During your research and planning phase you might have already come across some wedding terms that you haven’t heard before. As you move further along your wedding planning journey your suppliers, planner or venue will be using these words in meetings, so it’s helpful to know what they mean!
Here’s a rundown of common wedding lingo and their definitions to help you with your wedding planning:
Wedmin
This refers to all the wedding admin that’s involved in planning your big day. This includes tasks like managing guest lists, sending invitations, keeping track of RSVPs, scheduling appointments with suppliers, managing your budget and keeping on top of to-do lists.
Wedding Website
If you want a place to house all the essential details about your wedding with your guests, then a free wedding website is what you need. It is user friendly, usually free to host and easy to share with your guests. It typically includes information like the date, venue, schedule, accommodation options, gift registry, dress code, directions, and any other important details they need to know. It's an excellent way to keep everyone informed and organised.
Site Visit
Or sometimes a venue visit is when you and your wedding planner visit potential venues to assess its suitability for your wedding day. During the visit you can ask all of your questions and check the layout, available spaces and facilities are what you are looking for in your dream wedding venue.
Dry Hire
A dry hire wedding venue is a space that is hired just as it is. You hire the empty venue without any additional services added on such as catering, furniture, or decor. This gives you the flexibility to bring in your own suppliers and customise the venue to your specific vision. These types of venues do typically involve a lot more work in planning. If you are looking at a dry hire venue here are some tips and advice.
Corkage
Corkage refers to the fee that some venues charge if you want to bring your own alcohol to the wedding. This is applied if you have chosen not to use their in-house bar or catering services and the fee typically covers the cost of serving and handling the drinks.
Open Bar
An open bar means that drinks are free for your guests as you are covering the cost of their drinks. This is a popular option at weddings and ensures your guests can enjoy beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic throughout the event without worrying about paying for them. Drinks consumed by your guests will typically get put on your tab or final invoice.
Boutonniere/Buttonholes
A boutonniere, also known as a buttonhole in the UK, is a small floral arrangement worn on the lapel of a suit jacket which is usually worn by the groom, groomsmen, and other key male figures. It often matches the bride's bouquet and the overall floral theme and colour scheme of the wedding. Women can wear them to either on jackets or around wrists and these are sometimes known as corsages.
Black Tie
If you want your wedding to be a smart, sophisticated and formal event then you would ask your guests to wear “Black tie attire". This refers to a formal dress code for your guests and suggests that your guests wear a tuxedo or formal dinner suit, while women would wear long evening gowns or formal cocktail dresses. You can find out more about different options of wedding dress code attire here.
Bustle
The bustle is a way of securing the train of a wedding dress to the back of the gown, making it easier for the bride to move around and dance during the reception. It’s an essential alteration that allows the bride to enjoy the reception without worrying about tripping over her train.
Wedding Day Emergency Kit Bag
This personal wedding day bag is a small kit prepared in advance with essentials for any unexpected situations on your wedding day. It can include items like safety pins, blister plasters, sewing kits, pain relief medication and tissues. As a Wedding Planner this is what we include in our kit boxes to save you having to do it.
Celebrant and Registrar
A celebrant is a person who conducts your wedding ceremony and can perform non-religious ceremonies. A registrar is a government official who legally registers the marriage for civil ceremonies. Depending on your wedding style and location, you may need one or both of these suppliers as part of your wedding. To find out more about using a celebrant read a guest journal post with Meg Senior Ceremonies here.
Wedding Day Coordinator
If you want to feel relaxed and confident that everything is under control on your big day, then enlisting the help of a wedding day coordinator is what you’ll need. This is a professional whose role it is to oversee the coordination and organisation on the day. They manage the timeline, handle any issues that arise, and coordinate with suppliers to ensure your day goes off without a hitch. At Your Story Events we call this our Wedding Day Management experience.
Wedding Content Creator
For those who want a different perspective captured on their wedding day, then a wedding content creator captures behind-the-scenes moments and candid content throughout the day. They can work alongside your videographer or replace this supplier depending on what style and types of footage you want captured. They often create content that you can later use on social media. This content is usually delivered and created within 24 hours of your wedding day.
Videographer
A videographer records your wedding day and creates a cinematic story of your special day. They focus on capturing all the emotions, speeches, and special moments with their unique creative style. They produce a beautiful film and highlight reel that you can watch and share with friends and family after your wedding day. These videos take a few weeks to be created and some photographers do offer this alongside photography.
Invitation Suite
An invitation suite includes all the stationery pieces that go alongside your wedding invitations. This might include save the date cards, RSVP cards, custom envelopes and any additional inserts. This is something to have with you on your wedding day so you can get beautiful photos of your stationery from your photographer.
Photographer: Maja Tsolo
RSVP
RSVP stands for “Répondez s'il vous plaît,” a French phrase meaning “Please respond.” It’s a request for guests to confirm their attendance (or absence) at your wedding so you can plan accordingly.
Letterpress
For unique and elegant wedding invitations, a letterpress is a traditional printing technique used to create beautiful and tactile wedding stationery. It involves pressing inked designs or text into thick paper to create a textured, elegant look.
Moodboard
A moodboard is a visual collection of inspirational images that brings together styles, colours, and textures to convey the aesthetic and vibe you want your wedding to have. It’s often used by planners and designers to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the overall look of the day. We love creating these for our couples at Your Story Events.
Master of Ceremonies (MC)
The Master of Ceremonies, or MC, is the person who makes announcements and keeps the flow of the wedding day moving. They will announce events like the speeches, cake cutting, and first dance. This is a paid wedding supplier who is a professional in this role.
Emcee
This is usually a friend, family member or groomsman that is good at public speaking. They will do the job of a Master of Ceremonies, but will not be trained for the role. This will give it a more personal touch, but remember to brief them before the big day and ensure they are a person that is confident in speaking.
Place Card
A place card is a small card placed on the table that shows each guest where they will sit. It is used alongside the seating chart to direct guests to their specific seats.
Seating Chart
Every wedding needs a seating chart if you want your guests to sit in specific seats during your wedding breakfast. It is a visual display that shows where each guest will be seated in an easy-to-read and beautiful design. It's usually placed at the entrance of the reception venue to guide guests to their assigned tables.
Escort Cards
This is an alternative to a seating chart where each guest collects their name card and their table and seat is displayed on the back. These cards are displayed at the entrance to the reception and you can be as creative as you like with the design and layout.
Wedding Favour
If you want to give your guests a small gift and a token of appreciation for attending, it is usually placed on their seat/ place setting before the wedding breakfast. It can be anything from personalised keepsakes to edible treats.
Wedding Breakfast
This is the sit-down meal you share with your guests on your wedding day. It’s called ‘breakfast’ as it’s the first food you share with your partner as a married couple. This term typically isn't used in America, so can confuse American couples and guests!
Rehearsal Dinner
A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding event held the evening before the big day. It usually involves a meal or drinks with close family and friends and sometimes speeches. It’s a time to get excited and relax now that all the wedding planning is done.
Sweetheart Table
This is a small table at the reception for just the bride and groom only, instead of having a 'top' or 'head' table. It allows the couple to enjoy their wedding breakfast just them together before mingling amongst the guests tables.
Tablescape
The overall arrangements of the tables including the centrepieces, tableware, napkins, glassware, and decor all come under the term tablescape. This is where you design the look and layout of your reception tables.
Charger Plate
A charger plate is a decorative plate placed under the dinner plates during the meal. It adds a layer of design to your table setting and it also helps to keep the food on your plate warmer for longer.
Centrepiece
A centrepiece is a decorative arrangement placed in the centre of each table at the reception. It could be anything from flowers to candles to something unique that reflects your wedding theme. Your wedding stylist or florist will be designing these pieces for your wedding reception.
Usher/Groomsmen
An usher is someone who helps guide guests to their seats before the ceremony. They are often part of the bridal party or close family members. They can also hand out order of ceremony cards and confetti to guests when leaving the ceremony. Groomsmen is a more American term, but is basically the grooms version of Bridesmaids and can do usher duties too.
Golden Hour
Golden hour refers to the period shortly before sunset when the light is soft, warm, and perfect for photos. Your photographer will help you find the perfect location at your venue to get sunset photos.
Bridal Suite
The bridal suite is a private room or area set aside for the bride and her party to get ready before the ceremony. This suite usually has large windows, a getting-ready area and is large enough to house all of your bridal party. This is so you can get ready and celebrate together on the morning of your wedding.
Wedding Planner
Your wedding planner will help you navigate everything to do with your wedding planning. From finding the perfect venue to managing your budget, sourcing reliable suppliers, designing your tablescape and coordinating every detail. They are by your side throughout the entire process to ensure your day is exactly as you dreamed. Take a look at the wedding planning services Your Story Events offer here.
I hope this journal post has been useful for you to start your wedding planning, if you're ready to start your wedding planning and want to work with a design-led wedding planner get in touch to set up a discovery call.
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