Wedding Terminology Guide

The world of weddings can be a little confusing. If you don’t know that your breakfast isn’t actually breakfast, or what corkage actually means, this is guide of wedding terminology for you.

Celebrants & Registrars

Both celebrants and registrars can perform your wedding ceremony, but only registrars can make your marriage legal (in non-religious settings).

If you’re having a non-religious wedding then you’ll definitely need a registrar there, but you may also opt to have a celebrant to lead your ceremony while your registrar is present. You may even choose a friend or family member to be your celebrant.

Wedding Favours

These are small gifts, keepsakes or ‘thank yous’ to the guests who attend your wedding. Absolutely not mandatory, and they don’t need to be elaborate or expensive.

Most couples choose something like sweets, seeds, food or drink (we had mini-cacti!) and include a favour tag with a message for the guest.

Wedding Party

Surprisingly, not a party. It refers to those with a close or important role in your big day- bridesmaids, groomsmen etc. Collectively, they’re you’re wedding party.

You may want to introduce them on your wedding website so that your other guests know who they are and how they can help.

Wedding Breakfast

Not the first meal of the day, but the first meal of your married life. Your wedding breakfast is the meal you’ll enjoy with your guests after the ceremony.

You don’t need to call it this, it is an old tradition and many people now group it with the wedding reception. Your venue and caterers may refer to your wedding breakfast so it’s useful to know!

Corkage

This is a fee that’s charged by your venue if you choose to bring your own alcohol. You might not have the option to supply your own alcohol, but if you do then it’s likely there will be a corkage charge.

Corkage charge is usually per bottle opened, so it’s worth checking this and budgeting before you commit.

Receiving Line

A tradition that we love, the receiving line is where the couple greet everyone who’s attending their big day. Usually guests form a line and each have a small amount of time to say hi and share their congratulations with the happy couple.

Wedding days are seriously busy, so it’s a nice way to make sure you get a moment with each guest.

Ushers & Groomsmen

Generally speaking, Ushers and Groomsmen are the same thing. They’re members of a male’s wedding party and help make sure the day runs smoothly and the groom has what he needs.

If you’re not having groomsmen (or bridesmaids), you may still want ushers (of any gender), as they have an important role in leading and guiding the guests to make sure they’re always in the right place at the right time.

Carriages

You’ll often find wedding invitations and wedding websites say “Carriages at 11pm”. This is just a way of letting your guests know that that’s the time the party’s over!

Master of Ceremonies

Your MC for the day. This will likely be your closest and most-trusted member of your wedding party- but one who also likes the spotlight! They will introduce the big moments of your day, like the speeches and the first dance, and keep the day moving along and to time.

Dry Hire

Dry hire is a type of venue that acts as a ‘blank canvas’ for you. They’ll provide the space, but usually nothing else. You’ll need to source everything from catering to cutlery, glassware, tables and chairs, and staff to serve and run your bar.

Going for a dry hire venue gives you complete control and flexibility over your big day- you’re not locked into caterers and can decorate exactly how you like. It does also mean more planning and more prep- both before and after your big day.