Wedding Wishes

Updated January 8, 2019
Bride and groom greeting guests

Finding the perfect wedding wish expression is important as a wedding guest. From the perfect words of congratulations to knowing what to write in the wedding card, expressing your sincere thoughts is a special part of the wedding day. Quotations on love and marriage provide a romantic way to get thinking about your message to the couple.

Personal Wishes From Guests

Before writing out a sentiment, think about the message to be conveyed; consider your relationship to the bride and groom. Wedding wishes can be something as simple as "never go to bed angry" to something as meaningful as a short story about growing in love as the years go by.

Short Examples

Quick tidbits of advice and well-wishes are great if you don't know the couple very well or don't have a lot of time/space for the message, like when writing a note for wedding well wishes. Brief options for what to say include:

  • Bride and wedding guest
    Never forget the way you looked at each other today, for that is the look of unconditional love.
  • When I look at the two of you together, I see a couple that was truly meant to be.
  • Always stay in the moment. Cherish each other and each minute you have together. Happiness and light will find their way to you.
  • Don't wait until your anniversary to celebrate! Instead, celebrate the love you share daily. The small moments make life grand!
  • A quick kiss on the cheek is an easy way to keep love alive all week! Remember your first kiss as husband and wife, and you'll both enjoy a wonderful life.
  • Your love is blossoming right before me/us and I/we look forward to watching it bloom through the years!
  • The best days are yet to come, but remember this was the first special one. We wish you happiness for every day that comes along!
  • Congratulations on the commitment you made. Your happiness, love, and dedication to one another are clear to us all!
  • Two hearts intertwined are stronger than one. We wish you a lifetime of unbreakable love that grows stronger daily.
  • The stars in your eyes are only dimmed by the love radiating from your hearts. May your love shine this bright forever!

Longer Messages

If you're close to the couple, you're going to want to personalize the message a little. Play up what you know about their personalities or relationship - or offer a little longer advice that you know they'll take to heart. Examples include:

  • 1 lifetime of love, 2 cups humor, 2 tablespoons forgiveness, 1 cup romance... Preheat your heart. Live in warmth and understanding and good fortune and miracles will rise. I wish you a lifetime of love and laughter.
  • A blind date brought you together. You spent years looking into each other's eyes. Look forward to tomorrow, gazing in the same direction, and happiness will be yours. Best wishes for a blissful marriage.
  • You're both beautiful inside and out. Here's to building a happy life. You've started here with a foundation of romance and love, friends and family. House yourselves in walls created from new memories, new experiences, and a lifetime of happiness together.
  • Wake up at the same time. Have your coffee together in the quiet, early hours. Watch the sunrise before work. Begin your union with little rituals that glue you together, and nothing can tear you apart. I wish you all the happiness in the world. Congratulations!
  • Be the lighthouse for one another in the storm of life. When things are good, you'll see your spouse as your shining beacon amongst the beauty of marriage. But, when things are stormy, do not turn towards the unknown sea. Instead, look for that glimmer of brightness in the dark. Sail the ship together and you will certainly dock stronger than ever. Congratulations on becoming each other's safe harbor. May you build a ship strong enough to conquer anything that comes your way!

Verses and Quotations

Communicating the right sentiment on a wedding day can be hard. Emotions may be running high for everyone, from the bride to the father of the groom to all the wedding guests who are invited to partake in the festivities. Having a favorite verse or expression regarding love or marriage can make expressing oneself easier whether on paper or in a video clip.

Quotes

Guests who aren't wordsmiths can use pre-written quotes to help convey their wishes to the couple.

  • Marriage isn't the beginning; it's the continuation of love.
  • Man and wife become a team, and with that union, their love picks up steam.
  • There is great power in two people investing in one another selflessly.

Poems and Verses

Bride filming bridesmaids

Bible verses or other verses from an appropriate book in the couple's faith are appropriate for religious couples. Love poems are also excellent choices for couples to look back upon over the years.

Use a brief love saying, like the following one, to help express your thoughts and advice for the couple:

  • Love may be patient, and it may be kind, but it's also the most beautiful thing in the universe.
  • When you find the person who feels like a blessing, cherish that gift of love.
  • Love is God's gift to us - your union is a celebration of God's gift.

Themed Quotations

People who know a wedding is themed, like a butterfly wedding theme, can even find wedding wishes tailored to match the theme. Other common wedding themes might be nautical, beach, garden, vintage, country, and fairy tale. You can find often find inspiration for common themes like these in books, movies, or songs.

  • For a nautical wedding: "Clear skies ahead as you set sail on your future together!"
  • For a beach wedding: "The waves dance and the sun warms the sand in honor of your love."
  • For a garden wedding: "Love is like a carefully cultivated garden; it's maintained intentionally."
  • For a vintage wedding: "Some things never go out of style - honoring, loving, and cherishing."
  • For a country wedding: "Once upon a time a country boy and a country girl fell in love. Then everything was better. The end."
  • For a fairy tale wedding: "Your love is like a fairy tale - just without the villains and musical numbers."

What to Write in a Wedding Guest Book

Keep your sentiments brief - the book has to fit words from all in attendance. Long-winded missives about your feelings surrounding the marriage are better delivered separately. If you're at a loss for what to write, try one of these:

  • Congratulations, you two! We're thrilled that you shared this important day with us.
  • A beautiful couple deserves a beautiful day. Happy Wedding Day!
  • What a pleasure it has been watching your love grow stronger every day.
  • We're here for the two of you today and every day in the future.
  • Congratulations on finding your happily ever after.

How to Say the Right Thing

Being congratulated

As long as you keep the tone and message pretty straightforward, it will be hard to say a wrong thing, but there are ways you can make your message more personal and heartfelt. Decide if you want to offer advice, say something romantic, or add a little humor into your wishes. Additionally, wedding guests who are writing out quotes should consider what they wished they had known at the start of their marriage.

If you're close to the bride and groom, you'll probably want to say something a little more personal than what all the extended family and casual acquaintances are saying in their guest book entries or on the recording. Even if you don't know the couple well, but you know a few things about them and you take time to observe them, you can say something memorable.

Tips to Avoid Saying the Wrong Thing

If you know the couple really well, you could be tempted to try to joke around or tease them about something that's somewhat of an inside joke or a story not everyone knows (or more importantly, one that not everyone should know). Plenty can go wrong when trying to pull this off.

  • If you're writing it down, remember that it may not have the same tone when read as the tone you're trying to convey in the message.
  • If you're being recorded, you could more easily get your tone across, but be sure you don't say something you shouldn't. It can never be taken back.
  • If you're the best man, don't joke about something the groom did prior to the wedding day--even if it was years before he met his bride-to-be--that could be hurtful to his new wife.
  • If you're being recorded during the reception and you've already had a glass of wine or two, your safest bet is to say something simple like, "I love you guys. You're the most perfect couple. You'll have a beautiful life together."

Remember, you can always send your funny message in a card later if you still feel it's appropriate.

Prepare Your Wedding Wishes Ahead of Time

No matter how wedding wishes are expressed, guests should be prepared to make a simple statement of goodwill towards the couple. Brides and grooms may find using sentiments a perfect addition to a program and create an area just for this purpose at the reception.

Trending on LoveToKnow
Wedding Wishes