Wedding Catering Terminology
Wedding Catering Terminology
Wedding Breakfast
Canapé
A canapé is typically a cracker or puff pastry topped with something savoury, but the term can be used interchangeably for small bites, hors d'oeuvres, and apps served before dinner. No matter what you decide to serve during cocktail hour, we suggest you take a lesson from the true canapé and make each dish bite-size.
Centerpiece
Floral arrangements on reception tables are called centerpieces. Unsurprisingly, they fill the "center" of the table and set the tone of the night's decor. While vessels and vases are typically filled with blooms, they don't have to be. We love seeing couples experiment with fruit, greenery—or even just candlelight.
Charger
No, it’s not for your phone. In the context of weddings, a charger is a larger plate that is used as the base of a place setting, essentially taking the place of a placemat. Plated courses are placed on top of the charger, which can also be removed before the serving of the main course if you prefer.
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail hour is a chance to mix, mingle, sip, and snack before sitting down for dinner. It usually occurs after the ceremony, acting as a transition from a more serious and emotional moment to the party to come. A great cocktail hour needs three things: refreshing drinks (a signature cocktail, a small selection of wine and beer, or a full open bar), flavorful food (think small bites and grazing stations), and entertaining music. Looking to shake things up? Have cocktail hour before your ceremony so everyone can toast your vows with their favorite drink.
Cost Per Person
The cost per person is most commonly referred to by venues and caterers, due to the fact that their overhead costs are impacted by a couple’s total guest count in order to supply an adequate amount of food and beverages for each individual at an event. Wedding planners also refer to the cost per person when estimating total budgets for clients, as food and beverages are not the only costs that could be impacted by guest count. Other costs that could be impacted by guest count include florals, rentals, invitations, guest favors, transportation, and so much more.
Day-Of Coordinator
If a full-service wedding planner isn’t in your budget, we highly recommend investing in a DOC, or day-of coordinator, if your venue doesn’t provide one. This pro will take over the production side of your wedding day, overseeing the set-up and making sure the timeline runs smoothly so you can focus on being the bride and your loved ones can celebrate instead of stressing over whether they’ve accurately brought your vision to life.
Favor
Thank your guests with a take-home treat at the end of the night. These gifts can be whatever you like, from charitable gifts in a guest's honor to chocolate truffles in personalized boxes (as shown here). We've learned that guests appreciate something to munch on after hours of dancing.
Floor Plan
A floor plan is a mock-up of an event space including all existing furniture and permanent structures in the space, along with any additional items being supplied by third-party vendors for an event. This is typically created by the venue, event planner, or event designer.
In-House Catering
This means the food and beverages are handled by your venue and not an outside vendor. An in-house team has the home-court advantage, meaning they know the venue and how to operate in the space. Some vendors require you to work with their team, so ask about this at your first site visit.
Head Table
Sweetheart tables will never go out of style, but head tables are here to stay. This larger VIP table is where the newlyweds sit, surrounded by either their wedding party or their families. The head table is centrally located—often right next to the dance floor for optimal toast viewing—and often features more elaborate decorations than the other reception tables.
Open Bar
Like at other parties and receptions, an open bar means you have wine, beer, and a full bar of liquor to offer guests. This option is the most expensive way to serve liquor at your wedding, so feel free to get creative if it's not in your budget. You'll want to read about everything you need to know about serving booze.
Place Card
Not to be confused with escort cards, place cards are what tell your guests exactly where to sit once they’ve gotten to their table. These aren’t always used—you can opt for open table seating, meaning you tell your guests which table to sit at and then let them choose their own chair from there—but are commonly used at head tables even for more casual weddings. However, they’re essential for more formal and black-tie weddings, where each guest’s seat is carefully chosen in advance.
Place Setting
Time to set the table! Place settings are the pieces used at each guest’s seat at the dinner table. Weddings tend to feature more formal service and a larger number of courses, so place settings are often more complicated than what you’d see at home on a regular weeknight. Formal wedding place settings include a charger, a dinner plate, a salad plate, a bread plate with a bread knife, salad and dinner forks, salad and dinner knives, a soup spoon, a dessert spoon and fork, a water glass, and at least one wine glass.
Rain Plan
A rain plan is a logistical plan that involves all necessary arrangements in case of inclement weather for weddings with outdoor elements. Instead of thinking of this as a “ backup plan,” we always recommend thinking of this as your expected plan (or “Plan A”) with your ideal weather plan as your bonus (or “Plan A+”) so that way you are not surprised or disappointed if you need to rely on this plan. Also, in case it is necessary to utilize tenting as part of your rain plan, you’ll want to make sure you reserve this with a deposit well ahead of time in order to ensure you have the necessary supplies and labor locked in to protect your event from inclement weather if needed.
Rehearsal Dinner
A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding event that often occurs the night before the wedding itself. It typically takes place after the wedding rehearsal (hence the name) and includes the couple, their wedding party, and immediate family members. There is no set rule on who is invited to this dinner, and some couples choose to welcome out-of-town guests, the wedding party's plus-ones, and close friends as well.
RSVP
Répondez, s’il vous plaît! RSVP is a polite (and French) way to ask your guests to please let you know if they’ll be attending your wedding. Most wedding invitations feature an RSVP card—or, nowadays, a URL where guests can RSVP online—asking guests to specify how many people will be attending, and might also include details like meal choices, where guests will be staying, or even a song they’d love to hear on the dance floor.
Signature Cocktail
Sip, sip, hooray! You’ve finally tied the knot, so let’s head to cocktail hour to celebrate. Mark the occasion with a signature cocktail that you and your partner love, whether it’s a classic (think a margarita or a boulevardier) or a creative seasonal concoction crafted by your caterer just for the occasion. Don’t forget a sign telling guests what’s in their drink.
Save the Date
Save-the-Dates are the perfect way to get on guests’ calendars before you send out your wedding invitation. They’re particularly useful if you’re having a destination wedding or have chosen a particularly popular wedding date (like a holiday weekend), as you’ll be able to let guests know to expect an invitation before they’ve made other big plans. Be sure to include your wedding website, where you can provide lodging and travel tips so guests can start shopping for flights and booking hotel rooms.
Sweetheart Table
This is a table set for two. It's a great option for couples who want to enjoy a dinner date surrounded by their nearest and dearest. We love when couples play up this display with special signage and decorated chairs.
Tablescape
A tablescape is what you get when your entire table design comes together, from the plates and flatware to the flowers and candles. As you’re working on your wedding design, think about this overall picture and work with your florist, planner, and rental company to fill in the finishing touches (like low centerpieces of fresh fruit or playful objects that will bring your theme together).
Welcome Bag
If you have out-of-town guests, consider greeting them with a welcome bag—or box! This gesture can be as simple or as complex as you’d like, but we recommend including the weekend’s itinerary and something edible (like wine, snacks, and water). No matter what you offer, remember to include one important item: a note thanking each guest.
Wedding Planner
If a couple decides to hire a wedding planner, they are tapping an outside individual to orchestrate their wedding from start to finish. This pro handles pre-wedding planning (budgets! spreadsheets! you name it!), as well as the installation and run of the show on the big day. See our list of the top wedding planners from coast-to-coast.