Weddings are not just a celebration of the faithfulness and love between a newly-wedded husband and wife but are also a commemoration of God’s unconditional love and devotion for all of us. It takes a lot of preparations and budgeting to make someone’s dream wedding come true.
This wedding meal prayer is to thank God for the food, the people who helped, His guidance and blessing for the newlyweds, and to thank Him for the people who are present with them as they step into a new phase of their lives.
Wedding prayer before dinner
Our Gracious and Loving Father,
You’ve seen how my relationship with my loving partner grew into something beautiful and glorious. You’ve carefully watered the seeds of our love until it blossomed into a bond that not even the devil can break. Thank You for your faithfully and lovingly watching over us through the years.
Forgive us for the times we fell short of Your glory, and let doubt and unfaithfulness to You, Lord take hold of our hearts. Pardon us for the times when we chose to let our pride control us instead of resolving things together, for the times when we turned against You and prioritized worldly things over righteousness.
Thank You for all the blessings we see before us. We know how You’ve gathered our dearest ones and made this wedding and feast possible. From the first moment, through the trials and challenges we faced in our relationship, and even until now, You’ve stood by us and strengthened our bond. Now that our love has reached a new milestone and we have joined our paths together, I pray that You will never cease to be our guide and our light.
Thank You for the generous hearts and helpful hands who made this celebration a success. It wouldn’t have been possible without them, and we are beyond grateful for their contributions to our special day. Thank You for my family, friends, loved ones, and the people in charge of the food, decorations, program, maintenance, and cleaning afterward. We thank You for all their help and service. May You bless them generously as we all take part in this meal.
As we flip the page into a new chapter of our lives, bless our marriage with prosperity and happiness. When life’s obstacles come our way, may we find strength and comfort in each other as husband and wife. As we offer this wedding dinner prayer and partake in our bountiful feast, may You bless our marriage with as many blessings as we see today.
Amen.
Short wedding dinner prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for gathering everyone we love to join us as we celebrate our wedding day. As we partake in our wedding dinner, I pray that it won’t only be our stomachs that will be full but our hearts and souls as well. Thank You for Your unfailing grace that sustained our love. May our marriage be another adventure to glorify Your name. Amen.
The Word of God
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
1 Peter 4:10 NRSVUE
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17 NRSVUE
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Ephesians 5:25 NRSVUE
Intercessory prayer to Saint Priscilla
Blessed Saint Priscilla,
You and your husband Aquila have truly glorified the name of the Lord through your marriage. Together, you bravely went on missionary adventures, spreading the Gospel and strengthening His churches and ministries.
May you carry our praises of thanksgiving to the Lord, for His grace and goodness is the reason why we can celebrate this joyous occasion. He has strengthened my bond with my spouse and helped us get through the challenges we encountered in our relationship. He counseled us during our quarrels and connected us in times of separation. He sustained our love and grew it from a simple spark into a bright flame, igniting our souls with passion and wonder. Because of Him, we can stand here today as two hearts joined as one in Christ, and we are eternally grateful that He is the heavenly godfather of this beautiful relationship.
Bless those who generously lent their time and effort to be with us today. Thank You to those who bestowed gifts and those who lent their hands to help us plan and prepare this ceremony and feast. Their love and care have truly touched us in this stressful yet happy celebration of our love. May the good God watch over them and inspire them to continue spreading love and kindness into the world.
We pray that all our guests will be satisfied with the sumptuous meal that we have prepared for them. May this wedding dinner remind us of the abundance of blessings that God has showered on us. Let no food go to waste; may it feed the hungry, and may the drinks quench their thirst. May our wedding reception be filled with happiness and merrymaking.
Let this party be a meaningful celebration to remember, one that we will one day look back on with fondness. May our wedding photos tell of a gathering of people who joyfully celebrated God’s love and how it lasted through the years.
Saint Priscilla, pray for us. Amen.
Further reflection
Wedding receptions are more than just dinners and parties held in honor of the bride and groom. There are meanings in each wedding tradition, especially in Christian weddings. In some countries, each wedding dish that is served has a symbolic meaning that further adds to the beauty and sanctity of the matrimonial ceremony.
May we realize God’s presence in our marriage through this prayer before dinner. He is the Counselor who will guide and advise us when we encounter misunderstandings and quarrels in our relationship. He is the Protector of our marriage; He will shield it from the devil’s attempts at destruction and chaos. He is the Provider who will bless and sustain our partnership and family despite scarce resources. But, most of all, He is the Heavenly Father we can always run to when we no longer know what to do or how to solve our problems. In all things, praise Him, for all good things are made possible through His grace.
