Meaningful Marriage Blessings for the Bride and Groom

Finding the person you want to share the rest of your life with is considered a blessing in and of itself. Before, guests could acknowledge this blessing through religious prayer during the ceremony or reception. Now, people recite their wishes of prosperity for the newlyweds in their own words through marriage blessings.

If you are planning to read a marriage blessing for a happy couple on their wedding day, there are many examples that you can choose from. From religious to casual to humorous, this list provides a great range of blessings that will help you express your happiness for the newly wedded couple at their wedding ceremony. 

Beautiful Blessings for a Wedding Ceremony

Knowing what blessing to say to a couple at a wedding ceremony can be quite stressful if you are not good with words. Luckily, there are many blessings for everyone to choose from. Find your perfect marriage blessing for the big day with these examples. 

 

Casual Wedding Blessings

For acquaintances, distant relatives, and coworkers, casual wedding blessings may be the best way to go during the wedding ceremony or reception. These examples are short and sweet while still expressing your best wishes for the newlyweds. 

“Your wedding day will come and go, but may your love forever grow.”

“May the love and happiness you feel today shine through the years.”

“Wishing you joy, love, and happiness on your wedding day and as you begin your new life together.”

“Thank you for letting us/me share in this joyful day. We/I wish you all the best as you embark on this wonderful union.”

“Best wishes on this wonderful journey, as you build your new lives together.”

Keeping the blessings simple is always a great way to show your hopes for a successful marriage. It allows others to have a turn to speak their own blessings while sending a sweet message. If you are attending a wedding for a couple that you may not be close to, these wedding blessings are the way to go, whether you write them in the card or offer them in person. 

 

Versatile Wedding Blessings

If the bride and groom have different religions, you can recite a religious blessing without excluding either of their views. Using these examples will include their religious beliefs in the ceremony while respecting their views. 

“Sending you prayers for unending love and happiness.”

“May your marriage be blessed!”

“Love is the greatest blessing.”

“Wishing you a marriage as strong as your faith.”

These blessings can be used for any religious wedding. They are simple, inclusive, and express your feelings of hopefulness as a friend or family member. For a diverse wedding, these marriage blessings are great for the ceremony or reception toast.

 

Christian Blessings

At a Christian wedding, reading a Bible verse is a great way to wish the newlyweds a happy future. There are many excerpts from it that speak of love between person to person and love from God. 

“‘Love is patient. Love is kind… Love never fails.’ – 1 Corinthians 13:4-13”

“‘God has poured out His love into our hearts.’ – Romans 5:5”

You can also choose to say a simple blessing that is not written in the Bible but still incorporates God in the message. 

“Rejoice in your love for each other! God bless you now and always.”

“God bless this marriage and may your love for each other continue to grow.”

“May the One who brought you together bless your marriage, enrich your lives and deepen your love throughout the years.”

Any of these examples are great blessings for any friend or family member to use at a Christian wedding. They wish the couple to be in good hands in their future marriage and include their faith in their happiest moment. 

 

Jewish Wedding Blessings

In the Jewish tradition, the Seven Blessings are chanted or read during the wedding ceremony. There are variations of the Hebrew and English versions but each still follows the same meaning for each blessing.

The First Blessing is a sanctification of God’s name over the wine. The Second and Third Blessing celebrate the theme of creation. The Fourth Blessing is a challenge to fulfill creativity, blessing, and peace.

The Fifth Blessing affirms that the marriage contains passion and friendship. The Sixth Blessing blesses the couple separately. The Seventh Blessing brings the couple to rejoice together.

“Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.”

“Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has created everything for your glory.”

“Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of Human Beings.”

“Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has fashioned human beings in your image, according to your likeness and has fashioned from it a lasting mold. Blessed are You Adonai, Creator of Human Beings.”

“Bring intense joy and exultation through the ingathering of Her children (Jerusalem). Blessed are You, Adonai, are the One who gladdens Zion (Israel) through Her children’s return.”

“Gladden the beloved companions as You gladdened Your creatures in the garden of Eden. Blessed are You, Adonai, Who gladdens this couple.”

“Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who created joy and gladness, loving couples, mirth, glad song, pleasure, delight, love, loving communities, peace, and companionship. Adonai, our God, let there soon be heard in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the loving couple, the sound of their jubilance from their canopies and of the youths from their song-filled feasts. Blessed are You Who causes the couple to rejoice, one with the other.”

You can choose to follow the Seven Blessings strictly or rewrite it in your own words. This is a great outline to prepare your wedding blessings for a traditional Jewish wedding. To find more information or other translations for the Seven Blessings, you can visit here. 

 

Comical Blessings

We all love a good laugh on a joyous occasion. Weddings can be quite emotional, so using a funny wedding blessing to lift the mood is always a great plan. Here are some examples of humorous, and harmless, blessings to recite to the married couple. 

“Thanks for inviting us/me to eat and drink while you get married. Congrats!”

“Our marriage advice: Love, honor, and… scrub the toilet.” 

“Glad we/I got to break out our/my dance moves in honor of such a great couple. Lots of love to you both!” 

“Thanks for the free booze. Best wishes on a long, happy marriage!”

You can add in your own puns, random advice, or funny memories of the couples to get a good laugh at the reception. Light humor is a great way to wish the newlyweds a wonderful married life when you are close with the bride and groom. 

 

Emotional Blessings

Emotional wedding blessings have the opportunity of being a bit more lengthy. These examples are ideal for speeches made by the best man and the maid of honor during the reception toast. 

“A sweet new chapter in your lives has begun. Congratulations on taking that first big step to forever. I wish that your hearts will always be full of love and happiness. When there are obstacles that must be overcome, may you always have each other’s guidance and support. When there are bills to pay, dishes to be washed, and kids to be fed, may you always have the other to boss around. Just kidding. No two people can do a better job at married life than you guys because you are fun, kind, loving, and patient. Married life will not always be a bed of roses, but I’m confident that you will do a phenomenal job. Best wishes to you, newlyweds!”

“I have been impatiently waiting for this day to arrive, and now that it’s here, I don’t know what to feel. I always thought that we will grow old together and have parties every night at the old people’s home. But I also always knew that you will live a life of love and happiness with that special person, and you will have many loud and crazy kids and grandkids. You’re on your way to having that beautiful life, and I’m so happy that you are making it happen. I wish you a married life that fills you with pride, happiness, and inspiration. May your future be as bright and beautiful as the person you are. Congratulations and best wishes, my friend!”

Feel free to add on your own memories of the groom and bride or your personal wishes that aren’t included. These passages are guaranteed to make any couple cry from happiness on their big day!

 

Marriage Blessing FAQ

What do the Seven Blessings mean?

The Seven Blessings are a traditional Jewish wedding ritual that was adapted from rabbinic teachings. They can be recited by friends or family over the toasting of wine or chanted by the Rabbi during the ceremony. The purpose of the Seven Blessings is to express joy for the newlyweds and to thank God for bringing the couple together. 

 

How long should a wedding blessing be?

Wedding blessings usually last around 20-30 minutes during the ceremony. During the reception, the blessings can be much shorter to allow other individuals to speak. This will also depend on who is reciting the blessing. The priest, maid of honor, and best man will have much lengthier wedding blessings. 

 

Who can carry out wedding blessings?

At a formal religious wedding, the priest will carry out the wedding blessing. However, if the wedding is strayed from tradition, anyone that the bride and groom chooses can recite the wedding blessing. The best way to know is to sit down with the couple and discuss how they would like the blessings to be carried out. 

 

Conclusion

Wedding blessings come in different shapes and forms. Whether you choose to recite a religious scripture, a casual wish, a humorous pun, or an emotional passage, these blessings can be included in almost any wedding.

Take your time in writing your perfect marriage blessing. If you choose to add your own words, let your blessing speak from the heart and you will ensure the couple to have an amazing wedding day!