Creating A Personalized Copy Of Your Wedding Prayer

Wedding prayers are a great way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. They can be delivered by your officiant or by a guest of honour. Couples of all faiths can include prayers into their ceremony. Wedding prayers are generally short prayers, blessings, or readings that are recited during the wedding day. They can be done at the beginning of the ceremony, in the middle, or at the end.

How to write a wedding prayer

Writing a wedding prayer is a beautiful way to honour your faith and add a spiritual element to your ceremony. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write a meaningful wedding prayer:

Consider the Couple's Beliefs and Wishes:

Start by considering the religious or spiritual beliefs of the couple. Are they following a specific religious tradition, or do they have a more secular or interfaith approach? Discuss with them their wishes for the prayer and ensure that your words align with their values and beliefs.

Choose a Structure:

Wedding prayers can take various forms. You may opt for a more traditional structure, such as an opening prayer, a blessing, or a benediction. Alternatively, you can create a more personalised structure that reflects the couple's unique journey and relationship.

Include Meaningful Themes:

Think about the themes you want to incorporate into the prayer. You can include references to love, companionship, devotion, and the couple's commitment to each other. You may also want to mention specific hopes for their future together, such as happiness, peace, joy, and mutual support.

Incorporate Religious or Spiritual Elements:

Depending on the couple's beliefs, incorporate relevant religious or spiritual elements. This could include references to God, divine guidance, sacred texts, or blessings from a specific tradition. These elements will add a deeper layer of meaning to the prayer.

Personalise with Names and Details:

Make the prayer personal by including the names of the couple. You can also add specific details about their relationship, such as how they met, their shared experiences, or unique aspects of their connection. This level of personalisation will make the prayer even more special and meaningful.

Write from the Heart:

When writing the prayer, speak from the heart. Think about the couple's journey, the love they share, and the hopes and blessings you want to convey. Your sincerity and authenticity will shine through in your words.

Keep it Concise and Memorable:

While you want the prayer to be meaningful, try to keep it concise and memorable. A lengthy prayer may lose its impact. Focus on capturing the essence of the couple's relationship and their hopes for the future in a clear and concise manner.

Practice and Refine:

Once you have a draft of the prayer, take the time to practice reading it aloud. This will help you refine the wording, pacing, and flow. Make any necessary revisions until you are happy with the final version.

Include a Closing Amen or Blessing:

Conclude the prayer with a closing amen or a final blessing. This will provide a sense of finality and leave a lasting impression on those who hear it.

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a wedding prayer. The most important thing is to create a prayer that honours the couple and reflects their unique relationship and beliefs. By following these steps, you will be able to craft a meaningful and memorable wedding prayer that touches the hearts of all who hear it.

When to say a wedding prayer

A wedding prayer is a great way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. It can be delivered by your officiant or by a guest of honour. Wedding blessings are not reserved for traditional religious or Christian weddings. Couples of all faiths can include prayers into their ceremony.

Before the Wedding

Before the wedding, the banns are usually read in church. On these occasions, the whole church will pray for the couple's forthcoming marriage. Many couples like to be present to hear this and may even take part. This can be a moving and special occasion.

> 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.

During the Wedding

Your wedding service will likely include prayers. Your vicar will be happy to help you develop prayers with special and personal meaning for you and your family, as well as using traditional prayers for marriage. It is possible for one of your guests to read prayers during the service.

• The Collect: Said by the vicar, this prayer asks for God's blessing so that the couple "may be joined in mutual love and companionship, in holiness and commitment to each other".
• The Blessing of the Marriage: The vicar asks for God's blessing on the couple's marriage, that their "love for each other be a seal upon their hearts and a crown upon their heads".
• Prayer for Unity and Divine Guidance: This prayer invites God's presence and asks for guidance and blessings on the marriage, that the couple "may find unity in their shared faith and in each other’s hearts".
• Opening Prayer: This prayer thanks God for the love that has brought the couple together and asks for His divine presence to envelop them as they make their vows.
• Opening Prayer for a Joyful Beginning: This prayer invites God's presence and asks for joy, understanding, and love to reflect His own as the couple takes their vows.
• Opening Prayer for Celebration of Love: This prayer thanks God for the beautiful day that brings everyone together in love and celebration, and asks for His blessing on the marriage.

Who should say the wedding prayer

A wedding prayer is a way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. It can be delivered by the officiant or a guest of honour. Couples of all faiths can include prayers in their ceremony.

The Church of England suggests that before your wedding, you will most likely have your banns read in your church. On these occasions, the whole church will pray for your forthcoming marriage, and many couples like to be present to hear this and even take part. It can be a moving and special occasion.

Your service will include prayers. Your vicar will be happy to help you develop prayers that have special and personal meaning for you and your family, as well as using traditional prayers for marriage. It is possible for one of your guests to read prayers during the service. If this is something you would like to happen at your wedding, talk to your vicar about how it could be incorporated.

> God our Father, from the beginning, you have blessed creation with abundant life. Pour out your blessings upon [bride’s name] and [groom’s name], that they may be joined in mutual love and companionship, in holiness and commitment to each other. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

> 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.

Wedding prayer examples

Wedding prayers are a great way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. They can be delivered by the officiant or a guest of honour. Wedding blessings are not reserved for traditional religious or Christian weddings, and couples of all faiths can include prayers in their ceremony. Here are some examples:

Opening Wedding Prayer

> Creator of the heavens and earth.

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> Thank you for the gift of marriage

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> For all the joy and love that it brings us.

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> We thank you for [name] and [name]

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> Thank you that you have brought them together for this special day,

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> And that you hold them safely in Your hands.

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> We pray that you would richly bless them as they exchange their vows and their wedding rings,

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> And from this day forward they would walk hand in hand into everything that you have destined them to be.

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> We give our hearts and beings to You now in adoration,

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> And welcome Your Holy Spirit amongst us.

Closing Wedding Prayer

> Gracious God, our hearts are filled with great happiness on this the wedding day of [name] and [name]. They come before you, pledging their lives and their hearts to one another.

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> Grant that they may be ever true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring heartbreak into their marriage.

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> Temper their hearts with kindness and help them to be sweethearts, helpmates, friends and guides, and together, may they meet the cares and problems of life more bravely.

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> May their home truly be a place of love and harmony where your Spirit is ever present. Bless their wedding day, we pray, and walk beside them, through all their life together. Amen.

Short Wedding Blessing

> Lord bless this beautiful couple with love and hope we pray.

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> Keep alive forever more the vows they’ve pledged today.

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> May you bless their dreams and visions,

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> And keep them always safe.

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> May peace and joy be with them now

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> On this their wedding day.

Wedding Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

> Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank you for this place in which we dwell, for the love that unites us, for the peace accorded us this day, for the hope with which we expect the morrow, for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth. ​Amen.

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> ​Let us be grateful for the capacity to see, feel, hear, and understand. Let us be grateful for this incredible gift of life. Let us be especially grateful for the ties of love which bind us together, giving dignity, meaning, worth and joy to all our days. This is indeed a day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice in it and be glad, and let us count our many blessings.

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> Father in heaven, You ordained marriage for your children, and you gave us love. We present to You Bride and Groom, who come this day to be married. May the covenant of love they make be blessed with true devotion and spiritual commitment. We ask that You, God, will give them the ability to keep the covenant they have made. When selfishness shows itself, grant generosity; when mistrust is a temptation, give moral strength; when there is misunderstanding, give patience and gentleness; if suffering becomes a part of their lives, give them a strong faith and an abiding love. Amen.

Wedding Prayer for a Blended Family

> Lord, in your providence, you have provided the family as a place where people can experience love, learn important life lessons and find unequalled encouragement. May your design be reflected in this new family. I pray that you would unite and bind this family together; even in togetherness, may there be space to be individuals. Help each person to love, respect and encourage others within the family. May the care and hospitality within the family be extended to those outside; that others might see your presence.

Prayer for a Non-Religious Ceremony

> May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.

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> May you always need one another – not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.

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> May you need one another, but not out of weakness.

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> May you want one another, but not out of lack.

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> May you entice one another, but not compel one another.

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> May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another

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> May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.

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> May you look for things to praise, often say, “I love you” and take no notice of small faults.

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> If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.

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> May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another’s presence

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> no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.

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> May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.

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> May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

How to incorporate a wedding prayer into your wedding day

There are many ways to incorporate a wedding prayer into your wedding day. Wedding prayers are a great way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. They can be delivered by your officiant or a guest of honour.

Before the Wedding

Share a "Prayer Before the Wedding" with your partner as you get ready for the ceremony. This can be a special moment to pray for your love to grow stronger and to become more aware of God's love for you.

During the Ceremony

Opening Prayer: Start your ceremony with an "Opening Prayer" to gather everyone in a spiritual moment and set the tone for the celebration. This can be a semi-religious element in an otherwise non-religious ceremony.

During the Ceremony

Wedding Prayer: Include a traditional or personalised wedding prayer during the ceremony. This is a very emotional moment where the couple expresses their gratitude, hopes, and petitions to God. It is a perfect opportunity to entrust your marriage to God and ask for guidance.

During the Ceremony

Blessing Prayers: Incorporate short blessing prayers throughout the ceremony to invoke God's presence and blessing on the couple's union. These can include blessings for unity, enduring love, peace and joy, wisdom and guidance, and prosperity and health.

During the Reception

Word of Blessing: During the reception, offer a blessing for the couple, asking for God's presence and blessing over their future together.

After the Wedding

Continue to Pray: Don't forget to continue praying for your spouse and your marriage even after the wedding day. Regular prayer will help you stay connected to your faith and each other as you embark on your new life together.

Remember, you can use existing prayers, create your own, or mix and match to make it your own. Feel free to adapt the language, pronouns, or any other aspects to fit your preferences and beliefs.

Frequently asked questions