It’s celebration season, and I’m sure your calendar is packed with upcoming engagement parties, weddings, and anniversaries to remember. Recently, my grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary (incredible, right?!), and soon the entire family will be gathering to celebrate such a monumental occasion. With all these sweet celebrations, finding the right words to celebrate the happy couple can be challenging. Your mind can go blank as you stare at the blank card! Perhaps all we need is a little inspiration to get our creative words flowing.
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1. Write the Couple a Blessing
As the blissful couple starts their new lives together and establishes their home as one, perhaps offer the following message and verse to bless their start:
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Brown,
We are so honored to watch the two of you join together as one. God has His hand on each of you as you entrust each other with your heart and with your lives. Two becoming one is a Divine miracle, and we are honored to watch you commit your lives to one another. We pray that as you move in together and set up your new house, that you will always consider Christ. Ephesians 3:17 says,
“May Christ make His home in your heart through faith.”
We pray His blessings over your sweet union and that you will always remember a house is made a home with Christ as the foundation!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Yurii Yarema
2. Pass on a Piece of Advice
When you are writing to a newly engaged couple, think of a helpful piece of advice you were given or, perhaps, wish you had known before you got married:
“Dear Jacob and Anna,
Congratulations on your recent engagement! What a wonderful couple you both make, and we are confident God has brought you together in His perfect timing. We look forward to celebrating you both! As you start to plan the details of your wedding day, I want to encourage you with a piece of advice that was given to us when we were newly engaged. My pastor said, “Remember you are planning a marriage, not just a day.” Of course, your wedding day will be beautiful, but it will be just that—a day. Take your engagement as a sacred time to invest in building a beautiful marriage. We are here for you and praying diligently for you both!”
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3. Share a Recipe
One unique idea to include with your celebratory card is a favorite recipe you could share with the newlyweds, and perhaps include a gift card for take-out for the night they do not feel like wearing a chef’s hat:
“Congratulations, Lauren and Josh! We are so honored to be a part of your precious wedding day! We pray that God gives you abundant joy and peace in this new chapter. I remember being a young newlywed and, well, only knowing how to cook eggs and ramen noodles. Hopefully, your skills in the kitchen are better than mine were, but just in case you need a fail-proof recipe, I am including my famous baked ziti recipe I use when we have guests over. This recipe is always a winner and can easily be doubled for leftovers throughout the week! And for the nights, you cannot muster the energy to cook, give each other grace, and order. We are including a gift card for just that occasion. Congrats and cheers!”
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4. Include a Verse with a Personal Connection
Do you remember the wedding verse you shared at your wedding ceremony or a Scripture that has encouraged you and your spouse? Including a meaningful passage from the Bible is a great way to encourage the newlyweds:
“Dear Tyler and Ashley,
When we stood on our wedding day before God, each other, and all of our loved ones, I remember our pastor reading Ephesians 3:20,
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
We had chosen this passage as our key verse for the ceremony, and now, years later, I can attest that God’s power working in and through us has given us more than we could ever ask or imagine. As you both submit to God and one another, remember that when you yield your spirit to Him, blessings flow. When you work together and are sensitive to God’s presence among the two of you, God will bless you beyond imagination! Please know that we are cheering and rooting you on!”
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5. Write a Prayer for the Couple
As Christians, we know that there is power in prayer. In your card, write a note of congratulations and best wishes, as well as a prayer and Bible verse for the couple to receive:
“Lord, I pray over Sarah and Ben. Be their center and be their glue. I pray You would protect their marriage and establish their steps as they start this new season together. When they are frustrated, send your peace. When they are happy, remind them of Your goodness. Be the source of their joy and bless their union. Surround this dear couple with a goldy community and give them their heart's desires. Encircle Sarah and Ben with a hedge of protection and safeguard their love for you and one another. In the name of Jesus, amen!”
"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:2-3
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6. Share Your Favorite Routine
Think about a few of your favorite habits, routines, or intentional dates you have with your spouse and give a peek into your own marriage with the happy couple:
“Congratulations, Matthew and Rachel! God is so good in bringing you both together, and we rejoice in His goodness. As you establish your newlywed bliss and build your daily lives together, I want to share three routines Michael and I have on a regular basis.
1. We Go to church Together Every Sunday.
We want our lives to be aligned with God, His word, and His community. Going to church has been a strong foundation for our lives together as we have built our family. Psalm 92:13 says,
“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish.”
2. We Make Date Night a Priority Once a Month
We always prioritize having a date night at least once a month, more if we can. Dating your spouse—pursuing one another—keeps the relationship roots strong and growing.
3. We Do a Monthly Check-in.
During this check-in, we talk about money, what we have on the calendar, who we may want to have over and offer hospitality to, and how we can help one another in the weeks to come. As we start each month, being on the same page strengthens our marriage and family as a unit. Stay intentional with each other, and God will bless every ounce of energy and effort you put into your marriage!”
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7. Include a Favorite Verse and Quote
“To the Martens,
We are delighted to celebrate your love and devotion to one another. We want to share with you a Scripture and a quote that has been a part of our own marriage. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says,
"Do everything in love."
As you put the dishes up, do it in love. As you cook for one another, cook with love. As you fight, do it in love—because you’re on the same team! Finally, Charles Dickens once wrote,
“A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
Remember, God is love and the source of all love. When you operate in His love and love for one another, you will walk in wisdom and understanding. Hold each other in absolute and utter love!
The next time you pull out a card to wish a couple well, think and pray about how it could bless them and their journey into marriage. Draw from your own wisdom and insight, and think outside of the…envelope! Recipes, Scriptures, quotes, and funny stories from your past are always a special treat to the recipient. Most of all, speak from your heart and let your words reflect Proverbs 16:24,
“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nadtochiy
Originally published Wednesday, 19 June 2024.