Wedding congratulations when groom is dying?

[negunslean]

I have a work colleague who has married quickly due to the likelihood of her groom passing away within months. I am struggling with the words to write to her and would love any ideas 🙏🏻

Instead of "congratulations", how about something along the lines of "Celebrating your love"?

I get that it is sensitive, but I don't think it should be
much different in terms of congratulating her, provided you avoid things like "wishing you many years of happiness". This is still her wedding and she is marrying the man she loves, so I would go with something like "Congratulations on your marriage, wishing you a wonderful day celebrating your love for one another." If you're not going then something like "can't wait to see the photos of the happy couple" would work too as I'm sure she will treasure them and want to show them off.

I would have thought congratulations would be fine, she won’t want to look back at cards where people are anything but happy for them.

Avoid anything that talks about a long life ahead together but nothing wrong with congratulations. She probably just wants to feel normal for 5 minutes

Wishing you every happiness on your special day.

Paliminoo's wording sounds perfect.

Palominoo, sorry.

That's sad. I think you can send them good wishes for their married life - as you would for any couple.

Something like:
Congratulations to you both on your wedding day. May your married life together be filled with love, laughs and happiness.

I agree with PPs, I'd send a "congratulations on your wonderful special day" card. It is a special day even if it's bittersweet.

I've often seen mothers on here who had very premature or ill babies whose lives hung in the balance say how much it hurt them not to receive "congratulations on your baby" cards and wishes and how much it meant when people did give them and I think the same principle applies here. She is having a life event which deserves to be unequivocally celebrated and marked.

Having been in this position myself I would agree with the majority of the posters.
Avoid anything wishing them a happy marriage, go with congratulations on your special day, or celebrating your love for each other etc.

Wishing you happiness on your wedding day? Avoid any reference to a long life together (so blank card is best!) As you know the situation, acknowledge it verbally as she may appreciate you being aware of the bittersweet nature of the wedding

I married my husband 4 months after we were told he had terminal cancer. We'd lived together for 5 years previously.
He died 5 months after the wedding. That was 11 years ago.
I kept all of our wedding cards and am so glad I did.
It didn't matter what the printed words said, it was the love and best wishes that meant so much. Same with the sympathy cards, just knowing I was in peoples thoughts gave me great comfort.

Thank you all so much for your help and 💐 for those who have been in this bittersweet position.

Might i suggest getting a card from funky pigeon or moon pig? You might struggle to get just the right words in clintons pre written but you can say what you want to say this way. I was in a not too dissimilar situation and it did make it a lot easier!

"May your married life together be filled with love, laughs and happiness."

Please do not write that.
Hopefully there will be laughter and happiness but I would find it galling to read a gushy line like that if I was expecting illness, hospitals, pain and heartbreak.