What is a Mother of the Bride blessing for her daughter as she prepares to marry? How can a mom bless and encourage her daughter as she prepares to be a wife? What does this kind of blessing look like in our day?
For centuries it has been tradition to bless your children. One of the greatest joys is seeing the Lord answer the prayers you have said for your children that spans decades.
Last year my daughter married, at the age of 33, it had been a long wait! It was not without its ups and downs, but through every step the Lord was preparing her.
It is hard to express how thankful we were to see her finally find a man who was perfect for her, who fit into our family and who had a family who loved her too.
As her bridal shower approached, she asked that we not give her household items since they were combining two houses. That changed my plans, because I was not sure what to give her, then the Lord told me, write and give her a blessing. The following is the blessing I spoke to her. You are welcome to use it, edit it for your daughter, or use it to bless other brides.
Tabitha,
As my daughter, you have heard much marriage advice. You have watched me as a wife, in both my successes and my failures and you have learned from both.
Tonight, I want to talk about mentors, both modern and ancient. As you grew up, we encouraged you to find godly mentors and you did.
Now as you enter a new chapter of your life, I encourage you to continue the practice of finding mentors, but now as a wife.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, having another godly woman mentor you as a wife is priceless. Tonight, a woman who has been a mentor to me is here with us.
She taught me, corrected me, and encouraged me over the years and to this day. Thank you Teresa, I am still learning from you.
Tabitha, I pray God will bless you with mentors throughout your life, these will be your modern mentors.
Now let’s talk about some ancient mentors.
Eve, wife of Adam. Could you imagine being married to a perfect man? Not much is recorded about Eve, but we know she sinned, repented, and God forgave her, and covered her sin which is symbolized in her clothing.
May the Lord bless you to be like Eve, who sinned, repented and was forgiven, and walked with the Lord for all the days He gave her. May you also take your place in history, as the Lord has chosen you to be a wife, for such a time as this.
Sarah, wife of Abraham, (the father of our faith). Sarah followed Abraham from Ur, to Haran, to Canaan, to Egypt, and back to Canaan. Abraham was famous for his hospitality and Sarah provided a home for Abraham regardless of where they were or who they had for dinner. Sarah shared more than a home with Abraham, she shared his faith and trust in God.
May the Lord bless you to be like Sarah, who made their tent a home regardless of where it was located. And may you and Matt grow in your faith and trust of God with each passing year.
Rebekah, wife of Isaac, who accepted a marriage proposal, groom unseen. You will remember the story, of Isaac convincing the king not to kill him, because Rebekah was only his “sister”. Which she may not have been keen on doing.
Then the king saw them alone, sporting in the garden (translated laughing and caressing). So the king determined they were not siblings but spouses! Keep in mind, they were not newlyweds, but had been married for over 100 years at this point.
May the Lord bless you to be like Rebekah, to trust Matt, even when you may not be keen on the idea because you trust God to bring good out of even a bad choice made my Matt.
May the Lord also bless you to be like Rebekah, who kept her marriage fresh, fun, and alive, regardless of how long you have been married.
Leah, first wife of Jacob, who was placed in a marriage not of her or Jacob’s choosing. Life will test every marriage. After the death of Rachel, the favorite, Leah won the love of Jacob. At the end of his life, Jacob chose to be buried next to Leah, not Rachel. You have visited their grave in Hebron.
May the Lord bless you to be like Leah, and cultivate a love so deep that it will easily span the decades to come.
Jocabed, wife of Amran, mother of Moses. When the darkness pressed this couple to make life and death decision, they prayed and trusted God with a future they could not see.
May the Lord bless you to be like Jocabed, who prayed, trusted, and left the results to God.
Mary, wife of Joseph, and mother of our Lord, who listened to Joseph, when he awoke her in the middle of the night and announced they were moving! Mary had learned to listen to her husband, for her own safety. Like Joseph, husbands are here to protect us. As a wife, if Matt ever says, “I don’t think you should do that”, it is wise to listen.
May the Lord bless you to be like Mary, who listened to Joseph. Matt has your best interest at heart, so follow his guidance.
Finally, Claudia, wife of Pilot. She was a woman who loved God and her husband. Like Joseph (son of Jacob) before, this time the wife had the warning dream. She warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus’ death. Sometimes God will warn you first.
May the Lord bless you to be like Claudia, who spoke up to protect her husband. Take time to watch, pray and fast when necessary for Matt and the decisions he has to make on a regular basis. Speak up when you need to, it might mean the difference between his life and death.
May the Lord bless you as you marry and begin your journey into marriage. May you be the wife Matt needs and have a marriage others see as worthy of imitating.
I love you, and I can hardly wait to see you start this next chapter in your life!
You are going to be an amazing wife!
Mom
That is the Mother of the Bride blessing I gave my daughter. For all those soon to be brides, I hope it will encourage you as you begin your journey. For those of us who are married, let it encourage us to continue to be the best wives we can be to our husbands!
Have you given a Mother of the Bride blessing? If so, I would love to have a copy!
If you would like to read more, you might like What Rebekah Can Teach Us About Marriage or The Importance of Baby Dedications.
