Are you having a traditional Native American Wedding? This is going to be a special moment for you and your partner, as well as for all of your friends and family that are present. You will look back on this moment for many years to come and you want to ensure that your wedding is perfect. In other words, this means a lot of preparation ahead of time so that the day can run smoothly.
When you are planning the ceremony, you will be thinking about the Native American wedding blessing. This is an important moment that has a lot of significance. It can honor your tribe and indigenous ancestry. Indeed, there are many tribes out there, which means that they are different blessings you can choose from. But they all pay tribute to nature, the moon and sun.
If you are struggling to find a blessing that you like, we are going to explain more about them and give you 10 Native American Wedding Blessing samples for inspiration.
What is a Wedding Blessing?
First of all, it is important to understand what a wedding blessing is. After all, not everybody has one. A wedding blessing is something that happens during a ceremony and it can be an amazing way to make your special day extra special and memorable. It can be a symbolic part of your wedding that celebrates the marriage to your partner. It is an opportunity to say something special about your love and have a moment with your partner, as well as your friends and family. In particular, there are different Native American wedding blessings that you can use to make your wedding unique.
Apache Wedding Blessing
The Apache tribe is found in the southwestern United States. Here is a sample from a popular Apache wedding blessing:
- ‘Now you feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the
Journey ahead and through all of the years.’
Here are other Apache blessings that you may wish to include in your wedding:
- ‘May the sun bring you energy by day
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the breeze glow new strength into your being
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty
All the days of your life.’
- ‘May happiness be your companion.,
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead
And through all the years to come
Go this day to your dwelling place and enter into your days together,
May your days be good and long upon the earth.
Your adventure as just begun!
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If you are looking for samples of a Cherokee prayer, we have one that would be perfect to end the ceremony. Here is a sample of some of it:
- ‘God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as we pledge
Our hearts and lives together.
We honor mother-earth – and ask for our marriage to
Be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons’
If you have Cherokee ancestry and wish to try speaking the language, check out this sample:
- ‘Ga lu lo hi gi ni du da
Sky our grandfather
Nu da wa gi ni li si
Moon our grandmother
E lo hi gi ne tse
Earth our mother
Ga li e li ga
I am thankful
Si gi ni gé yu
We love each other
O sa li he li ga
We are grateful’
Here is another Cherokee blessing, which may be nice to have at a wedding:
- ‘May the warm winds of heaven
Flow softly upon your house.
May the great spirit
Bless all you enter there.
May your mocassins
Make happy tracks in many snows,
And may the rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.’
Navajo Wedding Blessing
Located in the southwestern United States are the Navajos. There are a large number of tribal members, with the Navajo Nation being the largest tribe in the country. Namely, the tribe is found in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. When it comes to wedding ceremonies, a Navajo ceremony is going to be very spiritual. This means that if you are looking for a Navajo wedding blessing, this is going to be very special. In particular, most Navajo weddings will open with a prayer, which you may want to do.
Here are some samples of Navajo Wedding Blessings:
- ‘As I Walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with beauty.’
- ‘Now you have lit a fire and that fire should not go out,
The two of you have a fire that represents love,
Understanding and a philosophy of life,
It will give you heat, food, warmth and happiness
The new fire represents a new beginning –
A new life and a new family.
The fire should keep burning; you should stay together,
You have lit the fire for life, until old age separates you.
Shoshone Wedding Blessing
There are different bands of the Shoshoni tribe, ranging from Idaho and Nevada to Montana and Wyoming. There are some wonderful blessings you can include in your wedding.
- ‘Fair is the white star of twilight, and the sky clearer
At the day’s end, but she is fairer, and she is dearer
She, my heart’s friend.
Fair is the white star of twilight, and the moon roving
To the sky’s end; but she is fairer, better worth loving
She, my heart’s friend.’
- ‘Our father you have all
Blessings and power.
Bless us this day and over us at all times.
Bless mother earth
Our animals our water
Bless everything you have created
Amen.’
Mackenzie
Mackenzie is a freelance writer with over ten years of experience writing on all things weddings. She received her BA in English from the University of California in Los Angeles. When she’s not writing about weddings, Mackenzie enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 kids (twin boys) exploring the beautiful California countryside. While in nature, she captures picturesque images of mountain lakes, the beach, and more. Mackenzie is also a pet parent to two Siamese cats. She appreciates their individuality and the fact they pretty independent. But they love to snuggle at the end of day, which is one of the things Mackenzie enjoys in the evenings to relax after a busy day at work.
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