Catholic Wedding Readings
The Catholic Church approves a set of scripture readings for the Rite of Marriage. Below are all 40 options organized by the four liturgical slots: pick one First Reading, one Psalm, one Second Reading (optional), and one Gospel.
Speaks of marriagemarks the readings that speak explicitly of Marriage. At least one of your four choices must be one of these, and it can come from any of the four slots.
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Old Testament Readings
9 approved first readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, reflecting God's design for marriage as a covenant of love.
- Genesis 1:26-28, 31aSpeaks of marriageMale and female he created them
- Genesis 2:18-24Speaks of marriageThe two of them become one body
- Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67Speaks of marriageIsaac loved Rebekah
- Tobit 7:6-14Speaks of marriageThe merciful God will give you all good success
- Tobit 8:4b-8Speaks of marriageAllow us to live together to a happy old age
- Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31Speaks of marriageThe woman who fears the Lord is to be praised
- Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7aStern as death is love
- Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16Speaks of marriageLike the sun rising is the beauty of a good wife
- Jeremiah 31:31-32a, 33-34aI will make a new covenant
Responsorial Psalms
7 psalms approved for the Catholic wedding liturgy: songs of trust, gratitude, and praise.
- Psalm 33:12, 18, 20-21, 22The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
- Psalm 34:2-9Taste and see the goodness of the Lord
- Psalm 103:1-2, 8, 13, 17-18aThe Lord is kind and merciful
- Psalm 112:1-9Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands
- Psalm 128:1-5Speaks of marriageBlessed are those who fear the Lord
- Psalm 145:8-10, 15, 17-18The Lord is compassionate toward all his works
- Psalm 148:1-4, 9-14Let all praise the name of the Lord
New Testament Readings
14 approved second readings from the letters of Paul, Peter, and John and the Book of Revelation, on love, unity, and the sacramental meaning of marriage.
- Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39What will separate us from the love of Christ?
- Romans 12:1-2, 9-18Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice
- Romans 15:1b-3a, 5-7, 13Accept one another as Christ accepted you
- 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
- 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8aIf I do not have love, I am nothing
- Ephesians 4:1-6One body, one Lord, one faith, one baptism
- Ephesians 5:2a, 21-33Speaks of marriageThis is a great mystery - Christ and the Church
- Philippians 4:4-9The God of peace will be with you
- Colossians 3:12-17Over all these put on love
- Hebrews 13:1-4a, 5-6bLet marriage be held in honor by all
- 1 Peter 3:1-9Speaks of marriageBe of one mind, loving toward one another
- 1 John 3:18-24Let us love in deed and truth
- 1 John 4:7-12God is love
- Revelation 19:1, 5-9aBlessed are those called to the wedding feast of the Lamb
Gospel Readings
10 approved Gospel readings for a Catholic wedding Mass.
- Matthew 5:1-12aThe Beatitudes
- Matthew 5:13-16You are the light of the world
- Matthew 7:21, 24-29A house built on rock
- Matthew 19:3-6Speaks of marriageWhat God has joined together
- Matthew 22:35-40The greatest commandment
- Mark 10:6-9Speaks of marriageThey are no longer two but one flesh
- John 2:1-11Speaks of marriageThe wedding feast at Cana
- John 15:9-12Remain in my love
- John 15:12-16Love one another as I have loved you
- John 17:20-26That they may be one
Browse by theme
Not sure where to start? Each theme page gathers the readings that speak to a particular aspect of married life.
- CovenantCatholic wedding readings on marriage as a covenant: God's original gift in creation, sealed in the indissoluble bond of husband and wife.
- Love That EnduresWedding readings on the kind of love that outlasts every test, drawn from the Song of Songs, Paul's letters, and the farewell discourses of Jesus.
- Christ and the ChurchWedding readings on marriage as an icon of Christ's love for his Church: the deepest sacramental theology of Catholic marriage.
- Fruitfulness and FamilyWedding readings on the gift of children, the blessing of a fruitful household, and marriage as the foundation of family life.
- Wisdom for MarriageWedding readings drawn from the Bible's wisdom tradition: practical, household-focused, the texture of married life lived well.
- Mercy and ForgivenessWedding readings on the mercy at the heart of married love: forgiving as you have been forgiven, choosing tenderness day by day.
- ProvidenceWedding readings on the unmistakable fingerprints of God in bringing two people to the altar.
- Sacrificial LoveWedding readings on love as costly self-gift: the standard set by Christ, lived out in daily married life.
- CompanionshipWedding readings on the deepest answer to human loneliness: the gift of a partner to walk beside through every season.
- The Wedding FeastWedding readings drawing on the imagery of the wedding feast: Cana, the marriage feast of the Lamb, the eternal banquet of the kingdom.
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