How can parents bless their children at a wedding?

Mom is the most important person in the life of every bride.
The girl she remembers as a very small girl is on the threshold of a new life. Therefore, the most important and most sincere on this day are congratulations and words of blessing from the mother of the bride. The origin story of the blessing. A blessing is a kind of permission to do something. Even in Rus', any significant event began with the words of blessing from the parents. A blessing is a “good word”, an approval of an action.

The ritual was performed with the icon.

Parting words to the bride before the wedding ceremony

Traditionally, this happens before the wedding itself in the parental home. Before going to the Wedding Palace, the father and mother of the bride address their two children - their daughter and her groom - with parting words and wishes.

What to tell your daughter

Before the groom arrives, mom and dad can bless their daughter separately.

General “words of encouragement”

So you have grown up, daughter, and are about to fly away from the family nest. May your choice be correct, and may your family be friendly and strong. Respect your future husband, because now he is your support and protector, love him with all your heart. Daughter, we wish you a happy life in goodness and prosperity, healthy children who will delight both you and your husband, and your dad and me.

Words from the mother of the bride

Daughter, I am happy that you have found your path in life. She will now be associated with (name of the groom). While raising you, I tried to give you as much as possible - knowledge, feelings, teach you everything that a real woman should be able to do. Therefore, I am sure that this guy is a worthy person. Be happy in this marriage. May bright love always accompany you two, and may there never be discord in your family. Be, daughter, the happiest and most beloved woman in the whole world!

Wishes from father to daughter

Daughter! You are my only child and you know how much your mother and I love you. We are very worried about you now, and we will always be worried. It’s hard for me to give you to someone else’s house, but I believe in you and your choice. Therefore, I will try to accept your future husband as my own son. Be a faithful and kind wife to him. May there always be peace and mutual understanding in your new family. And the worries of creating this kind atmosphere of warmth and tranquility fall on your fragile shoulders. Be strong and patient, know that love can overcome all life's adversities. May your new family be happy!

Blessing of the bride and groom

After the ransom ceremony, which is traditionally carried out after the groom comes to pick up the bride at the parental home, her parents and the newlyweds retire and then say words of blessing.

Our dear children! We bless you for creating your family. May she be prosperous and happy. Take care of the tenderness that you have. Live for each other in the name of goodness and your love. Be happy together!
Dear (names of the young people), our dear children! We want to say our final words of encouragement before you become husband and wife. We wish you to create a strong family, for the joy of everyone - happiness for you and joy for the people! Let harmony and love always accompany you on the path of life, and in times of adversity, become support and support for each other. Be always happy!
Children! (Names of newlyweds)! Today a new path begins for you - a common one. May it lead you to a world full of love and tenderness, family happiness and all-consuming goodness! Let the light of loving eyes help you overcome all difficulties, and let the warmth of hearts beating together and merging into one warm you in any bad weather. Love each other, appreciate the feelings you have now. Then the new family will be so happy that it’s just a sight for sore eyes. Blessings!
Advice and love to you, children! Today you are starting your family. You, daughter, on this day also give us a son. His happiness is now as important to us as yours, because it will be common to both of you. Divide your love between two, thereby increasing it and elevating it. Let each of you appreciate the other, help in everything, understand and accept him. We wish to preserve the blessed fire that lit your hearts. It will help on the difficult path of family life, making it brighter and easier. Happiness and prosperity, joy and peace to your family!

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What icons do parents use to bless newlyweds at a wedding?

Since ancient times, the guardians of the family hearth have been two saints: the Mother of God and Christ the Savior. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is the most revered face of the Mother of God. The image of the saint not only protects the family hearth from troubles and misfortunes, but also has healing properties. The saint is especially favorable to women. People pray to her image to conceive and give birth to a healthy child, so mothers choose this icon to bless their daughters before marriage. The ritual is performed in a secluded place, away from human eyes.

The groom receives his parental blessing from
the icon of the “Savior of the Almighty” (“Savior”).
On it Christ is depicted with the Gospel opened and his hand raised for blessing. The face of the Almighty should be in every family home. He protects, guides and supports. Today it is customary for newlyweds to be blessed with one or both icons. The shops sell special blessed pairs of saints or a folding booklet.

You can perform a blessing ritual with any other icon that has been kept in the family for several generations.

Parting words to the groom before the ransom from his father and mother

The parents of the groom, as well as the bride, say words of blessing and parting words several times . The very first time this happens is when young people announce their intention to start a family - on the day of their engagement. And right before the wedding - even before the son leaves the house to go after his future wife.

Religious

Just as faith is strong and indestructible, and mead is sweet, in the same way let the family of (the son’s name) with (the name of his bride) be indestructible by any adversity, strong in faith in each other, sweet in their love. Let them be inseparable, starting right from this day and this minute - only together, so that not a moment apart from each other! Amen.

Parting words

Son! We wish you to create a happy, strong family. Take care of your future wife, love her devotedly. May your relationship be built on honesty, mutual understanding and the love that is shining now in your eyes. Be happy!
Beloved son! We bless you for creating your family. May God protect her from all misfortunes, from storms and evil. Be faithful, love your wife. Protect her with a strong shoulder from the difficulties of this world, let her receive help from you in all matters. May there be harmony and love, devotion and faith between you for happiness for yourself and joy for other people. Peace, peace and endless happiness to you!
(Groom's name), son! All earthly blessings and peace to you! Let your home be a full cup and let love and mutual understanding always reign there. Having harmony in the family helps preserve love for a long, long life. We wish you healthy and strong children, so that they grow up and make you and your wife happy and help you. We wish that the sun shines brightly for your family and that the clouds do not roll into the sky. May God protect you and everything that is dear to you, and you, in turn, respect and take care of your wife. Be always happy!

In the next video you will find two examples of blessings from the parents of the bride and groom before the wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9Xhe0oQ9KU

Blessing in the Orthodox tradition

Orthodox Christians bless the newlyweds on the day of the wedding ceremony with holy images:

In the form of the Virgin Mary, a young woman;
Image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for newlyweds.

There may be other images, for example, patron saints. However, images of the Mother of God and the Wonderworker are in great demand precisely for the blessing of nuns. Of all the icons of the Mother of God, the Kazan Icon is most often chosen.

According to ancient traditions, the bride is blessed twice - during the engagement and before the wedding ceremony. The bride's parents first met the groom and then gave their consent to the marriage. The symbol of agreement was an embroidered towel and a loaf of bread. And before the wedding ceremony, the icons were blessed.

Where is the parents' blessing ceremony held? According to tradition, the young couple is first blessed in the groom's house and only then taken to the registry office. These are the last hours and minutes of the girl in her father's nest, a very exciting time for everyone. A mother's words of blessing before her daughter's wedding is a very sacred moment that only happens once in a lifetime.

Which image should be used for the blessing ritual? Usually this is the image of the Kazan Mother of God. It’s good if the icon is family, old. However, if you don't have one at home, you can buy a new one from the church. Our Lady of Kazan is traditionally considered the patroness of family relationships.

The mother baptizes her daughter three times with the icon, and then the girl kisses the holy face. That's all. However, there are some nuances: the icon cannot be held with bare hands. The icon is supported by hands with the help of a towel: it is considered a bad omen if the icon is held without a towel.

Then the icon was passed on to the young people and became a family heirloom. Icons that were used to bless young people become powerful amulets of family good luck. These are family heirlooms that should be carefully preserved and then passed on to your children. These icons are wrapped in embroidered fleece and stored in a secluded corner, like the most expensive jewelry.

Why were the wedding icons hidden? After all, if they are stolen from the house, then a powerful wedding spell can be cast on them. Village witches hunted for such items at the request of fellow villagers who wanted to harm the young couple.

Parting words from the bride's father and mother at the celebration itself

If all the previous speeches of the parents made before the wedding were relatively short, then after the marriage the parents can allow a few more words and wishes .

It is highly undesirable for parents at a wedding to read the text with the words of blessing “from a piece of paper” - it must be remembered.

From father

Dear daughter, dear son! We lived with (name of the bride's mother), my wife, for many happy years. There was harmony and harmony in our family. We raised a wonderful daughter who always tried to help us and pleased us with our successes. And now you, daughter, have become an adult and found a man who has become your husband. You will have a new family, a separate one. But know that your mom and I will always support you if you need help. At the same time, I am sure that (name of the groom), your husband, will be able to cope with any problems. He is a strong and worthy person. We are happy that now we also have a wonderful son. Children, be happy with each other, give love and joy, and give your mother and me grandchildren. May you live happily ever after!
Dear (names of the newlyweds), children! Today you begin building a beautiful structure - your family. My wife and I, having lived in harmony (the time that the bride's parents have been married) for years, know that it is not always easy. Therefore, it is a little sad that you, daughter, no longer fully belong to our family, that you need to go your own way. Whatever it is, I am sure that your husband will be able to support and understand you in everything. He's a good guy, we're glad we can call him our son. Build your life like a beautiful, bright and warm home, in which there is a place of love, joy and children, which is full of peace and tranquility. Having invested your soul in building your family, you will definitely be rewarded with happiness and prosperity. Joy and all the best to you!

From mother

My beloved daughter and (name of the groom), my new son! Don’t look that I’m crying - it’s out of joy for you, my dear children. Your family was born today. Let this day be just the first of an endless number of happy days warmed by your love. Live together, enjoy every minute, try never to leave each other for more than a few hours. Face all adversities together, then they will turn into nothing. And happiness divided by two will increase tenfold. And most importantly, love and honor each other!

General information

In many religions there is a wedding blessing, but it appeared in Orthodoxy. The bride and groom asked their parents for permission to become a family. Sometimes they did not receive it and married secretly. But this was considered a sin and was highly condemned. Even a priest could refuse a wedding if the couple did not have a blessing from their parents. Of course, in the modern world, young people make such decisions themselves, but many still listen to their parents’ words and receive the blessings of the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents.

Important tips for preparing a blessing from the mother of the bride:

The entire main speech will be addressed to the daughter, but the groom must also be mentioned, because they are becoming a couple.
You need to say not only congratulations, but also words of encouragement.
It is better to try to avoid overly sentimental words, because tears will lead to running makeup, which is unacceptable for the bride.
If you feel unsure, try rehearsing in front of a mirror. You can do the same thing with a joint congratulation with the bride’s father.
While saying the words of blessing, they can be shared with the groom's mother if everyone is on good terms. The same applies to the ritual of removing the veil at the end of the evening.
Parents are given the floor at least twice, this is the meeting of the newlyweds with a loaf of bread and the banquet itself. In addition to the loaf of bread, many people meet the newlyweds with an icon before the registry office or in a restaurant they give a blessing with an icon after the registry office.
Avoid blessing verses. They can easily be forgotten and confused, let all the blessing be in prose. Poems are best saved for toast. Be calm and confident. No papers, just words from yourself. Even if you forget something, you can improvise, because these are words to your beloved daughter.
Excitement will always be present, but try not to show it. Avoid awkward situations and words, especially those that put the bride in an awkward position in front of the guests.

On a note. Words of blessing from the bride's mother are very important and the most personal words can be said when left alone with your daughter.

Parting words to the son and “new” daughter from the groom’s father and mother

At the holiday itself, the groom's parents also give their blessing; here it is more like a parting wish.

From mother

Dear children! Today means a lot to all of us. I thought I was losing my son, but in fact I had found a wonderful daughter. Now my family has grown, this is also happiness. I bless you, live in harmony and appreciate each other. Let ringing laughter always be heard in your home, and let the smiles of two loving people give light. I wish you healthy children, to the delight of grandparents, to help mom and dad. Cherish the love!

From father

My dear son and (name of the bride), his wife. Thank you! Today has made me much richer - now I have a daughter. Son, look at this girl who has become your wife. She's beautiful. You must be worthy of her, be a protector and support. Love each other, children, keep your feelings for life. Then your life will be bright and clear, full of bright moments and quiet joy. You and your mother have our blessing, and the main thing is that you have each other.

How and to whom to pray

Not only parents, but also the bride and groom should pray before the wedding. In the Orthodox Church there are several types of prayer for a wedding blessing. Classification is carried out according to the subject of circulation:

Jesus Christ;
The Most Holy Theotokos (there are several icons of the Mother of God that young people and their parents can turn to - Kazan, Feodorovskaya, Unfading Flower, Vladimir, Iverskaya, Quick to Hear);
Simon the Zealot , one of the 12 apostles, at whose wedding in Cana in Galilee the Lord showed his first miracle, turning water into wine;
Princes Peter and Fevronia of Murom , who are the patrons of Christian marriage;
Saints Joachim and Anna - the parents of the Mother of God, who lived for many years in marriage before the Mother of God was born to them;
Nicholas the Wonderworker - this saint helps in many life situations;
Matrona of Moscow - the blessed old woman is considered the patroness of families.

Little tips

You should purchase several towels for the image and loaf. Each icon is held with a separate towel. Each loaf, and there may be several of them, should have its own holiday towel.
Before kissing the icon, the mother or father baptizes the young people with it three times, while making the sign from top to bottom, note, from left to right, so that the young people receive the Orthodox sign of the cross, from right to left.
The entire church wedding ceremony must be previously discussed with the clergyman, so that everyone present at the wedding and holding the icon knows what and how to do.

Attention! In the old days, without parental permission and blessing, a priest did not have the right to perform a wedding ceremony. Disobedient children who entered into an unmarried marriage without parental blessing were deprived of inheritance and acceptance in society.

A prayer request before the Creator with holy images has great power, because in this case a piece of the family happiness of the parents is inherited by the children, by blessing whom the father and mother ask for the intercession of the Almighty God.