A bridegroom is a man on his wedding day or just after getting married. The word combines bride (the woman getting married) and groom (an old word for a young man or servant). While we usually just say groom today, bridegroom is the traditional, formal term you'll find in wedding ceremonies, literature, and official documents.

At a wedding, the bridegroom typically wears special formal clothing, stands at the altar waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle, and exchanges vows and rings. He might be nervous, excited, or both!

In older stories and fairy tales, you'll often see the full word bridegroom used: “The bridegroom arrived at the castle to marry the princess.” The word sounds formal and ceremonial because weddings themselves are formal, ceremonial occasions. Once the wedding day passes, people usually just call him the husband rather than continuing to use bridegroom.

The shortened form groom is much more common in everyday conversation. Someone might ask, “Where's the groom?” at a wedding reception, or say “The groom gave a funny speech.” Both words mean the same thing, but bridegroom carries a more traditional, storybook feeling.