The newlyweds’ first opportunity to introduce themselves to their friends and relatives as a married couple will be during the wedding reception.
After a beautiful ceremony, it’s a great time to say a prayer of grace before the party can really begin!
The prayers for grace on this list are some of the most effective ones you can use during a wedding reception.
Additionally, we’ll teach you how to craft a prayer that perfectly complements the atmosphere of the wedding.
1. Song Of Solomon 8: 6-7
Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its passion as enduring as the grave.
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.
2. Thank You, Creator
Thank you, Creator, for bringing (name) and (name) together in such a happy way. We ask the Universe to bless this couple and their future together.
May happiness and joy be a hallmark of their relationship.
As they explore their love for each other, establish a home, and build a life together, may they be strengthened by the love and encouragement of those gathered here today.
If times get hard, may they remember the commitment they made today and the joy that brought them together.
Help them to learn from one another and grow strong as both individuals and a couple.
May the food we eat now bring strength to us, and may we all enjoy this time of celebration and friendship. Amen.
3. Prayer Of Blessing
Lord our Sun and Shield, we thank You for shining over our celebration today. Thank You for the wonderful occasion of this marriage that has brought us all together.
Bless this dear couple and their future together. May all of us be a support to them as they begin their life together.
And now, as we prepare to enjoy this reception, bless our time together. May we enjoy sweet fellowship and fun with our loved ones. Amen.
4. Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
5. Prayer Of Support
Glorious Lord, we are all touched by the deep love of this couple for one another and for You. As we prepare to celebrate their wedding reception, we each pledge our support to this couple.
As they begin their walk together through life, may each of us be there for them, in love and encouragement, and in practical ways to help them in whatever way they need.
We thank You for the blessing of family and friends. Amen.
6. To Love Is Not To Possess – James Kavanaugh
To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one’s self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
To walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one’s self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another–and to one’s inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide In the moon’s own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child’s scars
Or an adult’s deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are–and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.
7. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
8. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
9. Marriage Prayer For The Bride And Groom – Dr. Louis H. Evans
O God of love, Thou has established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind. Thine was the plan, and only with Thee can we work it out with joy.
Bless this husband. Bless him as provider of nourishment and raiment, and sustain him in all the exactions and pressures of his battle for bread.
May his strength be her protection, his character be her boast and her pride, and may he so live that she will find in him the haven for which the heart of woman truly longs.
Bless this loving wife. Giver her tenderness that will make her great, a deep sense of understanding, and a great faith in Thee.
Give her that inner beauty of soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast the things that never age.
Teach them that marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two uniting and joining hands to serve Thee.
Give them great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the other things shall be added unto them.
May they never take each other’s love for granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this world, you have chosen me.”
When life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other.
May they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, until at last one shall lay the other into the arms of God.
This we ask through Jesus Christ, great Lover of our souls.
10. Romans 12: 9-18
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
11. Prayer Of Enduring Love
Father Almighty, bless this precious couple who exchanged their vows and rings today. Make them prosperous in all their ways, but especially in their enduring love for one another.
Bless each person who traveled here to witness the wedding and is now joining us for this reception.
Bless all of those who have planned this reception and prepared the decorations, refreshments, and entertainment.
May our celebration reflect the light and love You shower over us all. Amen.
12. An Uncommon Love – Terah Cox
May you have the love
only two can know
May you go where only
two as one may go
May the sun rise and set
in your bonded hearts
and the moon never find you
too long apart
May you cherish each other’s
dreams as your own
and turn stumbling blocks
into stepping stones
May you brave life’s mountains
and miles together
May there be no storm
your love cannot weather
May you always be lovers
and allies and friends
May your souls’ conversations
never end
May you capture on Earth
what’s in Heaven above
May your hearts know the rapture
of an uncommon love.
13. Ephesians 5: 25-31
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
14. Bless Our Wonderful Meal
Lord God, Creator of the universe, we have gathered here around this dinner table to celebrate the love and commitment that have united (name) and (name), in a wonderful bond of marriage.
Bless our wonderful meal, and bless the happy couple for a wonderful life together.
Writing Your Own Reception Prayer
The couple decides who will say the grace prayer during the wedding reception.
The officiant is usually the one who leads the prayer, although the couple is also free to select a close relative, such as a parent or a friend who is in the wedding party.
It is an honor to be asked to lead prayer during the wedding reception since it shows the couple has faith in you.
As a result, the person offering the prayer ought to have real, heartfelt wishes for the newlyweds.
Prayers for grace are essentially a method to wish the newlyweds a happy and blessed marriage during the wedding reception.
Even the most experienced speakers find it challenging to write a dinner prayer. Remember that the meal prayer, unlike wedding speeches, is condensed and centered on the newlywed couple’s beliefs.
In your prayer, you should include elements like asking God to bless the couple in their union, blessing the friends, family, and guests at the wedding, and giving thanks to God for the food that everyone will enjoy.
When writing your prayer, feel free to take inspiration from anywhere that speaks to you, such as poems, quotes, bible verses, or literature.
Consider writing the prayer a week or two before the wedding. Ask close friends and family to listen to you rehearse, read the prayer, and offer helpful feedback if you’re feeling particularly anxious.
If you have trouble remembering the prayer you have composed, use prompt cards with an overview of the main message.
Related post: Ideas For The Perfect Wedding Send Off And Exit
Final Thoughts
It can be difficult to choose or write the prayer that you think will best thank God for the blessings he’s given on this special day.
With this guide, you can take inspiration from the prayers listed and perfectly convey your gratitude at the wedding reception.
