If she's working with wedding professionals (caterers, planners, florists), she'll probably overhear them and give them some informal terminology that will leave you scratching your head. "I always get questions from my brides about the terms I'm using," says Annie Lee, founder of wedding planning firm Daughter of Design. "And sometimes the photographer and the caterer don't even understand each other, each wedding specialty has its own dialect."
So Lee created Learn to Speak Wedding:Flashcards for Beginners, a set of 50 cards outlining the terms of the trade so all brides (and grooms) can keep up. These cards make a great novelty gift for the bride to be, or you can turn them into a fun bridal shower contest to see who really knows what she's up to. Test your wedding IQ with this glossary from Lee:
- STD: "When I tell people to make sure you spread STDs to everyone in your family, I get an interesting reaction," says Lee. Don't panic, in wedding terms, STD stands for "save the date."
- FOB, MOB, FOG, MOG: You can see these abbreviations scribbled in the wedding planner's notes. Starting with "father of the bride," these are all shorthand for the parents of the happy couple; However, these are not to be treated directly.
- BM, GM, MOH: These acronyms stand for the wedding party. "BM" can be maid of honor or best man, "GM" is groomsman, and "MOH" is maid of honor.
- Combats :Pronounced "boots", which leads to confusion. "Bouts" are boutonnieres, or lapel flowers for the male members of the wedding party. The word is shortened because it is difficult to spell and say. Hint:boo-tuh-NEARS.
- OTT :If you hear this in reference to your wedding, you can take it as a compliment if you are trying your best. It's planner:talk about “up” – think 20 lavish bridesmaids and centerpieces.
- OOT :Not to be confused with "OTT", OOTs are your guests who come from other cities. Lee recommends treating them to welcome bags on arrival containing snacks, water, and suggestions on what to do in the area.
- Old Testament :Neither "OOT" nor "OTT", OT is exactly what most sports fans think it is:overtime. This is what hourly providers will charge you if your receipt exceeds the time limit; Make sure all contracts include a provision for overtime so the final bill isn't a surprise.
- FULL BOARD :The reception is a source of wedding shorthand because there are many logistical considerations and many different vendors involved. "F&B" stands for "food and drink," and generally refers to the minimum menu and bar amounts required to rent a venue, especially on weekend nights.
- BEO :The BEO is the banquet event order, or vendor's final document detailing the menu, guest count, timeline, set-up, and specific customer requests. Check it out carefully!
- Peace :Short for "passengers" and used by transport companies to show how many people can be accommodated in, for example, a limousine between the ceremony and the reception.
- Trash the dress :This is how you can choose to end your wedding celebration, though it's not as rude as it sounds. "Trash the dress" is the photo you take days or weeks after the wedding because it might ruin the bride's expensive sewing by running through an ocean wave, Lee says, or lying in a field of daisies. But don't be afraid to use your imagination on it - the dry cleaner can do amazing things these days..
