Happily Ever After: Learn 43 Words about Weddings in English
He got on one knee and popped the question: Will you marry me? After saying yes, it’s time to start thinking about your wedding day. In order to have the most perfect day, you need to do a good amount of planning beforehand. When the reception is over, you get to relax on your honeymoon. Keep reading for all the vocabulary you will need to talk about weddings in English.
Wedding or Marriage?
Is it a wedding or a marriage? This is a common question among English learners. Well, my dear students, they are different indeed!
Wedding is the word we use to talk about a marriage ceremony, also known as the wedding day. You can think of this as the event. Meanwhile, marriage refers to the legally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship. Take a look at the sentences below to better understand when to use each word:
- My sister’s wedding is tomorrow. I am so excited!
- My sister is getting married tomorrow. I hope she has the perfect wedding day.
- My parents are celebrating 50 years of marriage.
- After 16 years of marriage, they decided to get divorced.
Marital status: single, married, and more
This is a common question you will see when filling out official forms: What’s your marital status?
Here are the most common marital status you will choose from:
- Single: someone who is not married nor is involved in a romantic relationship;
- In a relationship: someone who has a significant other;
- Engaged: someone who is about to get married;
- Married: someone who has a husband or wife;
- Widowed: someone whose spouse has died. A man is called a widower and a woman is called a widow.
- Divorced: someone who was married in the past. The marriage has ended.
- Civil union: a legal relationship between two people that provides legal protections to the couple only at a state level. Sometimes this is called a domestic partnership.
Planning a wedding
After the proposal, it’s time to start planning the wedding. It can be an overwhelming task, so a wedding-planning checklist and timeline will come in handy.
Let’ learn some words about weddings in English, shall we?
The first time you need to do, preferably 12 months before your wedding day, is to determine your budget, which is how much you are willing to spend on your wedding day, and select the venue. A venue is where your wedding reception will happen. It may be a hotel, a restaurant, a farm, or the beach. You choose!
After that, you will then start hiring vendors. Vendors are companies who offer services or products for sale. For a wedding, you will probably need florists, photographers, DJs, wedding bands, bakeries, and more.
Choosing the wedding dress
Another important part is choosing the wedding dress. Brides will often visit a bridal shop and try on several different options until they choose the one. After choosing the one, it is common to have some fittings to make sure the dress looks perfect. Dresses are usually bought nine months before the big day.
Grooms will often wear a complete tuxedo, which includes a vest, a bow tie, and a jacket. Tuxedos are usually black or navy blue. The main difference between a tuxedo and a suit is that tuxedos have satin details. Satin is a smooth and glossy fabric, usually made of silk.
The last thing you may want to plan is a bachelor/bachelorette party. Also known as stag weekend or stag party, this party is intended for the bride and groom to celebrate one last night with their friends. A bachelor party is celebrated by the groom and his friends, who are usually all male. A bachelorette party is celebrated by the bride and her friends, usually all female. However, there are no rules here. The most important thing is to have fun during your party.
Bridesmaids and more
We have talked about them before, but the two most important people in your wedding are you and your fiance. The woman is called a bride and the man is called a groom. Usually, brides will have a couple of bridesmaids and a maid of honor. Bridesmaids are friends of the bride who will accompany her to the altar on the wedding day. Usually, bridesmaids wear similar dresses of the same color. The maid of honor is the leader of the bridesmaids.
The groom also needs to choose friends to help him on his wedding day. The friends chosen by him are known as groomsmen. The best man is the groom’s right-hand man, and he usually is in charge of the bachelor party. Groomsmen tend to wear similar attires, just like the bride and her bridesmaids.
At the ceremony, the groom and the bride will exchange wedding rings. The rings are carried by a ring bearer, which is usually a young boy. He is often accompanied by a flower girl, a young girl who tosses petals as the bride strolls down the aisle.
After the wedding
The reception is over. Time to go home and start your life as a married couple? Wait a second…you still need to enjoy the honeymoon.
A honeymoon is a holiday that newlyweds take right after their wedding. The idea is to celebrate their special day by traveling to an exotic or romantic destination. Common honeymoon destinations are the Maldives, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Bali, and Hawaii.
Are you married? If so, where did you spend your honeymoon? We are dying to know…drop a comment down below to let us know! We hope these blog post about weddings in English helps you talk about this topic in the future!
3 wedding movies you should check out today
Movies are a great resource to learn vocabulary in English. These are some good options if you are looking to learn more about wedding in English. Check them out!
- 27 Dresses (2008)
In this movie, actress Katherine Heigl is Jane, a woman who has been a bridesmaid in 27 different weddings. This romantic comedy tells Jane’s story as she meets a cynical journalist and finds out that her younger sister is about to marry the man she is in love with. I love this movie!
- My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Julia Roberts plays Julianne, a woman who is shocked when her best friend announces that he is getting married. The move follows her as she decides to sabotage his wedding. This is one of my favorite wedding movies, so make sure to check it out.
- Bridesmaids (2011)
I laugh out loud every time I watch this movie! It is a great comedy about Annie, a woman who is asked by her best friend to be her maid of honor. Because of a conflict with one of the bridesmaids, Annie ends up ruining her friend’s wedding events. Be ready to laugh from the beginning to end when watching this one!
We hope this blog post helps you talk about weddings in English. If you have any questions about this topic, let us know by dropping a comment down below. See you next time!