How to speak wedding planner - your essential guide to the jargon

When you start your wedding planning journey you are going come across venues, and vendors who speak a language littered with words you’ve never encountered before – it’s time to learn the wedding lingo!  In this post we list some of the most common phrases and terms that are likely to crop up.

Ascot tie

A very formal style of neckband with wide pointed wings and fastened with a tie pin or tie clip and usually worn with grey tails coats.

Black Tie

A very formal dress code for the evening part of your celebrations.  Men should wear a tuxedo and woman can choose between a formal cocktail dress or long evening gown.

Bustle

An arrangement of buttons, loops and/or ties sewn into back of a wedding dress to pull the train off the ground.  This allows you move around the reception and dance without worrying about tripping over your dress.

Photo by Tamara Menzi on Unsplash

Buttonhole

The little flower arrangements worn in the lapel of the men’s suits at a wedding.

Canapes at Clevedon Hall. Image courtesy of David Gifen

Canapé

A bite-sized piece of bread or pastry with a savoury topping as an hors d'oeuvres with drinks before dinner.

Centrepiece

Floral arrangements on reception tables.  They can also feature fruit, greenery or just a cluster of candles.

Charger Plate

Nothing to do with your phone!  It’s a large decorative base dish that sits beneath the plate on which food is served – add extra elegance and formality to your table setting.  It essentially takes the place of a table mat. 

Corsage

A petite floral arrangement worn on the wrist, typically given to mothers and grandmothers to wear on your wedding day.

Classic Photography

Style of wedding photography that is very conventional and traditional with posed shots of the couple and different groups of guests.

Cocktail hour

The term Americans use to describe the drinks reception shortly after your ceremony.

Contemporary Photography

Style of wedding photography sometimes referred to as fashion, editorial, creative or modern wedding photography – you’ll get a series of shots, featuring creative lighting and unusual compositions, that look like they’ve come from the pages of a glamorous fashion magazine. 

Corkage

If you supply your own alcohol the venue or caterer will usually charge you for opening and serving each bottle.

A Cutting Cake

A very small cake that enables you to have the traditional “cake cutting” but without spending a fortune on a huge multi-layered affair.  It’s not meant to be served to guests.  Perfect if you’d rather serve something else for dessert or you’d rather spend your budget on something else.

Favours

A small gift to thank the guests for taking part in your wedding and sharing the special occasion.

First look

Bride and groom meet just before the ceremony to admire each other’s outfit and squeeze in some photographs (gives you more time for cocktails and chat later).

Fondant

A sugary dough used to give cakes a smooth and sleek exterior.  Can be dyed, marbled, moulded, and sculpted to take your wedding cake to the next level.  It’s  edible but some prefer to remove it before eating as it can be very sweet and a little chewy.

Marryoke

You and your guests are videoed miming the words to a hit song.  The footage and soundtrack are edited together to create the illusion that you are all singing the song for real.  The idea came from Japan but is catching on here.

Master of Ceremonies/Toastmaster

A person who directs the proceedings during the wedding reception.  He or she will announce the entrance of the bride and groom, direct the applause, introduce the speakers, propose toasts and announce the cutting of the cake.

Morning Suit

The most formal attire for groom and ushers, it features a long, formal jacket with tails, a waistcoat and striped trousers.  

Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash

Open Bar

A free bar where you foot the bill rather than your guests.

Palette

The selection of colours you’ve chosen to work with on your wedding day.  This influences everything from linens to flowers and decorations to invitations. Most palettes feature at least three colours—a main colour, a neutral, and an accent.

Place Settings

What the guest sees in front of them at the dinner.  Formal wedding place settings usually include a charger, a dinner plate, a salad plate, a bread plate with a bread knife, salad and dinner forks, salad and dinner knives, a soup spoon, a dessert spoon and fork, a water glass, and at least one wine glass, with possibly a menu and a napkin.

Plus One

An additional invite for single guests (unmarried/not living together) to ask someone to accompany them. 

Pomander

A ball of blooms, often suspended from a ribbon, carried by flower girls or by the bride herself.  Sometimes they are used to make table centrepiece.

Processional

The music that accompanies the entrance of the bride and bridal party to the ceremony.

Receiving Line

The happy couple and their parents stand in line to welcome guests individually to the reception dinner. 

Recessional

The music played as the bride and groom walk back down the aisle following the ceremony.

Rehearsal Dinner

Usually occurs the night before the wedding itself, typically taking place after the wedding rehearsal (hence the name).  Usually includes the couple, their wedding party, and immediate family members.

Reportage Photography

Informal style of wedding photography, also referred to as photo-journalistic or documentary.  Captures fleeting moments of your big day with natural shots that are not posed.

RSVP

Short for “Répondez s’il vous plait”, a polite way to ask guests to please let you know if they are accepting your wedding invitation and will be attending.

Save The Date Cards

You send these as soon as you have fixed on a day to give everyone as much opportunity as possible to plan ahead.  The formal invitation, containing all the important details about the proceeding, follows later.

Top Table

The table where the wedding party is seated for the wedding breakfast. 

Trunk show

An event where a dress designer shows off their entire new collection.  This usually takes place at a bridal boutique.

Wedding Breakfast

A slightly misleading term as it has nothing to do with breakfast!  Refers to the meal at your reception.

Wedmin

A combination of wedding and admin, ie everything to do with planning and organising a wedding.  It has become a bit of a buzzword in the industry after Prince Harry used it on several occasions when referring to his own nuptials.

Speakeasy

This list will hopefully cover all those unfamiliar words and phrases the wedding professionals love to use.  At Clevedon Hall we try to avoid the jargon as much as possible.  Call us now to discuss your wedding plans and we promise to speak your language!

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