• Jodie@ellabellaevents.co.uk

Wedding Terminology

The Wedding Lingo. Wedding phrases. Nicknames or Abbreviations. Wedding Words and terms. WTF. If you have just entered the world of wedding planning not only can you be hit with sudden overwhelm from everything you need to do and organise you will start hearing phrases that you’ve never even heard of before! Here is your ultimate guide to Wedding Terminology:

  • Venue: The place you both decide you want to get married at. Whether that be a Hotel, Manor House or outdoors, the choice is yours.
  • Stationery: This includes your wedding invitations, RSVPs, menus, hotel or taxi information, place names, table numbers, table plan, order of the day and thank yous.
  • Rehearsal: Normally for religious ceremonies; there is a rehearsal with your wedding party, the day before, so you know what happens on the day. Where you will be standing, where you will walk, etc. Sometimes followed by a rehearsal dinner.
  • Rehearsal Dinner: A celebratory dinner after the rehearsal the night before the wedding.
  • Unplugged Wedding: No cameras and no phones! Only for the professional photographer to be taking pictures so you as a guest can enjoy the day.
  • Wedding Hashtag: Some couples like to make a fun wedding hashtag # for social media, so anyone taking pictures can use the hashtag for the couple to be able to see all the photos in one place.
  • Aisle: What you walk down to get married. Many have the aisle down the middle of guests. Whereas some couples opt for their aisle both sides so you both get to walk down together, or getting rid of it and mingling with your guests beforehand.
  • Procession: This is what it is called when you walk down the aisle to start the ceremony.
  • Wedding Outfits: This can be your dresses, jumpsuits, suits or any outfit that makes you feel epic.
  • Train: Choo Choo! No only joking… Some dresses have extra material on them at the bottom, to add that drama when you are walking down the aisle.

Oh there’s more…

  • Wedding Party/Bridal Party/Groomsmen: This incudes your nearest and dearest so choose wisely! These people will help you throughout the wedding planning process, the hen and stag dos (or sten and hag do, check out here) and especially on the day itself. You can get very creative here with your party name; Wedding Squad or Team (check out more ideas here). Your Wedding Party can include; Bridesmaids, Ushers, Flower girls, Page boys/Ring Bearers. Again you can change these and make these terms much more gender neutral to suit you all.
  • Buttonhole/Boutonniere: It is a small flower arrangement usually matching with their partner, worn on their jacket. You can also get pocket arrangements now to save trying to fix on your buttonhole with a pin, genius!
  • Corsages: Slightly larger than a buttonhole, worn on your outfit or around your wrist.
  • First Look: Very popular at the moment is a private first look between you and your partner before your ceremony if you have decided not to get ready together.
  • Wedding Planner: Planner’s are usually hired at the very beginning of your wedding planning journey and take on all the organising and planning of your day. Finding you the best matching venue and suppliers. Creating your timeline of the day and making sure everything runs smoothly for you. Taking all of the overwhelm away, so you and your partner can enjoy the process and get excited about your day.
  • Venue Coordinator: Coordinators come with the venue usually included in your package and take care of any needs to do with the venue, like the menus and schedule at the venue.
  • Timeline: This is what your day will run to, your schedule for the whole day if you like. Normally created for you by your wedding planner.
  • Independent Celebrant: An Independent Celebrant is someone who conducts a ceremony, one that is completely unique and personal to you and can include or not include anything you want.
  • Humanist Celebrant: A Humanist Celebrant is someone who also conducts a personal ceremony but with no religious content included in the ceremony.
  • Officiant or Registrar: This is what makes the wedding all official no matter what type of ceremony you have at some point you will need to sign the paperwork and say those all important vows to register the marriage. This can be done the same day, before or after your wedding day.
  • Master of Ceremonies/Toastmaster: This person makes sure your day runs to the timeline. Moving your guests around the venue when needed and announcing you as newlyweds and the speeches. This can however also be done by your Wedding Planner, Venue Coordinator or Celebrant.

And more…

  • Wedding Ceremony: The Biggy, the whole reason why everyone is here, the ceremony itself. To share your love for one another in front of the people who mean the most. Here you can exchange your vows, rings, gifts, have handfasting, lighting of candles even a lightsaber battle. Some people will say to you, this is the most boring bit about a wedding… get yourself a celebrant. You can thank me later.
  • Handfasting: Is a piece of material (usually ribbon), looped around your hands in a certain way. So when you pull back your ribbon it is in a knot to represent an infinity knot or as the saying goes ‘tying the knot’.
  • Exchange of Vows: Mutual promises you make to each other at your ceremony to show your commitment to one another in front of witnesses.
  • Marrier/Spouse/Newlyweds/Husband & Wife/Husband & Husband/Wife & Wife – What you can be called once you have taken your vows. This is a very personal choice to you both, so have a chat and see what feels right for you.
  • Wedding Breakfast: After the ceremony you get to have your first meal together as newlyweds shared with all your guests – now here you can have any meal you like. It doesn’t need to be a three course sit down meal, if that’s not your vibe! You can have all kinds of food trucks like Pizza, Mexican or Thai. You can have grazing tables or a good ol’ buffet! Believe it or not it is not breakfast!
  • Head/Top Table: Where you and some of your wedding party sit together for the wedding breakfast in front of all your guests. Traditionally it was parents of the newlyweds and their best man/woman but you can have anyone you like! Sometimes it makes sense to have whoever is making a speech up there or you could opt for a more romantic setting and have a sweetheart table.
  • Sweetheart Table: A sweetheart table can be such a lovely idea as it is just you two sat together taking it all in and having a bit of time together after your ceremony.
  • Table Plan: A plan for where all your guests will be seated for your wedding breakfast.
  • Tablescape: Your tables whether circles, square, rectangle, semi circles or really long, will have a colour theme and decorations. Along with all the glassware, crockery, cutlery and stationery, we call this your tablescape.
  • Centrepiece: Your centrepieces can consist of flowers, candles, lanterns, skulls or DIY masterpieces. Usually in the centre of your tablescapes. These can bring the tables and your theme together.
  • Favours: A little something on the table to gift to your guests. These can be anything from personalised jam to scratch cards, the possibilities are endless. Don’t overthink these and if it’s an expense you aren’t budgeting for, don’t feel you must have them. Half the time they are left on the table.
  • Speeches: These can be done by anybody you choose. These are to thank the guests for coming and to thank any important people that made it extra special. These also include funny stories of the newlyweds. Try to keep them short to keep your guests interested and if this part of the wedding day fills you with dread, don’t have them!

Just a few more…

  • Wedding Reception: This is after the Wedding Breakfast and when your evening guests will arrive for your evening entertainment.
  • Entertainment: This can range from a band, DJ , comedian and a magician. To axe throwing, gaming, garden games and photobooths. They can be brought in at any point of the day, not just for the evening,. There may be some time in between having photos done or the wedding breakfast and the evening guests arriving that you can also provide some entertainment, for you and your guests.
  • Guest Book: If you would like some memorabilia from your day you can have a guest book. Where your guests write in messages of luck or marriage tips. You can get really creative with this too. You could have audio messages or fingerprint pictures for your wall.
  • Corkage: This is a fee sometimes charged by your venue if you want to bring in your own alcohol. Always read your contract.
  • Gift Registry: Here you can register for gifts you would like for your wedding, from your guests. However nowadays most couples have lived together for a while so ask for monetary gifts instead towards their honeymoon.
  • Honeymoon: A Holiday spent together after you are married.
  • Minimoon: A shorter holiday close to your hometown or close to where you got married.
  • Destination Wedding: A wedding ceremony that is not in your home town that requires travel for you and your guests, whether that be in the UK or abroad.
  • Micro Wedding: Is a much smaller wedding, that normally comprises of around 20 guests.
  • Elopement: An elopement is a wedding with just yourselves (if a registry it would comprise of two witnesses also) or a very small guest count like your parents, children or best friend.
wedding guests holding up bride at a wedding

Wedding Abbreviations

At some point throughout the wedding planning process and all the wedding terminology you will come across some wedding abbreviations. Your suppliers might use them or you will see them online. Here’s the lowdown:

  • FS/DS/STB: Future Spouse/Dear Spouse/Spouse To Be
  • FS/DS/STB: Future Marrier/Dear Marrier/Marrier To Be
  • FH/DH/HTB: Future Husband/Dear Husband/Husband To Be
  • FW/DW/WTB: Future Wife/Dear Wife/Wife To Be
  • SO: Significant Other
  • FI: Fiancé /Fiancée
  • WP: Wedding Party or Wedding Planner
  • BM: Bestman/Bestwoman/Bridesmaid/Bridesman/Bridesmate
  • GM: Groomsmen/Groomswomen/Groomsmates
  • MOH: Maid of Honour/Man of honour
  • FOB: Father of the Bride
  • MOB: Mother of the Bride
  • FOG: Father of the Bride
  • MOG: Mother of the Groom
  • FG: Flower Girl
  • PB: Pageboy
  • RB: Ring Bearer
  • FILs: Future-in-laws
  • FIL: Father-in-law
  • MIL: Mother-in-law
  • BIL: Brother-in-law
  • SIL: Sister-in-law
  • FNF: Friends and Family
  • AHR: At Home Reception
  • OOTG: Out of Town Guests
  • CFW: Child Free Wedding
  • DIY: Do it Yourself Wedding
  • DW: Destination Wedding
  • AI: All Inclusive
  • RD: Rehearsal Dinner
  • STD: Save the Date
  • PG: Photographer
  • VG: Videographer
  • HMUA: Hair and Makeup Artist
  • MUA: Makeup Artist
  • HM: Honeymoon
  • MM: Minimoon
  • NWR: Not Wedding Related

Hope this helps! Thanks for reading

x Jodie x

Next read my blog on What To Call your Wedding Party? here