In any traditional or heterosexual wedding, the male participant or the man about to get married is referred to as the groom, or more formally, the bridegroom.

The term bridegroom originates from the combination of bride and the archaic word guma man, based from the Indogermanic term for earth, ghmúri. The evolution of these archaic words brought us the Latin word humanus, which translates to man and groom in English.

The Groom’s Partner

The groom’s female counterpart or partner is called the bride. In same-gender weddings, if two males are to be married, they can both be called grooms. After the wedding ceremony, the groom becomes known as the husband of his spouse.

Wedding Attire

In Western customs, the bridegroom is expected to wear formal or semi-formal attire, usually a dark suit or tuxedo. In other countries, however, grooms traditionally don the country’s national costume.

Practices and Tradition

In the Western setting, the groom is attended by his groomsmen and his best man. The groomsmen and the best man all act together to make sure that the groom is happy and that the wedding ceremony runs smoothly.

The groom awaits the arrival of his bride

The groom kissing his beloved bride

The groom tosses the garter to his groomsmen

As a sign of gratitude, the groom presents the groomsmen and his best man with gifts, aptly called groomsmen gifts. These gifts are presented as the groom’s thank you for the emotional and sometimes financial support of the groomsmen. The groom may also present gifts to his father, the bride’s father and the ring bearer after the ceremony or during the reception.

At the end of the wedding, usually during the reception, the groom takes off the bride’s garter and tosses it over his shoulder to a waiting crowd of male guests. This is similar to how the bride tosses her bouquet. The male guest who catches the garter is believed to be the next guy to tie the knot.

Check out the groom toss the garter on the video below.