Talking about marriage can be fun and interesting. People often use special phrases called idioms when they talk about getting married, being married, or even having problems in marriage. These phrases do not mean exactly what the words say. Instead, they help us picture what someone means in a fun way.
For example, instead of saying “They got married,” someone might say “They tied the knot.” This makes it sound more exciting and colorful. In this article, you will learn many idioms about marriage. They will help you understand what people mean and make your own talking or writing more fun too.
Idioms for Marriage
1. Tie the knot
Meaning: To get married
Give an Instance: My cousin tied the knot last summer. / They finally tied the knot after dating for years.
Substitute Meaning: Get hitched / Say “I do”
2. Walk down the aisle
Meaning: To get married in a wedding ceremony
Give an Instance: She walked down the aisle in a white dress. / He watched his bride walk down the aisle with happy tears.
Substitute Meaning: Have a wedding / Get married
3. Match made in heaven
Meaning: Two people who are perfect for each other
Give an Instance: Grandma and Grandpa are a match made in heaven. / They get along so well, it’s like a match made in heaven.
Substitute Meaning: Perfect couple / Meant for each other
4. Pop the question
Meaning: To ask someone to marry you
Give an Instance: Uncle Joe popped the question during dinner. / He popped the question at the beach.
Substitute Meaning: Propose marriage / Ask to get married
5. Get hitched
Meaning: To get married
Give an Instance: They got hitched last weekend. / My aunt and uncle got hitched in Las Vegas.
Substitute Meaning: Tie the knot / Get married
6. Take the plunge
Meaning: To decide to get married
Give an Instance: After many years, they took the plunge. / She was nervous but took the plunge and got married.
Substitute Meaning: Go for it / Decide to marry
7. Go down on one knee
Meaning: To propose marriage
Give an Instance: He went down on one knee with a ring. / She said yes when he went down on one knee.
Substitute Meaning: Ask to marry / Propose
8. Hitched for life
Meaning: Married forever
Give an Instance: My grandparents are hitched for life. / They promised to be hitched for life.
Substitute Meaning: Together forever / Long marriage
9. Ball and chain
Meaning: A humorous way to talk about a husband or wife
Give an Instance: He jokes that his wife is the ball and chain. / She calls her husband the ball and chain for fun.
Substitute Meaning: Spouse / Marriage partner (joking)
10. Say “I do”
Meaning: To agree to marry someone during the ceremony
Give an Instance: They smiled as they said “I do.” / She waited for him to say “I do.”
Substitute Meaning: Agree to marry / Say yes in a wedding
11. Joined at the hip
Meaning: Always together
Give an Instance: They’re joined at the hip since getting married. / My neighbors are always together, like joined at the hip.
Substitute Meaning: Always with each other / Very close
12. Tie the knot again
Meaning: Renew marriage vows
Give an Instance: My parents tied the knot again on their 25th anniversary. / They tied the knot again in Hawaii.
Substitute Meaning: Renew vows / Get married again
13. Stormy marriage
Meaning: A marriage with many fights or problems
Give an Instance: Their stormy marriage was in the news. / Sometimes, stormy marriages need help.
Substitute Meaning: Rocky relationship / Not getting along
14. Love at first sight
Meaning: Falling in love right away
Give an Instance: They say it was love at first sight. / My aunt knew it was love at first sight.
Substitute Meaning: Instant love / Fell for each other fast
15. Marry into money
Meaning: To marry a rich person
Give an Instance: She married into money and moved to a big house. / He married into money and quit his job.
Substitute Meaning: Marry a rich person / Gain wealth by marriage
16. Wedding bells
Meaning: A sign or talk of a wedding
Give an Instance: I hear wedding bells for them! / Everyone’s talking about wedding bells since they got engaged.
Substitute Meaning: Getting married soon / Talk of a wedding
17. Old ball and chain
Meaning: A joking name for a husband or wife
Give an Instance: He laughs and calls his wife the old ball and chain. / She says her husband is her ball and chain.
Substitute Meaning: Spouse (funny) / Married partner
18. Marry young
Meaning: Get married at a young age
Give an Instance: They married young, right after high school. / My grandparents married young too.
Substitute Meaning: Early marriage / Young couple
19. Tie the knot quietly
Meaning: Get married without a big event
Give an Instance: They tied the knot quietly at city hall. / My cousin tied the knot quietly in another state.
Substitute Meaning: Small wedding / Secret wedding
20. On the rocks
Meaning: A marriage with problems
Give an Instance: Their marriage is on the rocks. / Some couples fix things when their marriage is on the rocks.
Substitute Meaning: Trouble in marriage / Not going well
21. Grow old together
Meaning: Stay married for a long time
Give an Instance: They hope to grow old together. / My great-grandparents grew old together.
Substitute Meaning: Stay married forever / Long life together
22. Happy ever after
Meaning: A perfect ending in marriage
Give an Instance: They lived happily ever after like in a fairy tale. / She wants a happy ever after.
Substitute Meaning: Happy ending / Perfect marriage
23. Cold feet
Meaning: Getting nervous before getting married
Give an Instance: He had cold feet before the wedding. / She got cold feet but still went through with it.
Substitute Meaning: Nervous about marriage / Scared to commit
24. In wedded bliss
Meaning: Very happy after marriage
Give an Instance: They are in wedded bliss on their honeymoon. / I saw them in wedded bliss at the party.
Substitute Meaning: Very happy marriage / Joyful time together
25. Say your vows
Meaning: Speak the promises during the wedding
Give an Instance: They said their vows in front of family. / She wrote her own vows.
Substitute Meaning: Wedding promises / Ceremony words
26. Just married
Meaning: Recently got married
Give an Instance: Their car had a “Just Married” sign. / The couple looked happy and just married.
Substitute Meaning: Newlyweds / Married today
27. Wedding jitters
Meaning: Feeling nervous before a wedding
Give an Instance: She had wedding jitters before walking down the aisle. / His hands shook from the wedding jitters.
Substitute Meaning: Nervous feelings / Pre-wedding worry
28. Join hands in marriage
Meaning: Get married and become one
Give an Instance: They joined hands in marriage under the tree. / They joined hands in marriage last fall.
Substitute Meaning: Become a married couple / Say vows
29. Make it official
Meaning: To get legally married
Give an Instance: They made it official at the courthouse. / We made it official with a small wedding.
Substitute Meaning: Legal marriage / Formal wedding
30. Start a new chapter
Meaning: Begin life as a married couple
Give an Instance: After the wedding, they started a new chapter. / Marriage is a new chapter for them.
Substitute Meaning: New life together / Fresh beginning
31. Hitched in a hurry
Meaning: Got married quickly
Give an Instance: They got hitched in a hurry after deciding last week. / He told us they got hitched in a hurry in Vegas.
Substitute Meaning: Quick marriage / Sudden wedding
32. Call off the wedding
Meaning: Cancel the wedding
Give an Instance: They called off the wedding last minute. / The wedding was called off due to a fight.
Substitute Meaning: Cancel marriage / Postpone wedding
33. Wear the pants
Meaning: Be in charge in the marriage
Give an Instance: He says she wears the pants in their marriage. / In their house, she wears the pants.
Substitute Meaning: Leader of the house / Makes the decisions
34. Lovebirds
Meaning: A couple who loves each other a lot
Give an Instance: The lovebirds couldn’t stop holding hands. / They’re real lovebirds since high school.
Substitute Meaning: In love couple / Sweethearts
35. Married with children
Meaning: A couple who has kids
Give an Instance: They’re married with children now. / She said they’re happily married with children.
Substitute Meaning: Family with kids / Couple with a family
36. Tied together
Meaning: Connected forever by marriage
Give an Instance: They’re tied together by love and marriage. / Their lives are tied together now.
Substitute Meaning: Bonded / Linked forever
37. Living in harmony
Meaning: Having a peaceful marriage
Give an Instance: They are living in harmony after years of marriage. / The couple lives in harmony.
Substitute Meaning: Peaceful relationship / Get along well
38. Spouse for life
Meaning: Married for the whole lifetime
Give an Instance: He is her spouse for life. / They call each other spouse for life.
Substitute Meaning: Forever partner / Married always
39. Wedding of the year
Meaning: A very big and exciting wedding
Give an Instance: Everyone came to the wedding of the year. / Her wedding was called the wedding of the year.
Substitute Meaning: Big wedding / Popular event
40. Tied down
Meaning: Committed in a marriage
Give an Instance: He says he’s happy being tied down. / She’s been tied down for ten years.
Substitute Meaning: Married life / Committed partner
41. Union of hearts
Meaning: A loving marriage
Give an Instance: Their wedding was a union of hearts. / Marriage is a true union of hearts.
Substitute Meaning: Love connection / Heart bond
42. Hit the honeymoon stage
Meaning: First happy months after marriage
Give an Instance: They hit the honeymoon stage and are all smiles. / Life is sweet in the honeymoon stage.
Substitute Meaning: Happy start / Fresh love period
43. Love knot
Meaning: Strong bond of love in marriage
Give an Instance: They tied a love knot with their vows. / Marriage is like a love knot.
Substitute Meaning: Love connection / Strong marriage tie
44. Settle down
Meaning: Start a calm, married life
Give an Instance: They’re ready to settle down and build a home. / She wants to settle down soon.
Substitute Meaning: Begin family life / Live quietly
45. From this day forward
Meaning: Starting marriage life
Give an Instance: He promised to love her from this day forward. / Their vows said “from this day forward.”
Substitute Meaning: Start of forever / Beginning today
Find the “Idioms for Marriage”
Reading Passage
It was the night of the school’s Valentine’s Day party. Ms. Carter had planned it for weeks. As the music played and students shared treats, Mr. Benson, the music teacher, surprised everyone. He went down on one knee and popped the question to Ms. Carter right by the snack table!
Everyone cheered. They were truly lovebirds and had been joined at the hip since the fall. Now, it looked like they were ready to tie the knot. Ms. Carter smiled big and said, “I do!” Just like that, the room was full of wedding bells and laughter.
Later, some students joked about the old ball and chain, but it was all in fun. The principal said he hoped they would grow old together. Others guessed they might even get hitched in a hurry.
As the party ended, people were still talking about the big surprise. “It was like something out of a movie,” one student said. “A real match made in heaven.”
Task
Underline or list all the idioms about marriage that you found in the story.
Answer Key
- Go down on one knee
- Pop the question
- Lovebirds
- Joined at the hip
- Tie the knot
- Say “I do”
- Wedding bells
- Old ball and chain
- Grow old together
- Get hitched in a hurry
- Match made in heaven
Conclusion
Idioms about marriage help people talk about love and weddings in a fun way. They don’t mean exactly what the words say, but they paint a clear picture. When someone says “tie the knot” or “pop the question,” we know they’re talking about getting married.
Learning these idioms helps you understand stories, movies, or even things adults say. It also makes your speaking and writing more interesting. Try using some of these idioms when you talk about weddings or love. It’s a fun way to learn and share ideas.
