A to Z of Wedding Planning jargon explained

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5. Corkage Charge: some venues allow you to provide your own drinks for a fee (known as corkage fee). Always check what the fee is, this can be a considerable hidden charge that can add to costs. And if you have a venue that doesn’t charge a corkage fee - fantastic, book it!

6. Cutting Cake: A ‘behind-the-scenes’ cake to serve guests if the actual wedding cake is not large enough.

7. Corsage: is a floral arrangement typically worn by the important Women in the Bride & Groom’s family. It can be attached to a bracelet and worn on the wrist or wired to be pinned on to a blouse or dress.

8. Dry hire: is a venue that only provides the space, which gives you the freedom to decorate it how you choose. Most dry hire venues will supply tables and chairs but not table coverings, cutlery etc. So do check what is and isn’t included before you book your wedding venue.

9. Escort Cards: direct guests to a table rather than a seat. They should be arranged in alphabetical order, and have the name of the guest and the table number they are to be seated at.Once guests get to their table, if there are no place cards, they're free to choose their own seats. They can be used instead of a seating/table plan and are easier to change at the last minute.

10. Favours - small items given to guests as a gift. Edible or natural gifts are often a good choice so that they don’t get wasted. Its also a nice touch to tie your favours in with your wedding theme/style.

11. First Look – takes place before the Ceremony where the Bride and Groom are staged to see each other for the first time, with the photographers/videographers there to capture this special, private moment.

12. Master of Ceremonies - also known as MC or Toastmaster is the person nominated to make any announcements during your wedding at the relevant time. Such as announcing the bride and grooms arrival, speeches whilst ensuring people are in the right place at the right time. Wedding Planners are sometimes asked to take on this role too. 

13. Micro wedding -is an intimate affair, typically with no more than 50 guests. They still feature time-honored traditions that make a wedding but on a much smaller scale.

14. OTD - this refers to On the day and can be used to refer to on the day wedding stationery, or you may find us planners using this shorthand term to describe our on the day planning service.

15. Place cards - these are usually hand made and handwritten with the name of each guest. They are placed on the reception tables for guests to locate their seat.

16. Marquee - a marquee or tipi tent placed outside, this provides a blank canvas to design your wedding style. There are a variety of structures and interiors to choose from.

17. Processional -The music played for the entrance of the bride and bridal party.

18. Reception – The Reception takes place after the Ceremony. This is where your guests will enjoy cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. It is typically 4-5 hours long.

19. Receiving line - this provides an opportunity for the bride and groom and parts of the bridal party (parents or guardians) to greet their guests. The couple line up and guests can greet them as they walk into the reception.

20. Save the dates - small cards sent out early on in the planning to ask guests to keep the date free. Many send this save the date electronically. They are useful for overseas guests. Wording is kept brief with the key details - date, time, location.

21. Seating plan - displays table layouts and where each guest will be seated. Needs to be clearly displayed at the entrance to the reception.

22. Send-off – Sometimes referred to as the “Farewell”. This event creates a special moment for the Couple to be “Sent off” onto their Wedding Night after the Reception is over. It can be done as simply as a big group dance on the dance floor with the Bride and Groom in the centre, rose petal toss, bubbles, or streamers.

23. Supplier meal – A meal provided for each supplier at your reception. This is often a cheaper alternative meal to what the guests have. Keep in mind your suppliers have been working for at least 6 hours when it becomes “dinner time” and a hot meal will give them that little boost of energy to finish the night strong!

24. Sweetheart table - an alternative to a top table. A sweetheart table is a smaller table with just the bride and groom seated together for their reception, allowing them to have time to spend together.

25. Toasts - involves a glass of bubbles given to each guest before the speeches to toast the bride and groom's health.

26. Top Table - table for the bride and groom and usually parents or special loved ones on either side.

27. Toss bouquet - is a smaller version of the Bride’s bouquet that is used to “toss” after the wedding meal when all the single ladies are asked to come on the dance floor and the Bride tosses the bouquet to them blindly with the hopes that whoever catches the bouquet is the next to get married. 

28. Ushers - good friends or relatives of the groom or bride are chosen. They usually assist the best man and provide support on the day to help out where needed.

29. Wedding Breakfast - Not actually breakfast, just the traditional name for your first meal after becoming husband and wife.

30. Wedmin – this refers to wedding administration, all the paperwork that will need to be sorted out for your wedding. Supplier contracts, schedules, terms and conditions etc.

31. Wedding Planner – will be your everything for all the logistics, the organisation of your wedding and bringing all your suppliers together. Also referred to in some instances as a wedding coordinator.

32. Wedding Stylist - works on the design of your wedding set up at your ceremony or venue. This is all about the look, creating a style that works for your wedding from how the florals look, to the table, the venue all works together for the overall design. Stylists normally work alongside other wedding suppliers. Some wedding planners (like me) are also Stylists.

I hope that this has been super useful to explain some of the wedding terms. If you need any help with planning your whole wedding or parts of it, I would be delighted to assist. 

Planning weddings is my bread and butter and I love it. With my knowledge and experience I can save you time and help make your wedding planning seamless. On my website you can discover more about my wedding planning services. Please do get in touch natasha@pearlineevents.com or use my contact form.

Natasha x