PRAYERS FOR YOUR CELEBRATION
Prayers of the Faithful for a Catholic Wedding
Wedding intercessions place the couple’s new life together within the prayer of the whole Church. They can name the bride and groom, remember people who cannot be present, and pray for departed relatives without becoming a list of acknowledgements. These three sets use brief petitions and a familiar congregational response. Replace [Name] and [Name] with the couple’s names, then check any personal detail with them and the priest. The ordinary needs of the Church and the world remain part of each set. The parish should confirm how the intentions fit the form of the wedding celebration being used.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER
Prayers of the Faithful for a Catholic Wedding
PRIEST · INTRODUCTION
Trusting in the love of God our Father, let us pray for this couple and for the needs of all his people.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who proclaim the Gospel, that the Holy Spirit may give them courage, wisdom, and gentleness in their service.
We pray to the Lord.
For those responsible for public life, that God may strengthen their efforts to secure food, shelter, and safety for all.
We pray to the Lord.
For those who feel forgotten, especially the housebound and lonely, that God may comfort them through the presence of others.
We pray to the Lord.
For [Name] and [Name], joined in marriage today, that God may strengthen their love and bless their life together.
We pray to the Lord.
For those who have gone before us in faith, that the risen Lord may bring them to the fullness of life.
We pray to the Lord.
For the families and friends gathered here, that the Lord may strengthen their love and bless those unable to join us.
We pray to the Lord.
PRIEST · CONCLUDING PRAYER
Loving Father, hear the prayers of your people. Bless this couple and sustain us all in your faithful love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Click or tap any prayer text to edit. Your changes stay on this device.
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.
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.
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.
