Diocese of Scranton — wedding liturgy planning guide ↗
See page 3 for how the Universal Prayer and Nuptial Blessing fit a wedding with or without Mass.
PRAYERS FOR YOUR CELEBRATION
Catholic Wedding Universal Prayer
Choose a complete wedding prayer below, then replace [Name] with the couple’s names. Each set includes the Church, the world, people in need, the couple, and loved ones. Edit any line, copy it, or download a PDF.
A saved draft is available on this device.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER
Catholic Wedding Universal Prayer — Classic
PRIEST · INTRODUCTION
Dear friends, as [Name] and [Name] begin married life, let us pray for them and for the whole human family.
ALL RESPOND
Lord, hear our prayer.
01
For the Church, that married couples may find in her a home of faith and faithful support.
We pray to the Lord.
02
For leaders of nations, that they may protect families and work for peace.
We pray to the Lord.
03
For spouses facing illness, separation, or loss, that compassionate neighbors may stand beside them.
We pray to the Lord.
04
For [Name] and [Name], that patience, forgiveness, and shared prayer may strengthen their promises.
We pray to the Lord.
05
For relatives and friends who have died, that God may welcome them into eternal peace.
We pray to the Lord.
06
For everyone gathered here, that we may support this marriage with friendship and honest care.
We pray to the Lord.
PRIEST · CONCLUDING PRAYER
God of faithful love, hear the prayers we offer on this joyful day. Keep [Name] and [Name] close to you and teach us to care for one another. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Click or tap any prayer text to edit. Your changes stay on this device.
Preparing a wedding without Mass? Use the intentions below as a draft and choose Lector under Download options for a PDF with just the petitions and responses. Do not use the separate concluding prayer in the complete sheet: in that form of the U.S. wedding rite, the Nuptial Blessing takes its place. Ask your parish for the presider’s final text and order of service.
Who reads the Prayers of the Faithful at a wedding?
At a wedding Mass, the priest introduces and concludes the Universal Prayer. GIRM 71 allows the intentions to be announced by a deacon, cantor, reader or another member of the lay faithful. The wedding couple should agree on the reader with the parish; a relative or friend is not automatically assigned the role.
Give the chosen reader the final approved text before the rehearsal. Confirm names, where to stand, when to approach and the congregation's response. The reader announces the petitions, not the priest's introduction or concluding prayer.
If the wedding is celebrated outside Mass, follow the order and ministerial roles provided by the parish for that form of the celebration.
For engaged couples preparing for marriage
A petition for engaged couples should use future-facing language. Before the wedding, do not describe a couple as already joined in marriage. At their wedding Mass, use the principal couple intention from the complete set above.
For a parish Mass remembering engaged couples, replace one community intention with this example. It is an intercession, not a substitute for a rite of blessing or marriage preparation.
Replacement community intention — use instead of an existing intention, not in addition: For engaged couples preparing for marriage, that God may deepen their trust, guide their preparations, and bless their future together.
For a wedding involving military families
A wedding involving military service still centers on the couple's marriage within the prayer of the Church. Keep the main couple petition and adapt one family or community intention if service-related separation is a real need.
Do not publish deployment locations or private operational details. Remember those unable to attend without turning the prayer into a roll call of acknowledgements.
Replacement community intention — use instead of an existing intention, not in addition: For this couple's family and friends serving far from home, that God may protect them and sustain their bonds of love.
Reference resources
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Preparing these prayers.
Are these suitable for a Nuptial Mass?
Yes. These original examples are intended for Catholic wedding intercessions, including a Nuptial Mass. Give the finished set to the priest so it can be used within the celebration he is preparing.
What changes if our wedding is celebrated without Mass?
Adapt the petitions, then choose Lector under Download options to print only the petitions and responses. Do not use the separate concluding prayer in the complete sheet. The Nuptial Blessing takes its place in the U.S. Order for Celebrating Matrimony, and your parish should supply the presider’s ritual text.
How many wedding intentions should we choose?
Choose one complete set of six. Universal Prayers uses five to seven short intentions as an editorial guideline; GIRM 69–71 does not set a fixed number.
Can we remember relatives who have died?
Yes. A brief petition can name departed loved ones or remember them together. Pray for their eternal rest without turning the intention into a tribute or assuming that a particular person is already in heaven.
