By Kirsten Palladino

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. As an LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming wedding professional, it's important to educate your clients on all the options as well as not limit their choices to just bride or groom. 

Below is a nonexhaustive list of wedding title choices for anyone getting married, whether they're gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, heterosexual, male, female, nonbinary or any other identity. Incorporate the option to select all of these in your contracts, information contact boxes on your website, client onboarding processes or other info-gathering procedures, in addition to asking them their pronouns. Knowing how your clients want to be addressed throughout the wedding-planning process will equip you with the knowledge to treat them with the respect they deserve and showcase your LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming values.

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.

Their name

Simple, right? No one belongs in a box.

Have more wedding titles to add? Share in the comments! 

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