Weddings are a wonderful celebration of two souls finally becoming one flesh in the presence of the LORD God Almighty and all their loved ones. It is a moment where two lovers finally become a husband and wife, and launch a new chapter to start their own family. Wedding celebrations aren’t complete without food, drinks and eating with your loved ones. Thus, in case you are wondering about a prayer before a meal at a wedding, here is a simple prayer of thanksgiving for such an occasion:
Heavenly Father, today we are gathered to celebrate the newly blessed couple. We thank You for this beautiful marriage that You have begun. May Your hand of blessings, favors and tangible presence be always upon them. As we are about to eat and share this bounty together, may this be a memorable meal for the couple and everyone present today. Bless our food and those who prepared it, and fill us all with joy, peace and love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Christian Meal Prayer for a Wedding
A simple prayer of thanksgiving, honoring and blessing the couple, blessing the food and glorifying God can create a wonderful and presence-filled mealtime at a wedding. If you are assigned to offer a prayer at a wedding, make use of your extra time to prepare the prayer so that it will come out organized and clear. However, if you are chosen on the spot, you can honor God first and foremost, then bless the couple, followed by thanksgiving for the food, families and friends who are gathered in the presence of God.
How do you pray for a wedding dinner?
Wedding dinner prayers or prayers made during a wedding reception may vary, depending on the couple’s faith, traditions, and culture. In a Christian wedding, the prayer elements for a wedding dinner include:
- Thanking and honoring God for the marriage and the couple, as well as for everyone gathered at the wedding
- Blessing the couple and all who attended
- Thanking God for and blessing the food
- Last but not least, you can include declarations of joy, peace, love and wonderful memories of the event in the name of Jesus.
Also, if the Holy Spirit leads you, you can pray for the wedding dinner by quoting a wonderful Scripture from the Bible. You can begin with a Scripture and relate it to the couple’s marriage, including blessing them and thanking God for their lives. Then, thank God for everyone being present to witness the special event and bless the food. Here is an example:
Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” We thank You Father for this wonderful couple before us all. May they both continuously be affectionate, honoring and preferring one another in their marriage journey with Jesus at the center. Bless everyone who is here tonight, and bless the food we are about to eat. May Your presence fill us with joy and love as we engage in fellowship with each other, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
If you simply think about God with gratitude in your heart for the couple’s life, your prayer will naturally flow, and the Holy Spirit will guide you.
If you feel like your mind may go blank right before the prayer is set to start, consider writing your prayer down and simply focus on the LORD, just as you do in your private time with Him. This will help you receive His peace and calmness, enabling you to clearly speak the public prayer.
What do you say in a wedding blessing?
Weddings are a great opportunity to share beautiful Scripture passages from the Word of God, to bless the couple and declare good things for their marriage. Sometimes, the program includes particular messages that you would like to give to the couple. Here are some things you can say in a wedding blessing:
- You can thank the bride, the groom, or both for their friendship with you, including any great memories you had with them. Then you can begin to bless them. Being friends for a long time with either person has given you the privilege of witnessing how life has unfolded for them. It can be special to share some of those moments and lead it to their marriage and blessing them. Of course, don’t forget about giving God all the glory and honor.
- You can share a Scripture passage from the Bible. Weddings can be a great opportunity for God and His Word to shine, because it is in these moments that, regardless of religion or belief, we can feel that God is love and that He is the Author of marriage and fellowships.
- You can say a personal prayer for the couple. Besides sharing parts of the Scripture, weddings are a great opportunity to pray and bless the couple, so take this as an opportunity to pray for the newlyweds.
- You can declare faith, hope and love to the couple in the name of Jesus. Another way that you can say a prayer is by speaking words of life to the couple. Proverbs 18:21 says that life and death is in the power of the tongue.
- You can even sing a wonderful song with a message of love, which will certainly bless them, if you are confident in your singing skills. It can be a unique way to express what you want to say, and will surely bless the couple with a memorable moment.
Many other things may come to your mind as you think about what to say to the happy couple at their wedding. Simply allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you and say what feels real and true in your heart.