Updated July 4, 2023

Historically, people who are getting married have had to choose between two wedding titles: bride or groom. However, not everyone feels comfortable with those options. Well, guess what? You don’t have to call yourself a bride or a groom if neither feels authentic to you.

Below is a nonexhaustive list of wedding title choices for anyone getting married, whether you’re queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, heterosexual, asexual, intersex, agender, male, female, nonbinary, straight or any other identity.

All gender identities, all sexual orientations and all wedding titles are valid. You are valid.

Bride

a person getting married, tends to be used more by feminine-leaning people

Broom

a combination of bride and groom or a shortened version of bridegroom

Bridegroom

defined as a man to be married, but can be redefined for masculine-leaning women, genderqueer and nonbinary individuals

Gride

a combination of groom and bride

Groom

a person getting married, tends to be used more by masculine-leaning people

Marrier

a gender-neutral term for a person getting married (*this isn’t the original meaning of the word but I’ve been using it this way since starting Equally Wed in 2010, and it’s really caught on!)

Partner

This title demonstrates equality in every way.

Your name

Simple, right? No one belongs in a box. The Equally Wed heart is a trademark of Palladino Publishing, LLC.

Photographer: Peterson Design & Photography (selected from our feature Black and gold Hollywood wedding at The Ebell of Los Angeles)