shift our focus from our happiness to Christ’s holiness. Help us to see our own flaws and mistakes and make the adjustments in our hearts that allow us to reflect You. Show us the areas where we can do better and give us the courage to ask for help when we need it. Pour Your blessings out on the women who want to grow in You, and use their marriage to be a testimony to a world who needs to see Christ’s love. (by Annah Matthews)
For Unending Love
Lord, thank You for loving us so well. Thank You for demonstrating endless and selfless love for us. I pray that You would strengthen our marriages. I pray that You would hold all of our relationships together in Your grace. Help us love one another in response to Your love for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (by Becky Thompson)
A Prayer to Remain Focused As We Plan Our Wedding
Heavenly Father, as we plan our big wedding day, may we be so keenly aware of Your presence that we, like the priests, stop what we are doing and take a moment to breathe in Your goodness. Father, we thank You for the direction You give us and for Your calming presence in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Oneness
Dear God, I pray that You would help me to stand in the mystery of oneness that You’ve given husbands and wives. Help me to trust You and to love him faithfully in the midst of life’s trials. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Our Purpose Together
Dear Lord, guide us as we chase boldly after Your purpose for our life together. May You use our marriage to fulfill Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The Blessing of the Marriage
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you have created joy and gladness, pleasure and delight, love, peace and fellowship.
Pour out the abundance of your blessing upon (groom's name) and (bride's name) in their new life together.
Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts and a crown upon their heads.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; awake and asleep, in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death.
Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that banquet where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home.
We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully grant you the riches of his grace, that you may please him both in body and soul, and, living together in faith and love, may receive the blessings of eternal life. Amen. (by the Church of England)
Scripture Readings and Bible Verses for Your Wedding Ceremony
When two people decide to get married, it's a special moment that deserves to be celebrated in a meaningful way. Adding Scripture readings to the wedding ceremony can make it even more special by bringing in wisdom and blessings that have stood the test of time. These readings can reflect the couple's personal values and offer guidance and support as they start their new life together.
Here are some great Scripture readings that speak beautifully about love, partnership, and staying strong together. These selections are perfect for making any wedding ceremony deeply meaningful and heartfelt.
Matthew 19:6 - So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
Corinthians 13:4-8 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 3:12-17 - Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
1 John 4:18-19 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
Colossians 3:14 - And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Song of Solomon 2:16 - My beloved is mine and I am his...
Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Ephesians 5: 25-21 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart. She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.
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