It is a great privilege to be able to officiate a wedding of two young people who want to commit their lives to each other in a biblical marriage.
This article “Free Wedding Messages” is an example of a wedding message that simply explains a biblical wedding with several words of encouragement for the married couple.
Free Wedding Messages
A wedding message is like most other messages you present. It needs structure so that people can follow what you want to say to them.
This wedding message is structured in a way to explain the three parts of a biblical marriage and to encourage the married couple with six words of encouragement.
Example of Free Wedding Messages
Have you ever wondered why we have wedding ceremonies?
Have you ever wondered why we have wedding vows?
Have you ever wondered why newly wedded couples have a honeymoon?
Well, they are parts of God’s plan for marriage. From God’s perspective, marriage has three parts. Of course, these are found in Genesis 2:24.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined [or cleave] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
1. A Public Act
The FIRST PART of marriage is a public act – what we call the ceremony.
The ceremony is the place where husband and wife acknowledge that they are leaving one’s family with a view to establishing a new home.
The reason we have a ceremony is because it fulfils the public act. After this ceremony, James and Joanne will be establishing a new home together. And this new home is where James and Joanne Smith will live.
2. A Permanent Bond
The SECOND PART of marriage is a permanent bond – what we call the wedding vows.
The wedding vows acknowledge the permanent bond, which God calls the cleaving process. Cleaving suggests the idea of being bound inseparably together by a love commitment to a life-long relationship.
The reason we have the wedding vows is to establish the permanent bond. James and Joanne will promise to live together for life and of course that begins today.
3. A Physical Embrace
The THIRD PART of marriage is a physical embrace – referring to the honeymoon.
A physical embrace involves physical intimacy. This is why newly weds have a honeymoon.
So, from God’s perspective, marriage involves three parts – a public act, a permanent bond, and a physical embrace.
And that’s why we have marriage ceremonies, marriage vows, and the newly wedded couple have a honeymoon.
Six Words of Encouragement!
We all know that marriage is never easy.
When it comes to the public act and the physical embrace, we tend to get that right.
However, when it comes to the permanent bond, we often struggle.
Why?
First, it’s not easy to build a life-long relationship. It takes time and effort.
Second, relationships always have their difficult times and how we handle those difficult times determines the permanent bond.
In light of this, I want to share six words of encouragement with James and Joanne this afternoon that will inspire them in their permanent bond.
1. COMMITMENT
The first word of encouragement is commitment.
Sometimes we think that marriage is a 50/50 deal. If you think that, then your marriage has only a 50% change of surviving.
A successful marriage involves total commitment – a 100% commitment. James will need to give himself totally to Joanne and Joanne will need to give herself totally to James.
Total commitment allows the marriage to succeed in difficult times.
2. COMMUNICATION
The second word of encouragement is communication.
Nurturing an atmosphere where you can talk to each other is essential. It is so important to talk openly and honestly about your feelings and thoughts. Communication is not always about talking. Listening is a very important part of communication.
3. COMPASSION
The third word of encouragement is compassion.
Another word for compassion is forgiveness. I believe a compassionate person is a forgiving person. Don’t be so cold not to forgive. We all make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.
Someone said this about forgiveness, “When you stop bringing up their mistakes, you have forgiven them.”
I have counselled couples who had been married for many years. I often say to them, “what is the issue?” You know, they start bringing up hurts from their honeymoon. They had not learned to be compassionate…to be forgiving.
4. COMPANIONSHIP
The fourth word of encouragement is companionship.
Successful marriages are those marriages where husband and wife become best friends.
You’ve heard it said before: “my wife is my best friend or my husband is my best friend.”
5. CLOSENESS
The fifth word of encouragement is closeness.
Closeness is about romance. Yes, your wife is your best friend.
However, closeness is more than friendship. It involves romance and romance is something you will need to work on as the marriage grows or moves on.
6. CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS
The sixth word of encouragement is Christ-Centeredness.
Dr James Dobson said, “When a husband and wife are deeply committed to Jesus Christ, they enjoy enormous advantages over a family with no spiritual dimension.”
An abandoned wife said this, “My husband recently left me after fifteen years of marriage. We had a great physical, emotional, and intellectual relationship. But something was missing…we had no spiritual bond between us.”
It is only through a spiritual connection with Jesus Christ that we can experience genuine love and intimacy.
You see, the old saying of two’s company, three’s a crowd doesn’t count in a Christian home. A Christian home involves a husband, a wife, and Jesus Christ.
So, I want to encourage both James and Joanne to have a Christ-centred home.
What does a Christ-centred home look like? Let me sum it up in three brief statements:
- It is a place where Jesus is welcomed
- It is a place where Bible reading and prayer is nurtured
- It is a place where the Lord’s day is honoured
- Let me conclude by saying this to you James and Joanne
A Christ-centred home provides a shield against all the vices that can destroy a marriage relationship.
What are those six words of encouragement again?
- Commitment
- Communication
- Compassion
- Companionship
- Closeness
- Christ-centeredness
There are many ways you can write a wedding message. However, it is good to have some ideas to begin with in order to write a wedding message that has structure and flow.
Free Wedding Messages is compiled and written by Rev. D. Blackburn BA GDM