Wedding Bible Verses

Wedding Bible verses are a very important part of the Christian wedding ceremony. Some couples leave the choice of Bible verses read at their wedding up to the minister. I believe the happy couple should choose Bible verses that are meaningful to them, not to the minister. My husband and I chose for our pastor to read I Corinthians 13:4-8:  ^"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails..."(NIV)

If every married couple would read this passage written by the Apostle Paul each day, there would be very few divorces. It is important to apply God's Word to our daily lives and this is the perfect passage of Scripture to help husbands and wives think about how they should treat each other.

I Corinthians 13 is also known as "the love chapter." This chapter or portions of it may be the most popular reading for Christian weddings, but there are many other verses that work well at weddings.

Bible verses for weddings should help and encourage the bride and groom to build a strong marriage relationship. This is illustrated in Colossians 3:12-17:

^"12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (NIV)

The above verses, also written by Paul, are another example of how husbands and wives should treat each other. He continues with a few more verses sometimes read at weddings with Colossians 3:18-19. I will give you a moment to grab your Bible and look them up.

Paul lived his life close to God. God used him to pen many helpful New Testament Bible verses. Another good one for weddings is Ephesians 5:22-33. Take a look at these verses in your Bible. They compare the love that Jesus Christ showed for his followers, the Church, to the love that a husband should have for his wife. This is the kind of love that is sacrificial and meaningful, the kind of love that every wife longs for from her husband.

Going back to the Old Testament, the most popular wedding Bible verses are from the first book of the Bible and pertain to Adam and Eve. The verses are Genesis 2:20-24:

"²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, '
for she was taken out of man."

²⁴ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (NIV)

Some couples choose this verse from the story of Adam and Eve. Others choose these verses quoted by Jesus in the New Testament found in Matthew 19:4-6. I think it is a beautiful idea to incorporate verses from the first bride and groom with Jesus' words.

Ruth 1:16-17 is another good passage for a husband and wife to live by. Although it was originally said by Ruth to her mother-in-law, it is a beautiful attitude and commitment for a man and a woman to make to each other on their wedding day.

By incorporating God's Word into your wedding ceremony, you are inviting God to be a part of your marriage and your new life as a couple. You are also letting all of your wedding guests know that God is an important part of your lives. This can be a great witness to friends and relatives who are not Christians.

Sit down together as a couple and discuss what wedding Bible verses you would like in your ceremony. You can choose more than one passage. You can also choose a song based on verses from the Bible as your special music.

The pastor can read the Scripture, or close friends or family members can be given the privilege of standing up and reading them during the wedding.

The verses quoted in this article are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible.

For a list of additional Bible verses for weddings, see the link below.