English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese A prayer for a newly married couple thanks God for joining them and asks him to bless their marriage with love, faithfulness and joy. Jesus said of husband and wife, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Family, friends or a pastor can pray over them, and the two of them can pray together.
“God hath joined.” That is what we are praying into when we pray for newlyweds: a marriage God has made, kept by God. If you need just a few words, for a wedding card or the end of a toast, there is no better blessing than the one God gave Moses for Aaron and his sons to say over the people of Israel:
“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
If you want something of your own to say over them at the wedding or the reception, or to write in a card, here is a short blessing. It is new, not a traditional prayer. Say their names where it says Name and Name.
Lord God, You have joined Name and Name together today. Bless their marriage. Give them a love that is patient and kind, a faithfulness that lasts all their lives, and joy in each other in every season. Make their home a place of peace and welcome, and keep them close to You and to each other. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And this one, also new, is for the two of them to pray together, on the wedding night or at the start of any day in their first year:
Lord, thank You for bringing us together. Teach us to love each other as You love us: to forgive quickly, to speak kindly and to carry each other’s burdens. Keep us faithful to the promises we have made. Be the third strand in our cord, and let our home be open to others. Amen.
The third strand comes from Ecclesiastes. “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour,” the Preacher says, and he ends, “a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12). Two people, and God twisted in between them. That is the marriage every prayer here is asking for.
Which of the twelve prayers fits which moment?
The twelve longer prayers further down are for others to pray over the couple: a parent, a friend, a pastor, or the whole family at a meal. They speak of the couple as “them”. If the two of you are praying one together, simply say “us” instead.
- At the wedding or the reception: Gratitude for the Joyful Union and Celebration of Love; God’s Abundant Blessings on the Newlyweds; God’s Protection over the New Union.
- For the first year: Love’s Deepening between the New Couple; Wisdom and Understanding in Marital Decision-Making; Peace and Harmony in Their New Journey; Continual Spiritual Growth Together; Faithfulness and Loyalty in Marriage.
- For the years ahead: Enduring Love Reflective of Christ’s Love for the Church; Strength and Resilience through Married Life’s Trials; Blessed Future and Fruitful Union; Joyful and Blessed Parenthood.
At the reception, the prayer of gratitude and the prayer for God’s abundant blessings fit best. They give thanks for the day itself and ask a blessing on the life that starts there. If you have been asked to say a blessing in front of everyone and your mind goes blank at the thought, Praying Out Loud is a paid course of ten short lessons on praying aloud in front of others, grace at a wedding reception included.
For a grace before the wedding meal, you will find words in prayers for a wedding reception.
How do the Catholic and Orthodox churches bless a newly married couple?
Both churches bless the couple inside the wedding service itself. “The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God’s grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride,” as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it (Catechism 1624). An epiclesis is a prayer that calls down the Holy Spirit.
They differ on who gives the sacrament. In the Latin, or Roman, Church, “it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ’s grace, mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church”. In the Eastern liturgies, the same paragraph goes on, “the minister of this sacrament (which is called ‘Crowning’) is the priest or bishop”, who crowns the bridegroom and the bride “as a sign of the marriage covenant” (Catechism 1623). In the West the bride and groom give the sacrament to each other; in the East the priest crowns them.
At a Catholic wedding in the Latin rite, the couple give that consent in their vows; you can read the traditional words in Christian wedding vows. The priest or deacon receives their consent and blesses them. Where the blessing falls depends on the kind of service. At a wedding within Mass, the nuptial blessing comes after the Lord’s Prayer, before the sign of peace and Communion. At a wedding without Mass where Communion is not given, it follows the prayers of intercession and the Lord’s Prayer. When Communion is given at a wedding without Mass, the blessing comes straight after the prayers of intercession, before the Lord’s Prayer.
For the nuptial blessing, the priest, or a deacon, holds his hands out over the bride and groom and prays at length. The Order of Celebrating Matrimony gives three forms of it. The first goes back to the beginning, to God making man and woman in his image and joining them as one flesh. It asks him to send the grace of the Holy Spirit on the couple, prays for the bride by name, and asks that her husband honour her and cherish her with the love Christ has for his Church. And it ends where every marriage hopes to end: that the two of them keep the faith, live to see their children’s children, and come together at last to the kingdom of heaven. The words about children may be left out, for example when the couple are older.
One of the psalms the Catholic Church lists for weddings is Psalm 128, a blessing on the home of everyone “that feareth the Lord”: “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table” (Psalm 128:1, 3). It is a picture of a kitchen table full of people.
The Orthodox service has two parts, “the office of betrothal and the office of crowning”, in the words of Fr Alciviadis Calivas, writing for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The crowns set on the heads of the bride and groom, he writes, “signify the grace of the Holy Spirit”, and they are “crowns of both joy and martyrdom”. Joy, because the two are made one. Martyrdom, because “every marriage involves enormous self-sacrifice on the part of each partner”. It is an honest thing to say at a wedding, and a kind one.
In the service of the Orthodox Church in America, the priest crowns the groom and then the bride in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then he blesses them three times, asking God to crown them with glory and honour, words that echo Psalm 8: “thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm 8:5). The couple drink three times from a common cup of blessed wine, and the priest leads them three times around the lectern, the groomsmen behind them holding their crowns. Each step, from the rings to the cup, is explained in the Orthodox wedding ceremony.
What did Tobias and Sarah pray on their wedding night?
The Book of Tobit, which stands in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles and in the Apocrypha of the King James Bible, tells of the marriage of Tobias and Sarah. On their wedding night, Tobias got up and said to his bride, “Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on us” (Tobit 8:4). Sister is a tender name for a bride here, as it is in the Song of Songs: “my sister, my spouse” (Song of Solomon 4:9). Before anything else, the two of them prayed. In the King James wording, this is what Tobias said:
“Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers, and blessed is thy holy and glorious name for ever; let the heavens bless thee, and all thy creatures. Thou madest Adam, and gavest him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: of them came mankind: thou hast said, It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto himself. And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust but uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.” (Tobit 8:5-7, King James Version with Apocrypha)
And Sarah “said with him, Amen” (Tobit 8:8).
“That we may become aged together.” It is about the simplest thing a husband or wife can ask of God, and the best. The Catholic Order of Celebrating Matrimony lists this passage among the Old Testament readings a couple may choose for their wedding, under the line “Bring us to old age together”. You can pray Tobias’s words for yourselves, too, on your wedding night or on an anniversary.
Prayer for Love’s Deepening between the New Couple
For the first months, when two people are still learning each other. It asks God for patience to understand, strength to support, and a love that keeps growing.
Heavenly Father,
In Your infinite wisdom, You have brought two hearts together to beat as one. We stand before You today, lifting up this newly married couple, seeking Your blessing upon their union. May Your love, which knows no bounds, pour abundantly into their lives, filling every corner of their shared journey with warmth and light.
Grant them the patience to understand each other deeper, the strength to support one another steadfastly, and the wisdom to cherish their love’s intricate beauty. Like trees planted by streams of water, may their love be evergreen, drawing nourishment from Your eternal spring, flourishing against the ever-changing seasons of life.
Let their love be a testament to Your greatness, a mirror reflecting the unconditional love of Christ. Guide them in paths of righteousness, that their love may deepen, not just in affection, but in a genuine commitment to serve and honor each other, following Your example of selfless love.
Amen.
Paul names the one virtue that ties all the others together: “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14).
Prayer for Wisdom and Understanding in Marital Decision-Making
A new household has decisions to make together, small and large, and two people who have never had to agree on them before. This prayer asks for unity, open hearts that listen, and the grace to discern God’s will.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today, our hearts filled with gratitude for the sacred union You have blessed. As this newly married couple embarks on their shared journey, we humbly ask for Your gift of wisdom and understanding to envelop them. May they approach each decision, each crossroad, with a spirit of unity, seeking Your guidance above all.
Guide their steps with Your light, O Lord, so that every choice brings them closer to You and to each other. Grant them the grace to listen with open hearts and to discern Your will with clarity. Like a tree planted by the water, may their love grow deep roots of patience and kindness, flourishing in the soil of Your wisdom.
In every moment of uncertainty, remind them that they are not alone, for You walk beside them. May their decisions be reflections of Your love and testament to their faith in You. We trust in Your plan for their lives, a plan filled with hope and prosperity.
In Jesus’ name, we pray,
Amen.
James promises that this gift is there for the asking: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Prayer for Enduring Love Reflective of Christ’s Love for the Church
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians compares marriage to the love of Christ for his Church, and this prayer takes up that comparison. It asks for forgiveness without limit and a love without conditions.
Heavenly Father, who ordained the sacred institution of marriage,
Bless this beloved couple with a love as enduring as Yours—a love not easily shaken by the storms of life. Grant them the grace to forgive without limit, to serve without seeking, and to cherish each other in every fleeting moment. Infuse their hearts with the strength found only in Your example, Jesus Christ, who loved the Church with such purity and sacrifice.
May their love be a beacon of hope and a testament to Your eternal love. Teach them to navigate the complexities of life with patience and kindness, mirroring the way Christ loves us—without conditions, boundaries, or end. Let their union be a reflection of Your perfect love, guiding them in every decision, strengthening them through every challenge, and celebrating with them in every joyous moment. In Your holy name, we pray, Amen.
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” Paul writes, and a few verses later, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:25, 32). Every marriage, however ordinary, is meant to be a small picture of that love.
Prayer for God’s Abundant Blessings on the Newlyweds
A full blessing for the wedding day. It asks for wisdom and strength, for a home that is a harbour of peace, and for the kind of blessings that draw the couple closer to God.
Heavenly Father,
In Your grand landscape of love, two hearts have been woven together, starting a journey that reflects Your own heart for unity and joy. We lift up this newlywed couple, standing on the threshold of their shared life, and ask for Your abundant blessings to rain down upon them.
Lord, like the rain that nurtures the earth, let Your blessings nurture their love, making it evergreen, flourishing through every season. Gift them wisdom to navigate the paths unknown, strength to withstand the winds of change, and an ever-deepening love that mirrors Your own for us.
May their home be a harbor of peace, a haven where Your Spirit dwells, guiding them into all truth and knitting their hearts closer with every beat. Let joy be their constant companion, and in trials, let hope be an unbreakable thread.
Above all, Father, fill their lives with the kind of blessings that draw them closer to You—blessings that aren’t merely counted, but ones that count for eternity.
In Jesus’ name, we pray,
Amen.
It reads well aloud at the reception, before the meal or at the end of a speech,.
Prayer for God’s Protection over the New Union
Every marriage will be tested. This prayer asks God to guard it against doubt, misunderstanding and temptation, and to give the couple the grace to forgive each other.
Heavenly Father,
In Your infinite wisdom, You have brought two hearts together, binding them in the sacred covenant of marriage. As they embark on this blessed journey, hand in hand, we pray for Your protective hedge around their union. May their love be a fortified city, impregnable to the assaults of doubt, misunderstanding, and external temptations.
Lord, let Your presence be the cornerstone of their home, grounding them in love, grace, and understanding. Equip them with the strength to face challenges, the wisdom to navigate disagreements, and the grace to forgive each other unconditionally. Like a ship expertly navigating through stormy seas, may their marriage be a testament to Your guidance and protection. Guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, so that together, they can withstand the trials of this world while nurturing their love and commitment to one another. In times of weakness, be their strength; in moments of uncertainty, be their assurance. Amen.
The line about guarding their hearts and minds comes from Paul: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer for Blessed Future and Fruitful Union
For the years ahead. It asks for a future bright with promise, God’s steady hand when things change, and a family rooted in faith, hope and love.
Heavenly Father,
In Your infinite wisdom and grace, You have brought two hearts together in the sacred bond of marriage. As they step forward into this new chapter of their lives, we humbly ask Your blessings upon their union. May their love for each other mirror Your love for us—unconditional, unwavering, and eternal.
Bless them with a future bright with promise and possibilities. Guide them through times of challenge and change with Your steady hand, turning every obstacle into an opportunity for growth and every moment of joy into a testament of Your goodness. Grant them the strength to nurture a family rooted in faith, hope, and love. May their home be a haven of peace, their relationship a model of mutual respect and understanding, and their lives a journey towards spiritual fulfillment. In Your name, we pray, Amen.
Psalm 128, the wedding psalm with the vine and the olive plants, ends on the same hope for a long and fruitful life: “Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel” (Psalm 128:6).
Prayer for Strength and Resilience through Married Life’s Trials
For the hard seasons. They come to every marriage, and a wedding is a good day to say so plainly and pray ahead of them. This prayer remembers Jesus calming the storm, and his saying about faith as small as a mustard seed.
Heavenly Father,
In Your infinite wisdom, You designed marriage as a union where two souls become one, embarking on life’s journey together. Today, we lift up this newly married couple, entrusting them into Your loving care. We pray for strength and resilience to be the cornerstone of their union, as they experience the inevitable trials of married life.
Lord, just as You calmed the stormy seas with a word, calm their hearts in times of trial. Grant them the strength to stand firm, the resilience to bounce back stronger, and the wisdom to see Your hand at work in every challenge. May their love be a beacon of hope and a testament to Your faithfulness. In moments of weakness, remind them that Your strength sustains them. When they face mountains, inspire them to move forward with courage, knowing that with faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for them. Amen.
This is where the threefold cord earns its keep. Ecclesiastes gives the reason two are stronger than one: “For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:10).
Prayer of Gratitude for the Joyful Union and Celebration of Love
A thanksgiving for the wedding day itself, for the start of the reception or a family meal. It thanks God for bringing the two of them together and asks that their love reach the people around them.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today overflowing with joy and gratitude. Your love, the ultimate architect of our lives, has guided these two hearts into a sacred union. Like rivers merging into one great ocean, their paths have been divinely intertwined. We thank You, Lord, for this celebration of love, a mirror of Your boundless affection for us.
Bless this couple, O God, with a marriage that flourishes in the light of Your grace. May their love for each other be a beacon of hope and a testament to Your eternal love. As they embark on this journey together, blanket them in Your protection and guide them with Your wisdom. With every sunrise, remind them of the joy that first brought them together, and with every sunset, let them rest in the peace of Your promises. May their union be a source of inspiration and a vessel of Your love, reaching out to touch the hearts of those around them. Amen.
Jesus himself was a wedding guest. “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage” (John 2:1-2). He worked his first miracle there (John 2:11), so that the feast would not run dry.
Prayer for Continual Spiritual Growth Together
For a couple learning to pray, read Scripture and worship together, which can feel awkward at first. It asks for a thirst for God’s word and a faith that grows side by side.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today to celebrate the union of two hearts in marriage. As they embark on this sacred journey together, we pray that their bond deepens not just in love but in faith. Bless them with a thirst for Your word and a longing to grow closer to You, side by side. Let their relationship be a testament, like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither—so too may their spiritual growth be evergreen, thriving under Your guidance.
Grant them the wisdom to navigate the paths of life together, the strength to face challenges with grace, and an ever-growing understanding of Your love and mercy. May their joined spirits be a beacon of Your light, inspiring those around them. In the complexity of their shared life, let them find simplicity in Your truth, bonding over mutual faith and devotion.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray,
Amen.
The trees planted by streams come from the first psalm: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither” (Psalm 1:3).
Prayer for Peace and Harmony in Their New Journey
For the arguments of the first year, because there will be some. It asks that discord turn into dialogue, and that their differences become a way to know each other better.
Heavenly Father,
In Your wisdom, You have brought two souls together, binding them in the sacred covenant of marriage. As they embark on this new journey side by side, we humbly ask You to infuse their shared life with Your peace and harmony. Like rivers that meet and merge into one, may their spirits unite in a flow of love that navigates life’s complexities with grace and patience.
Grant them the strength to weather the storms they may face, anchoring them deeply in faith and trust in You. Help them to remember that in every challenge lies an opportunity to grow closer, to understand each other more fully, and to strengthen the love that binds them. May your presence be their constant guide, turning discord into dialogue, and differences into opportunities for discovery and mutual respect.
Bless them, O Lord, with the serenity to enjoy each moment together, celebrating the simple joys and finding peace in each other’s arms. Let their home be a haven of tranquility, where Your spirit dwells and guides them through every season of their lives.
Amen.
Paul wrote this to a whole church, and it fits a marriage just as well: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:13).
Prayer for Joyful and Blessed Parenthood
For a couple who hope for children. It asks for wisdom to nurture and guide them, strength for the tired days, and a home full of warmth and laughter.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today, hearts overflowing with gratitude and hope, seeking Your blessings for this beloved newly married couple as they aspire to embark on the sacred journey of parenthood. Grant them the joy that resonates like laughter echoing through the halls of their home, vibrant and full of life.
Lord, bestow upon them wisdom to nurture and guide, strength to withstand the storms, and an abundance of patience and love to pour into their future children’s hearts. May their family garden flourish under Your watchful eye, each child a unique bloom nurtured with faith, hope, and love.
In moments of fatigue or doubt, remind them that every challenge is but a stepping stone, leading them closer to the embodiment of Your grace in their family life. Let their home become a haven of warmth, laughter, and endless love, reflecting Your divine presence in every shared moment.
Amen.
Proverbs gives parents one line to hold on to: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Prayer for Faithfulness and Loyalty in Marriage
The promises are made in a single afternoon and kept for a lifetime. This prayer asks for the courage to keep them and the strength to face trials together.
Heavenly Father,
In Your boundless love, You have brought two hearts together, to walk the path of life as one. We pray today, for the newlyweds, that their marriage may be a testament to the virtues of faithfulness and loyalty. Like the steadfast mountains that touch the heavens, let their commitment to one another and to Your divine will remain unwavering.
Lord, bless them with the courage to uphold their promises, the strength to face the trials of life, and the wisdom to nurture their bond. May their love be a beacon of hope and a sanctuary of peace, reflecting Your grace and glory. Help them to remember that in every season, Your presence is the anchor that keeps their relationship secure.
Guide them, O God, to build a legacy of faithfulness, so that through their journey, they may inspire others to seek Your eternal love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Proverbs puts faithfulness in a picture: “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart” (Proverbs 3:3). Mercy and truth, bound on and written in, with God holding the third strand. That is a cord not quickly broken.
Related reading
- Prayers for Married Couples: For Unity, Forgiveness and a Lifelong Marriage
- Prayers for Couples to Pray Together, from Wedding Prayers to Hard Days
- 16 Bible Verses for a Wedding, and Where in the Day Each One Belongs
- Christian Wedding Ceremony Script: A Complete Sample to Read Aloud
- 12 Blessing Prayers for Engaged Couples’ New Journey
- 12 Hopeful Prayers for Couples Struggling with Infertility
Leave a Reply