From the Bible:
Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6,7
My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle dove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.’
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of one’s house,
it would be utterly scorned.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
(this is the most-read portion)
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
“Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
Corinthians Adaptation
LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND May you be able to lovingly overlook each other’s faults and weaknesses. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL May you seek praise for each other and not for yourselves.
LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT OR RUDE May you give of yourselves for each other’s needs and treat one another with utmost respect.
LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY May you genuinely listen to each other and understand the power of compromise.
LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL May you be tolerant of each other’s moods, always ready to forgive, never holding a grudge.
LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONG BUT REJOICES IN THE RIGHT May you experience happiness because of each other’s triumphs and successes.
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS May you seek to understand each other’s differences, knowing you will stick together through it all.
LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS May you always expect the best in each situation, regardless of temporary setbacks.
LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS May you never give up your commitment to work on improving your relationship.
LOVE NEVER ENDS May you spend the rest of your lives together grateful for your love
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Wedding Prayers
Prayer #1: by Robert Louis Stevenson
Lord, behold our family here assembled.
We thank you for this place in which we dwell,
or 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.
Prayer #2
Most gracious God, we thank You, for consecrating the union of this man and this woman in Your Name. Pour out the abundance of Your blessing upon this couple. Defend them from every enemy, lead them into all peace, let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts. 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 marriage. Amen.
Prayer #3
Heavenly Father, behold our family here, we thank you for this day, and for the love that unites us, for the peace given to us, for the joy we are experiencing, for the health, the work, the life, and the future we get to enjoy; for our friends and family that are rejoicing with us. Amen.
Prayer #4 (read by couple)
Lord help us to remember when we first met, and the strong love that grew between us. Help us to work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide us. We ask for kind and loving words and hearts always ready to ask forgiveness, as well as to forgive. Dear Lord, we put our marriage into your hands.
Prayer #5
We thank You God for the love You have implanted in our hearts. May it always inspire us to be kind in our words, considerate of feelings, and concerned for each others needs and wishes. Heavenly Father, help groom and bride to be understanding and forgiving of human weaknesses and failings. Increase their faith and trust in You and may You guide their life and love. Bless this marriage with peace and happiness, and make their love beautiful for Your glory. Amen.
Prayer #6 (Catholic)
Father, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for his Church. Hear our prayer for groom and bride. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer #7
Lord, our hearts are filled with great happiness on this wedding day. They come before You pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Grant that they may be ever true and loving, living together is such a way as to bring happiness to the marriage. Temper their hearts with kindness and understanding, rid them of all pretense of jealousy. Help them to remember to be each other’\s’ sweetheart, helpmate, friend and guide, so that together they may meet the cares and problems of life more bravely. And with the passage of time, may the home they are creating today, truly be a place of love and harmony, where your spirit is ever present. Bless this union we pray, and walk beside Bride and Groom throughout all their lives together.
Prayer #8
Keep us, Lord, from pettiness. Let us be always thoughtful in word and deed. Help us to put away pretense, and face each other in deep trust without fear or self-pity. Help us to guard against faultfinding, and be quick to discover the best in each other and in every situation. Guard us from ill temper and hasty judgments: Encourage us to take time for all things, to grow calm, serene and gentle. Help us to be generous with kind words and compliments. Teach us never to ignore, never to hurt, never to take each other for granted. Engrave charity and compassion on our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer #9
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of marriage, for all the joy and love that it brings us. We thank you for Groom and Bride. Thank you that you have brought them together for this special day, and that you hold them safely in Your hands. We pray that you would richly bless them as they exchange their vows and their wedding rings, and from this day forward they would walk hand in hand into everything that you have destined them to be. We give our hearts and beings to You now in adoration, and welcome Your Holy Spirit among us. Amen.
Prayer #10
Let us Pray: Dear God, thank you for this joyous day. Thank you for Your Light that has entered Bride and Groom’s life. Thank you for all the miracles and blessings.
Please bless this union. Help Bride and Groom find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish. Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them. May all their future creations be blessed. God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace. Amen.
Prayer #11 - The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallow be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.) Amen
Prayer #12
Gracious God, spirit of life and love, we ask all blessings upon Groom and Bride in their life together. May they be blessed with patience, to see them through times of tensions or conflict. May they be blessed with kindness, to enable them to nurture and care for one another in times of pain or sorrow. May they be blessed with a spirit of play and joyfulness, that they may participate fully in the beauties and pleasures of creation. May they be blessed, finally, with a knowledge of the ever-flowing presence of love in the world, that they may be channels of this love to one another and to all whom they meet in their life’s journey. Amen.
Prayer #13
Father of mankind, whose nature is love, look with favor upon this woman and this man who desire to make their vows before you. We are grateful for the providence that has led to this union. Grant this to be more than an outward union, but also the blending of hearts and spirits and purposes. Bless each with the inward qualities of integrity, trust, cooperation and forgiveness, that they may live together in love and peace. Amen.
Prayer #14
Heavenly Father, we know Your presence is with all of us here this special day of BRIDE and GROOM’s wedding and we give thanks. We ask Your blessing and love be with us during this ceremony and to especially fill the hearts of BRIDE and GROOM as they pledge their love to one another. May the wisdom and spirit of all-giving and all-understanding Love pervade all the words spoken and all the love given here today, that these vows offered will remain strong and true and abiding in the presence of love all the days of their lives.
May all of us present feel the strength and depth of BRIDE and GROOM’s love and experience a rebirth of the power of love in our own lives. We ask these things in thy Name and give thanks that it is so.
Prayer #15 - Blending Family
“Lord, in your providence, you have provided the family as a place where people can experience love, learn important life lessons and find unequaled 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 #16 (Episcopal)
Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace:
Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life,
and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony.
Amen.
Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life,
that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity,
a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.
Amen.
Prayer #17: St Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you..
May you be content knowing you are a child of God….
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Amen.
Christian Wedding Blessings
Blessing #1
May you each bring your best self to the other. May you each bring commitment as well as faith to the task that is set before you. May you maintain enduring respect and trust. May all who follow your lives have cause often to rejoice, not only in your happiness, but also in your brave and generous living.
Blessing #2
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields.
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Blessing #3
May you each be shelter to the other, may you be warmth to the other. May there be no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two bodies, but there is one life before you. And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
Blessing #4
May the love of God be above you to overshadow you, beneath you to uphold you, before you to guide you, behind you to protect you, close beside you and within you to make you able for all things, and to reward your faithfulness with the joy and peace which the world cannot give neither can it take away. Amen.
Blessing #6
In joining your lives may God grant you both…Love… to afford each other a special quality of time together. Joy…in the accomplishments of one another. Understanding…that your interests and desires will not always be the same. Friendship…based on mutual trust. Courage…to speak of a misunderstanding and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun. Compassion…to comfort each other in pain and sorrow. Foresight…to realize rainbows follow rainy days. Awareness…to live each day with the knowledge that there is no promise of tomorrow. May God bless you and keep you in the Palm of His hand.
Blessing #7
Father, we ask for your blessings upon this man and woman, as we celebrate this momentous occasion in their lives. Grant them happiness and contentment as they establish their new home, create a new family, and explore the depths of their love for one another and for you. Bless their families and friends and the relationships, which have supported, strengthened and sustained them throughout their lives. Bless their home as a place of love and peace. And if times grow hard and tempers grow short, help them to look into their hearts and remember the love that brought them here today. Amen
Blessing #8
Bless this marriage Father, as groom and bride begin their journey down the road of life together. We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help them to make the best of whatever comes their way. Help them to continue to enjoy each other as they did when they first met. Help them to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including themselves. Help them to respect each others’ likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears even though they may not always understand them. Help them to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Help them to realize that no matter what happens to them they will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.
Blessing #9
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge Your blessing upon this marriage and we give thanks that Your spirit is with the Groom and Bride. Bless this beautiful couple in all their days to come with a joyous life, deep love, bless them with peace and wisdom that they will need to fulfill their promises made here today. May all who follow their lives have cause often to rejoice, not only in their happiness, but also in their brave and generous living. We commit this marriage into Your hands. Amen.
Blessing #10
Father God, I pray a blessing on Groom and Bride. Thank you for directing their paths toward each other. May their lives be examples of true love and commitment. Give each of them the heart of a servant, keeping the others’ needs ahead of their own; in this way, both are satisfied. May their communication be always clear and direct, speaking the truth in love. May they always trust the other with their safety and protection, may that trust become increasingly solidified throughout their days. May peace that surpasses all understanding guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus I pray. Amen.
Blessing #11
God, as you join us today, we ask for your blessings upon this couple as they unite in marriage. Let all their days together be happy and all their words to each other be sweet. Though their paths are intertwined, let them be aware of each other’s separateness. Bless their home and allow it to be a place of joy and serenity.
Remind them to nurture each other with mutual love, honor and respect. Let their spirits dwell within. As they learn from one another, may they grow stronger as individuals and closer as a couple. And as their wedded life begins today with prayer, so may they continue it, praying for and with each other. Amen.
Blessing #12
Our Heavenly Father, we ask Your blessing upon these two lives and the home they are establishing today.
May the love they have for each other grow deeper and stronger because of their love for You.
Lord, You guided them to each other, now guide them in this new journey as husband and wife.
As they walk down this path, light their way so they may keep their eyes focused on Your will, their hands holding fast to Your truth, their feet firmly planted in Your Word, and their hearts bound together by Your love. This we pray in Your name. Amen.
