Glossary of wedding terms

If you’re getting hitched/tying the knot/heading down the aisle, chances are you have a barrage of wedding terms coming at you.

Don’t worry if the long list of wedding terms feels bigger than your actual big day “to do” list, Melbourne Bridal Expos is here to break it down and keep it simple.

We’re going to talk about the different types of wedding terms and what they mean so you can get on with the more important stuff, like choosing your tasty cake flavour or better yet, your honeymoon destination!

Getting started

When it comes to wedding terms, there’s plenty of words or abbreviations that may leave you mystified. Let’s kick it off with some of the more simple ones.

Believe it or not, there are actually many different terms used just to label a wedding. These include: big day, tying the knot, wedlock, getting hitched, saying I do, nuptials and even taking the plunge.

If you’re planning well in advance, one thing you may be thinking of is Save the Date – a pre-invitation/card sent out to let guests know the wedding date well in advance.

Titles for the wedding crew/squad

It’s your special day, but chances are you’ll be surrounded by a group of people you consider important to you and who will feature in your wedding day. You may give them the traditional titles of bridesmaid, groomsmen, etc or you may want to change it up a bit.

• I Do Crew, Friends of Honour or Wedding Squad – these can be used instead of the more usual term bridal party.
• Brosmen/Groom squad – A more casual or fun alternative instead of groomsmen.
• Bride Tribe/Bridesbabes – the team behind/beside the bride.
• Best Woman/Man of Honour – Gender-swapped titles for the traditional roles of Best Man and Maid of Honour.
• Groomslady Bridesman – A Groomsladyis a female on the groom’s side and a Bridesman is a male on the bride’s.
• MOH – Maid of Honour/Matron of Honour – usually the first in line for the bride’s side.
• BM – can be used for either Best Man for the groom or a bridesmaid.
• MOB – Mother of the bride.
• FOB – Father of the bride.
• MOG – Mother of the groom.
• FOG – Father of the groom.
• VIP/VIE – Very Important Person/Very Important Extra – Someone you trust and ask to take care of an important task such as ensuring guests sign the guest book or explaining the way the day will run if there are any hiccups.

Ceremony and reception terms

The build-up of a wedding day can sometimes be a lot and the happy couple may want to have a quick moment with each other before they seal the deal. Enter the First Look – the moment before the ceremony when the couple sees each other for the first time. Alternatively if they don’t want to see each other but still need a moment, they can do a first touch and hold hands around a door or corner instead.

Unplugged ceremony – In a world where digital is everything, couples are starting to ask their guests to not take photos or use phones during the ceremony and just stay in the moment.

Wedding Planner or Coordinator – If everything sounds like it’s all too much and you need a little help, here’s someone that can help take care of things for you!