Have you ever been stumped for words when you are attending a wedding and it’s your desire (or your turn) to write a marriage greeting on the wedding card?
Maybe the groom is a friend of yours and you need to write a marriage greeting to him that is heartfelt, not just the “Good Luck, You’re Going to Need It” variety.
Or have you had to write a marriage greeting for a toast to a newly married couple at their wedding reception?
In each of these scenarios, the challenge is to write encouraging words that can be treasured and remembered with fondness, not trying to be cute or sarcastic.
(You can adapt the eight rules for writing lasting love notes and letters to your friends’ marriage.)
Who knows how long a person will keep and reread your comments, now that the words are in writing?
1. Writing a Marriage Greeting in a Wedding Card
The first situation deals with a wedding card and writing a marriage greeting in it.
This is probably the easiest since there are very many wedding cards that contain professionally written, emotionally appropriate verses.
There are only two things you have to do.
The first is to pick out a card that matches the personality of the couple and the circumstances of the wedding.
The second is to write a few words like, “Wishing you many years of happiness and love” or “May your marriage be a shelter in rough seas and a sturdy ship to sail through life.” Just make sure that your words are positive and appropriate.
Now, if you decide to use a blank marriage card with no verse inside, then you may need to write several sentences that convey a personal wish for happiness.
Consider this note:
| John and Sharon,During the past two years, I’ve watched you grow and fall in love. I’ve been so happy to see the shine in your eyes when you look at each other and the smiles you have when you hold hands. May all of your tomorrows as a married couple shine with happiness and may good fortune smile on you as you hold the future in your hands. Love, Bill and Mary |
Your marriage greeting is based on personal experience, personal feelings and contains a wish for future happiness.
A marriage greeting like this one will be kept, re-read and treasured.
2. Writing to Your Best Buddy, the Groom
What if your best buddy is the groom and, now that the bachelor party is over, you want to share some heartfelt words.
Let’s use the same note and modify it so that you write only to John:
| John,During the past two years, I’ve watched you grow and fall in love with Sharon. I’ve been so happy to see the shine in your eyes when you look at each other and the smiles you have when you hold hands. May all of your tomorrows as a married couple shine with happiness and may good fortune smile on you and Sharon as you hold the future in your hands. Love to my buddy and his new wife, Bill |
In this example, you’re writing directly to John and indirectly to Sharon.
Believe me, John will share this note with Sharon and both of them will love and respect you.
2. Writing a Marriage Greeting as a Toast at the Wedding Reception
Let’s look at the third situation for what to write for a marriage greeting, a toast at the reception.
A toast at a wedding reception can take many forms, from sharing slightly embarrassing moments or memories to wishes of everlasting love, to roasts.
The best guideline is to use uplifting language that contains some humor, perhaps poking humor at yourself in relation to the couple, and has a related desire for the newly married couple.
Let’s take one last spin of the same note and make it into a toast:
| Dear John and Sharon,Well, can you really believe that this is your wedding day? Here we are at your reception and I’ll bet you thought it would never come. I remember our wedding reception where we were so busy visiting with friends, the string quartet’s time was up and was going to leave. We didn’t even have our dance. We had to pay them for an extra hour just to get in our dance for the photographer. During the past two years, I’ve watched you two grow and fall in love with each other. I’ve been so happy to see the shine in your eyes when you look at each other and the smiles you have when you hold hands. These have been special times to witness this. What’s even better is that I can witness more to come. May all of your tomorrows as a married couple shine with happiness and may good fortune smile on you and Sharon as you hold the future in your hands. Love to my buddy and his new wife, Bill |
Notice that Bill recalls a humorous event from his wedding reception and then connects with the couple.
Since this marriage greeting is delivered vocally, how you say it is important since that will be remembered.
Use these examples to craft a marriage greeting that will be remembered and treasured.
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