Wedding Planning Lingo Decoded: What Today’s Couples Need to Know
- Kim
- Jul 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 28
Planning a wedding is like learning a whole new language, and if you’ve ever found yourself nodding along in a meeting while wondering what in the world a BEO is, you’re not alone.😅
At K Laine + Co, we believe your planning experience should feel empowering, not overwhelming. While it’s our job to handle the logistics, we know many couples want to feel informed and confident along the way. That’s why we’ve put together this easy-to-digest glossary of common wedding planning terms. Think of it as your behind-the-scenes cheat sheet.
Whether you’re planning your celebration in Austin, College Station, or the Texas Hill Country, or across the globe, we hope this guide helps you feel more at ease - and a little more fluent in the language of weddings.
Planning & Process Terms
Aisle Planner (or Planning Portal)
The collaborative online platform we use to keep everything organized with our couples and vendors - timelines, budgets, contracts, layouts, design notes, and more. It’s our central hub for all things planning.
BEO (Banquet Event Order)
A document your caterer or venue provides that outlines every detail related to food and beverage. We’ll review this together before your wedding to make sure everything is accurate.
Day-of Coordinator (DOC) / Event Management
At K Laine + Co, our event management service starts 8 weeks out - not just the day-of. We’ll finalize logistics, confirm vendors, and manage your day from start to finish.
Final Walk-Through
A meeting on-site (typically 2–4 weeks out) with you, your planner, the caterer, and the venue manager to walk through flow, layout, and final logistics. Other vendors are always welcome to attend if it's a complicated load-in/set up.
Rider
A document attached to a contract that outlines specific needs - often from service providers, performers or bands (think: green room snacks, power requirements, or meal preferences).
Timeline
A detailed schedule for your wedding day - hour-by-hour, and sometimes down to the minute. We build this with precision, making sure every vendor knows where to be and when. This outlines the flow of events on your wedding day, from the moment hair and makeup begin to the final send-off.
Vendor Meal
A meal served to your working vendor team (photographer, planner, band, etc.) during dinner service. Most contracts require this - we’ll handle the coordination so no one’s running on fumes.
Venue Manager
Your venue’s point person. They handle venue-specific logistics like unlocking doors, HVAC, making sure the space is party-ready, and their staffing. But they don’t manage your decor, vendors, packing, troubleshooting issues that don't relate to the venue or the wedding flow - that’s our job.
Ceremony & Reception Terms
Boutonniere
A small floral worn on the lapel - usually by the groom, groomsmen, or family members.
Bustle
An alteration that lifts and secures the train of your wedding dress for dancing and mingling. This makes it easier for the bride to move and dance during the reception without stepping on her gown or dragging the fabric. It typically doesn’t come built-in, but your seamstress or alterations specialist can add one during fittings.
First Look
A first look is a private moment where the couple sees each other before the ceremony, typically captured by the photographer. You can also do a first look with a parent, sibling or your bridal party.
Processional / Recessional
The order in which you and your wedding party enter (processional) and exit (recessional) the ceremony. Don’t worry - we’ll line everyone up and cue each person!
Seating Chart vs. Escort Cards vs. Place Cards
Escort cards guide guests to their table. Place cards show them where to sit. A seating chart is a beautiful visual display of it all - one of our favorite design moments!
Sweetheart Table vs. Head Table
A sweetheart table seats just the couple. A head table includes the couple and their wedding party.
Turnover / Flip
When we transform the ceremony space into the reception space during cocktail hour - think moving chairs, rearranging furniture, moving decorations, re-setting tables, changing lighting, and sometimes changing flooring, etc. This all happens between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception while your guests are mingling at cocktail hour.
Usher
A trusted friend or family member who greets guests, guides them to their seats, distributes programs, and helps maintain order and flow during guest arrival to ensure the ceremony starts on time.
Design & Décor Terms
Ambient Lighting
Soft, warm lighting like candles, uplights, or string lights that set the mood and enhance the overall atmosphere.
Candles
While these come in many shapes and sizes, here are the three most common styles:
Pillar: Thick, freestanding, long-burning, various heights and widths, great for drama
Taper: Long, slender candles designed to fit into candle holders, often used for formal or romantic settings
Votives: Small, short candles typically placed in glass holders, perfect for creating soft, ambient lighting
Charger
A decorative plate placed under the dinner plate - think of it as a stylish base layer for your table design. A charger is similar to a placemat, but more elegant. While it's not used for serving food, it adds a beautiful, polished layer to elevate the overall table setting. Chargers are perfect for creating a fully styled place setting and are especially useful on tables without traditional plates, helping to define each guest's space with style.
Day-of Signage
Various signs used throughout the wedding to guide, inform, and enhance guest experience (Welcome, Bar Menu, Directional Signs, Seating Chart, Dinner Menu, etc.) and add to your overall design aesthetic.
Flat Lay
A styled photo of details like invitations, jewelry, perfume, your rings, and heirlooms. It’s usually one of the first photos your photographer captures at the start of the day.
Floating Installation
Suspended florals, chandeliers, or lighting that add wow-factor from above. These add drama and elegance!
Ghost Chair
A transparent or translucent chair (often made of molded polycarbonate) that creates an illusion of weightlessness and minimal presence through modern design.
Invitation Suite
The full set of printed stationery: Save the Date, Invitation, RSVP, Details Card, Directions, etc.
Mood Board
A curated visual representation of your wedding aesthetic - color palette, inspiration, textures, florals, fashion, and rentals - used to guide your entire design.
Pipe & Drape
Fabric panels used to create backdrops, divide a space, or conceal areas. We use these for altar setups, entrances, or even behind your head table.
Food, Beverage & Rental Terms
Bar Terms:
Flat Rate Bar: Fixed price per guest for unlimited drinks within a set timeframe. This means the host pays a predetermined amount per person, regardless of how much or how little each guest consumes.
Bar on Consumption: You pay based on how much your guests drink, rather than paying a flat fee upfront. Essentially, the host is "hosting" the bar, meaning they are covering the cost of the drinks, but the final bill is based on how much alcohol is actually consumed.
Cash Bar: Guests pay for their own drinks rather than having them provided free.
Canapé
A small, decorative appetizer typically served during cocktail hour. It consists of a base, like bread or crackers, topped with a savory spread or other ingredients.
Cutting Cake / Sheet Cake
A small cake for the ceremonial cut, paired with a larger sheet cake served behind the scenes. It’s an elegant and budget-savvy combo.
Drink in Hand Toast
Instead of passing champagne, guests raise whatever drink they’re holding during the toast.
Hard Stop
The exact time your event must end per venue rules. We work backward from this when building your timeline.
Last Call
The final time drinks are served, based on your venue's rules or local laws. We make sure it's handled smoothly.
Load-In / Load-Out
The scheduled times vendors arrive to set up and later remove everything. We manage these logistics from start to finish.
Rain Plan / Rain Call
A weather contingency plan. The “rain call” is the final decision on whether to activate it - usually made 24–48 hours before the wedding.
Silent Cake Cutting
This refers to the moment during a wedding when the couple cuts the cake quietly and without the usual fanfare- no announcements, music, or crowd. It’s a modern and low-key choice.
Strike
The teardown and clean-up of all vendor items after the wedding ends.
Tented Wedding
An outdoor wedding under a tent structure - often requiring full infrastructure (power, flooring, climate control, lighting).
White Glove Service
A term used to describe a high-touch, detail-obsessed level of service. It's what we strive for in everything we do
Bonus Terms You May Hear
Call Time
The scheduled arrival time for each vendor. We stagger these based on setup needs and to keep things running smoothly.
Room Block
A group of hotel rooms reserved at a discounted rate for guests. We help you decide between a courtesy or contracted block.
Soft Hold
When a vendor or venue tentatively reserves your date, which will expire after a certain period of time without a signed contract and deposit.
Wedding Weekend
A full weekend of events - rehearsal dinner, wedding day, after-party, and farewell brunch. We help plan it all so it flows seamlessly as a cohesive experience.
Welcome Party
A casual gathering before the big day, often the night before. It's perfect for destination weddings or multi-day celebrations.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to know all of this to have a perfect wedding day - that’s what I'm here for. But understanding the lingo can help you feel more confident, more empowered, and more connected to the process. And when you work with a planner who translates everything along the way? That's when the magic really happens!
Ready to plan your dream day with clarity and confidence?
Whether you're planning an intimate Austin wedding or a full weekend celebration, we’re here to make the process seamless - and maybe even fun. 🤩
Reach out here to schedule a consultation and see how K Laine + Co can bring your vision to life.
