Text of the Opening Prayer for a Catholic wedding

Following is the text of the four options for the Opening Prayer that is said during a Catholic wedding. To see where the Opening Prayer is said during a Catholic wedding ceremony, check the order of a Catholic wedding ceremony during Mass or the order of a Catholic wedding ceremony outside Mass.

Excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Marriage are copyright © 1969, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Individuals who wish to reproduce text from the Rite of Marriage for their own use (including reproduction in wedding programs) must follow the ICEL copyright permission procedures, which may be found at www.icelweb.org.

Opening Prayer

Option 1

Father,
you have made the bond of marriage
a holy mystery,
a symbol of Christ’s love for his Church.
Hear our prayers for [Name] and [Name].
With faith in you and in each other
they pledge their love today.
May their lives always bear witness
to the reality of that love.

We ask you this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Option 2

Father,
hear our prayers for [Name] and [Name],
who today are united in marriage before your altar.
Give them your blessing,
and strengthen their love for each other.

We ask you this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Option 3

Almighty God,
hear our prayers for [Name] and [Name],
who have come here today
to be united in the sacrament of marriage.
Increase their faith in you and in each other,
and through them bless your Church
(with Christian children).

We ask you this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Option 4

Father,
when you created mankind
you willed that man and wife should be one.
Bind [Name] and [Name]
in the loving union of marriage;
and make their love fruitful
so that they may be living witnesses
to your divine love in the world.

We ask you this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Order of a Catholic wedding ceremony during Mass: A step-by-step walk through the complete order of the Catholic wedding Mass.

Order of a Catholic wedding ceremony outside Mass: A step-by-step walk through the complete order of a Catholic wedding outside of Mass.

Order of a wedding between a Catholic and an unbaptized person: A step-by-step walk through the complete order of a wedding between a Catholic and someone who has not been baptized as a Christian.

Choosing the form of your wedding: As you begin planning your wedding, one of the first things you will discuss with the priest or deacon at your parish is which form of the Rite of Marriage you will use during your wedding. Here are the three basic options.

Other websites

The Order of Mass: Basic Texts for the Roman Catholic Eucharist: at Catholic-Resources.org. A more complete presentation of the Order of Mass, including most prayers and responses.