Personalized groomsmen gifts are a great way to let him know that you're thinking of him on his special day. Not only can you add some modern inspiration to a time-honored traditional gift, but you can make sure that he receives a gift like no other he has ever received before, or ever will again. We have carefully selected a number of ideas that make perfect personalized gifts for the groom.
The word 'bridegroom' can be traced back all the way to 1604. It stems from the Old English word brȳdguma, in which brȳd means bride, and guma means either man, human being or hero. Over time the term 'bridegroom' has been shortened to simply 'groom', which is now the most common term used for a man who has either recently been married or will be married soon.
A groom is often accompanied by groomsmen and a best man. In British English a groomsman was knows as an usher, whereas in the United States, attending to the groom (the role of a groomsman) is separate to that of the role of escorting people to their seats and these two positions are usually filled by different people. This has become more and more common outside of America, with groomsmen and ushers no longer being synonymous. The 'best man' tradition is believed to have originated in the 16th century, with Germanic Goths. He was the 'best man' for the job, and the job was stealing the bride from her disapproving family.
Beyond the actual wedding procession, the exchanging of vows, the first dance and the general 'showing-up-time' that is often joked about, the groom doesn't have a great deal of responsibilities during the wedding day. Historically, in Anglo-American weddings, he would be responsible for giving a speech after the reception. He would compliment his bride, thank everyone for coming and giving specific thanks to the wedding party. Often this speech would feature what is referred to as a 'roast-toast'. This would involve the groom making jokes at his own expense, or at the expense of a member of the groom's party. The groom's speech would usually be followed by that of the best man. It has been known that the groom was responsible for the honeymoon arrangements, but more often than not this is now a joint aspect of the planning.
Multiple things will influence what the groom wears on his wedding day. This can be anything from the time and location of the wedding, to his ethnic backgrounds, the type of wedding ceremony and whether or not he is in the Forces. The British tradition for a wedding is that all of the males within the wedding party, as well as males within the close family, would wear morning suits. This would consist of a morning coat, trousers and waistcoat. In the United States of America, a dark colored suit would be worn for a wedding that took part in the day, and a tuxedo if it were to be an evening affair. Scottish grooms would wear full Highland dress, which includes a kilt. A groom in the Forces would wear military uniform at his wedding.
Minister Maria Miller of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced, on 10th December 2013, that as of 29th March 2014 same-sex marriage ceremonies would start to take place in England and Wales. From 13th March 2014, those who were already part of a civil partnership were allowed to be converted into same-sex marriages. Scotland joined shortly afterwards, with their first same-sex marriages taking place on 31st December 2014. Currently same-sex marriage still remains unrecognized in Northern Ireland and are still recognized as civil partnerships.
There are some distinctions between same-sex marriages and those between a man and a woman, most notably in the divorce proceedings. Adultery can only involve sexual conduct with a member of the opposite sex, although this is technically the same ruling in opposite-sex marriages too. non-consummation is not grounds for annulment of a same-sex marriage, whereas it is in opposite-sex marriages.
So, in the modern age, your groom probably won't have had you kidnapped, is presumably not going to demand to be known as bride-man or bride-hero and will very likely help out with more of the wedding arrangements than simply preparing a speech and saying, 'I do'. Compared to our historical counterparts, we've a lot to be thankful for, and personalized groom gifts are a great way to share this sentiment, whether you're a bride, or another groom.
