Wedding Terms

11 Oct

This is a collection of wedding terms, definitions and phrases that will help you along the way and make you an expert in wedding lingo.

Roles

BM – Best Man - stands out front with the groom before the marriage organises the bucks night and generally takes the pressure off the groom on the day by taking care of any issues that arise. Pick a good one fellas - someone you can rely on.
FOB – Father of the Bride quite often walks down the aisle with the bride
FOG – Father of the Groom
MOB – Mother of the Bride
MOG – Mother of the Groom
MOH – Maid of Honor (term is Matron of Honour if she is already married) The honorary role of Maid of Honour is usually given to the closest female to the bride. Her role includes organising the hen’s night, holding the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony, and ‘floofing’ the bride’s dress. Generally takes the pressure of the bride on the day of the wedding by taking care of any issues that arise. Pick a good one ladies - someone you can rely on.
FG - Flower Girl - walks down the aisle prior to the party getting married.
PB - Page Boy - walks down the aisle prior to the party getting married.
Ring bearer - This refers to the small child (usually a boy) who carries the rings down the aisle and presents them to the marrying couple during the exchanging of rings. Sometimes it’s even a dog!
Photographer - A wedding photographer is hired to capture all elements of the wedding – including getting ready in the morning, all the way ’til the newlyweds depart the reception.
Videographer - a wedding videographer takes care of capturing the event digitally on the day to produce a short wedding video (or whatever your requirements are) after the event. they are able to produce a short 60 sec video that you can post on social media, a longer (around 5-6 minute) version of the same, as well as breakdowns of speeches, and sometimes even all the raw vision of the event that they shoot. They will also usually capture the “getting ready”moments prior to the wedding.

Planning

Wedding website - Marrying couples use wedding websites to display all important information about their wedding online. Some couples even use their wedding website to invite guests, give details about travelling to and parking at the venue, and create excitement for the event ahead.
Timeline – A list of times, locations and details for the wedding weekend’s activities
Guest list - This refers to the list created by marrying couples detailing who is invited to their wedding.
Favours - See bomboniere above.
Gift registry - Couples sometimes choose to create a gift registry in order to ensure all gifts received from guests are something they actually need and will utilise.
Intimate wedding - This refers to weddings that host under twenty guests.
Buck’s night - Refers to the party thrown by groomsmen to celebrate a groom’s ‘last night as a single man’. The bucks night usually consists of alcohol, games, and half-naked women hired as entertainment. However, if this isn’t for you, there are equally as fun options – including go-carting, brewery tours, and sporting activities.
Hen’s night - This is the bride’s ‘last soiree as a single bird’. Usually only women are invited, and sometimes involves alcohol, party games, and half-naked men hired as entertainment. Classier options do exist however, and include high tea, wine tours, and flower crown making.
Budget calculator - This is a tool on Easy Weddings that allows marrying couples to keep track of their wedding budget.
Destination wedding - This refers to a wedding that occurs somewhere other than the couple’s hometown. Guests are sometimes expected to pay travel expenses, and this could be reason why destination weddings are more intimate affairs.
Honeymoon - This refers to the holiday newlyweds take soon after their wedding concludes. This is usually so the two can relax and focus on nothing but one another. See my ultimate honeymoon ides here.
Tossing the bouquet - This refers to the bouquet of flowers used in the bouquet toss. See bouquet toss for reference.
Venue - This is the location your wedding occurs. Distinguish between ceremony venue and reception venue by which important part of the day occurs here.

Ceremony

Celebrant - This refers to the paid professional who officiates your marriage at your wedding ceremony. This is the one person that you have to have there to ensure your wedding is a legal event - the one person you can’t go ahead without on the day. They conduct your ceremony and sign your marriage certificates to make sure everything is above board and legal on the day. Afterwards they ensure that the legal paperwork gets delivered to Births Deaths & Marriages in the state you were married so that the marriage is registered.
Ceremony Rehearsal – A run through of the wedding ceremony with all participants in attendance – typically usually happens the day before the wedding.
Vows - This refers to the promises made by the marrying couple during the wedding ceremony. These promises usually consist of vows to trust, love, and support one another. While some couples prefer to use traditional vows or readings from weddings before theirs, other couples prefer to write their own. In Australia, there are legal vows which are to be said by the couple which consists of a sentence e.g. “I ask the persons here present to witness that I (full name), take you (full name) to be my lawful wedded husband/wife.” These MUST be said as the minimum. You can add whatever you like after that (or before it) which consists of your own personal vows.
Prelude – An elegant term for background music typically played while guest arrive
Processional – The music that begins the ceremony starting as the bridal party walks down the aisle ending with the bride.
Bridal (wedding) Procession - This refers to the order in which the couple and their posse walk down the aisle to the ceremony area. Sometimes the other partner is already waiting for them there, sometimes they walk in together. Sometimes they both make an entrance and walk in separately, one at a time. There are no rules - do what is right for you as a couple.
Bridesmaids - Bridesmaids are the bride’s number one girls. This group can include sisters, friends, cousins, daughters – whoever is closest to the bride.
Flower girl - Title given to a child (usually a girl) that begins the bridal procession by scattering flowers along the aisle before the bride makes her grand entrance.
Recessional – The music that plays as the ceremony ends and the newly weds and bridal party walk out to

Attire

Dress code - This is the level of dress expected by the marrying couple. Usually the dress code is included in the wedding invitations. Find out here what dress codes actually refer to.
Formal - This refers to a type of dress code – usually means “dress like you’ve got someone to impress”.
Semi-formal - This is a form of dress code. It usually means “dress better than you usually would”.
Wedding dress (or wedding gown) - if this needs explaining to you, then what have you been dreaming about since you were a little girl???
Comb - This is a bridal hairpiece attached to a bride’s hair with teeth like a comb.
Going away outfit - this is an outfit that the couple sometimes change into towards the end of the night to leave the reception - it goes back to the days when the couple were possibly during to the airport to catch a plane for their honeymoon.
Cummerbund - This is a broad sash worn around a man’s waist, atop his shirt but under his jacket.
Wedding dress/gown - Pretty self explanatory – this is the dress a bride wears to her wedding. Tradition and trends say that the dress is usually white, though alternative brides often opt for blush or any other colour of their choosing.
Lace - This refers to intricate threadwork that is plaited, knotted, looped, and patterned. Usually lace is used in wedding dresses.
Tiara - Worn on a bride’s head for extra bling.
Train - This refers to the length of dress that trails behind the bride as she walks. This is commonly carried down the aisle by page boy, and ‘floofed’ by the Maid of Honour once the bride meets her groom (or bride) at the altar.
Tulle - This is a fine mesh used in veils and wedding gowns. Tulle is commonly used in princess gowns for extra ‘floof’.
Tuxedo - This is a formal men’s black evening jacket with black silk lining on the collar. A tuxedo is commonly worn with a bow tie for extra fanciness.
Waistcoat (or Vest) - Men might opt to wear a waistcoat to up the ante and create a more formal look.

Flowers

Bouquet - This refers to the bunch of flowers (usually) carried by a bride. The bouquet is also what is thrown in the bouquet toss.
Boutonierre - This refers to the spray of flowers worn (usually) by a male in their buttonhole.
Filler Flower – A cost-effective way to fill in the gaps in your floral arrangements.
Posy – A small round flower bouquet that is made up of tightly bound stems typically given as a gift… Think your Mother walking down the aisle with a small posy in hand.
Corsage - This is a single flower or spray of flowers attached to lace and either pinned to the front of a woman’s dress, or tied around her wrist.
Garlands - These are flowers (or greenery) twirled into ropes that can be hung from doorways, stairs, or railings, as an extra touch to decor. A more delicate garland may be worn by the bride as a headpiece.
Pomander - This refers to a round ball covered in flowers.
Shower - This can refer to a spray of long stemmed flowers that cascades as the bride holds it, and it could also refer to a ‘bridal shower‘ – which is another word for hen’s night.
Wreath - This is a circle of flowers generally used as a decorative centre piece, or in the bride’s hair as hairpiece. Wreaths (or flower crowns) are commonly worn by bohemian brides.

Food & Beverage

Consumption Bar – You are billed based on the number of drinks consumed. Good if you do not have a large drinking crowd.
Flat Rate Bar – You are billed on price per person aka $25 per guest per hour. Great for if you have a large drinking crowd.
Food Station – A style of dinner service consisting of multiple buffets set up at stations throughout the wedding reception. Food stations allow wedding guests to mingle with others and sample a variety of menu items.
Grooms Cake – A small cake of the grooms liking often served at the rehearsal dinner.
Menu Tasting – Generally this will occur at your venue a month prior to your actual wedding in order to get a look and feel for the food being produced at your wedding.
Signature Cocktail – A unique or original drink that expresses the couple – they can be fashioned to represent a theme, color or mix in local culture.
Buffet - This is a style of catering where food is arranged in a certain place, and guests file past to collect whatever takes their fancy. This is an alternative to the usual three-course menu.
Wedding Cake - see below
Caterer - This refers to the (usually) paid professional who provides the food at the wedding.

Wedding Cake

Buttercream - This refers to a soft and creamy icing used on wedding cakes.
Fondant - This is a type of icing commonly used on wedding cakes. It is made from sugar, syrup, and gelatine, and draped over the cake to ice it. Fondant can also be used to create edible cake decorations.
Bomboniere - This is the Italian word for wedding favour. Bomboniere are gifts given to guests to thank them for attending.
Ganache - This is a mixture of chocolate and cream, usually used to fill or garnish a wedding cake.
Piping - This refers to a way of icing a cake.

Reception

Photobooth - This is a piece of technology used at weddings to capture fun photos of guests. These photos are more casual and quirky than usual wedding photography.
Wishing well - A box created to house envelopes containing money, given by guests instead of gifts. Couples who opt for a wishing well let their guests know prior to the event, usually in their invitations.
Floor Plan – A layout of the reception noting table layouts.
Seating Chart – A complete list of all guests attending the event and where they will be sitting.
Cake Cutting – An old wedding tradition where the bride and groom cut into the cake together and share a small bite symbolizing commitment
First Dance – Typically, this is the first dance shared between the bride and groom that then opens the dance floor for the rest of the guests
Introductions – “And now for the first time, let’s give it up for the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
Parent Dances – Typically, once the first dance has occurred the bride and her father will then dance followed by the groom and his mother
Send-Off – A way which people can express good wishes and say goodbye to the couple as they leave the reception.
Gobo – Love seeing a monogram lit up on a dance floor… want to create a cool pattern projected on the ceiling of the tent – this is a gobo

Up lighting – Light placed around the perimeter of a tent or venue to illuminate walls or the ceiling, sometimes by using various colors to create “a vibe”.
Tables
- 60s – A 60 inch round dinner table that seats 8-10 people
- 72s – A 72 inch round dinner table that seats 10-12 people
- Farm Table – A wooden rectangular table that seats 8-10 people
- High Top – A high table typically used during cocktail hours
- Low Top – A low table typically used during cocktail hours
- Sweetheart Table – A table set for two, which the newlyweds would sit at
- Royal Table – A rectangular folding table that seats 8-10 people
  - *Tables are always dressed in linens except Farm Tables
Tablescape
- B&B Plate – Bread and butter plate
- Charger – A decorative plate that is set at each place setting that is usually taken away before the meal is served
- Overlay – A directive cloth extending halfway down the table to add color or texture
- Place Setting – Flatware, glassware, napkin, china (salad plate, dinner plate and bread and butter plate)
- Underlay – Full-length linen that falls to the floor found under the overlay
- Votive – Small accent candles

Photography

First Look – A moment staged and set up by a weddingphotographer for the couple to see each other before the ceremony
Shot List – A list of all family and friends you would like photographed

Stationary/Printing

Escort Card – Printed cards that inform guests of what table they’ll be seated at – typically displayed as guests enter the reception or during the cocktail hour.
Paper Suite – All stationary needs for your wedding: the save-the-dates, invitations, reply cards, reception cards, and any other invitation enclosures.
Place Card – Printed cards that inform guests where they will be sitting at their assigned table – these would be placed at each table setting.
Signature Signs – These are specialty sign you can create for you signature cocktail, your wedding hashtag or bar menus. You can have a lot of fun with these.
Table Number or Names – A number or name (typically framed) assigned to each table showcasing where guests as sitting as it coincides with their escort card.
Calligraphy - This refers to a particular type of handwriting sometimes seen on expensive wedding invitations.

There you have it! Thanks to the teams at Handy & Dallaire Events & easyweddings.com.au, you will now be an expert in all things wedding.

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Steve Mummery