Wedding Lingo 101

Over the course of planning, you are going to hear a lot of lingo that might leave you scratching your head a little bit.  Umm, what exactly is a charger? (And no, it isn’t just a football player from Los Angeles.) We are going to break down some of this lingo for you today!

The Semantics of a Place Setting

Ok, we aren’t talking about the origins of the place setting but a little more about what you may see on your table.  If you have been looking at Pinterest (admit it, we know you have) you have likely seen quite a few different options for place settings. Here are some things that may be included on your table:

• Charger: This is the decorative plate that your salad plate sits on.  (Technically in a formal seated dinner this would be pulled before dinner service begins.)
• Flatware: This includes your salad fork, dinner fork, knife, spoon, dessert fork etc. And yes, work from the outside in when you sit down to eat.
• Glassware: This will include anything you set on your table or have at a station. It may be water, tea, wine, pilsner, there are a multitude of glassware options. (Consult your planner or local rental company for options!)
• Votive Candle: We are fans of candles around here so we use them everywhere we can. We tend to do about 3-5 per table.
• Place Card: This is at your place. Not to be confused with the escort card which will tell your guests how to get to their place. The place card typically sits at the place setting with the guest’s name on it. This will show the guest which seat they have been assigned to at the table.
• Escort Card: The escort card, which is usually on a table at the front of the reception has the guests names and table assignment on them.

Color Palette?

No, this isn’t what you like to eat and it doesn’t have to be blush and bashful. These are the colors you plan to use when decorating and outfitting wedding party for your wedding. We recommend choosing an entire palette as opposed to two colors and pigeon holing yourself into trying to match those colors exactly. Nature, and the season, give you a lot work with as far as colors go!

What is a First Look?

No, it isn’t some sort of peep show. The first look is the moment when the couple sees each other for the first time that day, happening before the ceremony. Some couples choose to wait until the ceremony to see each other and some choose to have an intimate moment with just the two of them (and the photographer and videographer) when they get a glimpse of each other all gussied up for the first time.

What is the Difference Between a Boutonniere and a Corsage?

Yes, we have to look up how to spell boutonniere every time. A boutonniere is the lovely flower that guys wear on their lapel.  A corsage is usually reserved for women and can be worn on the wrist of pinned on. (We see that grandmothers usually love the pin on corsages but they can be a little tricky to pin on delicate fabrics.)

What is a Flip?

No, this isn’t a gymnastics competition (I mean unless you want to add some acrobatics). The flip is what happens between your ceremony and reception if they are in the same space. Typically all your guests would go to another location within the venue while the ceremony space is transformed to become the reception space. Some venues may include staff and a flip when you book and some don’t so make sure to check with your venue to see if they offer that service. If not, you can pay the rental company to come back and help with the flip.

Wedding Ceremony…

Flipped to a reception space…

Do I Need a Bustle?

What is a bustle and why do I need one?  A bustle is sewn into your dress when altered to allow for the excess fabric to be adhered to the dress which in turn allows for better movement. Huh? You know that gorgeous train that looked great in the Cathedral but is not so practical for dancing in your tented wedding reception? Yeah, the bustle allows that to be pulled up so you can move and shake it.  There are many different types of bustles so talk to your alterations team to put the right one in for your dress. Also, make sure there is someone there on wedding day who knows how to help with your bustle. (Your planner is a great place to start!)

Also, don’t make the mistake I did by thinking I didn’t need one because my train was very very minimal.  Yeah, I had to safety pin the bottom of my dress up to dance all night.

Gobo? Is That that Buy One Get One thing?

No, it isn’t BOGO but Gobo’s can be really cool!  A Gobo is a stencil or pattern that is placed in front of a light to project said pattern onto the floor or wall. They can be a monogram, a cool pattern or anything you can dream and your lighting company can produce!

We hope this will help clear up some confusion about some of the terms you will hear vendors talking about.  You can also see more about this on Planning + Prosecco here.