Meaning & use
wedding night
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Meanings
nouncountable
The night right after a wedding, when the newly married pair are together for the first time as spouses.
Grammar: Usually preceded by 'the' or a possessive: on their wedding night.
Patterns
- on your wedding night
- the night of the wedding
They were so tired that on their wedding night they fell asleep before midnight.
The hotel left a bottle of champagne in the room for the couple's wedding night.
She still remembers the thunderstorm that raged on her wedding night.
nouncountable
The evening of the wedding day itself, including the celebration, regardless of where the couple sleeps.
Grammar: Used loosely for the evening of the wedding: the reception on the wedding night.
Patterns
- the wedding night party
Guests danced until dawn on the wedding night.
The band played their favorite song on the wedding night.
They spent their wedding night at a quiet inn near the church.
Word forms
| plural | wedding nights |
|---|
Common combinations
- on their wedding night
- On their wedding night they stayed in a small cabin by the lake.
- spend the wedding night
- They chose to spend the wedding night in the city.
- wedding night suite
- The hotel upgraded them to the wedding night suite.
- wedding night jitters
- He admitted to a few wedding night jitters.
- first night of marriage
- The wedding night is the first night of the marriage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nuptial night
- Nuptial night is a formal or literary phrase, while wedding night is the normal everyday expression.
- bridal night
- Bridal night is old-fashioned and puts the bride at the center, whereas wedding night is neutral.
- first night
- First night is vague and can refer to a play's opening or a holiday, so it needs context to mean wedding night.
Word family
Commonly confused: wedding night or honeymoon?
wedding night vs honeymoon
The honeymoon is the trip or period after the wedding, usually days or weeks, while the wedding night is just one night.
Practice
The newlyweds were exhausted, so on their ______ they simply ordered room service and went to sleep.
Choose one answer.
Their first night as a married couple is the wedding night. A honeymoon lasts longer, and an engagement and an anniversary are different occasions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wedding night”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.