WEDDING LINGO
(jump to letter) A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A-line dress – A style of dress that is fitted through the top down to the natural waist and the skirt broadens out slightly from there. (link to illustration)
Ball gown – A style of dress that is fitted from the top to the natural waist and then flares out into a full, floor-length skirt. (link to illustration)
Crinoline (CRIN-uh-linn) – A skirt of stiff material underneath the dress that adds fullness to the dress.
Darts – Thin fabric seams – usually at the bust, waist or back – that can be altered (tightened or loosened) to fit your body’s shape.
Debossing – An inkless technique that presses words or images into the front of an invitation to create dented lettering without ink.
Drop waist – A style of dress featuring a waist line that sits lower than your natural waist.
Embossing – An inkless technique to create raised letters or images on the front of an invitation by pressing raised words or artwork into the back of the paper.
Empire dress (AHM-PEER) – A style of dress featuring a higher waistline that sits just below your bust. The skirt flows straight and loose from there. (link to illustration)
Engraved invitations – An expensive technique in which a printing company carves the invitation wording (in reverse) into a metal plate and places ink in the letters’ grooves. Paper is pressed into the plate’s grooves, which creates raised, inked lettering on the front of an invitation and indented letters on the back.
Floor length – A length of dress featuring a hem that just touches the floor.
Halter dress – A neckline style with straps that loop around the back of the neck instead of over the shoulders.
Laser-printing – A technique using a computer’s printer to imprint invitations.
Letterpressing – An expensive technique in which a printing company creates a metal plate with raised, inked letters. The plate is then pressed into paper, which makes indented, inked letters on the front of an invitation.
Mandarin collar (MAN-dah-rinn) – An Asian-inspired neckline style (also sometimes called a banded collar) that features an upright, squared collar.
Off the shoulder neckline – A neckline style in which the dress rests around or just below the shoulders.
Prix fixe (pree fix) – A French term for the fixed price that’s charged for a pre-arranged menu, from which your guests can chose their meal.
Ruching (ROOSH-ing) – Pleats of fabric usually gathered around the waist or bodice of a dress that give a slimming effect.
Sheath dress (SHEETH) – A slim, body-hugging style of dress that shows off your body’s silhouette. (link to illustration)
Sixpence – The sixpence is a British coin and is considered lucky. It’s a wedding tradition for a bride to place a sixpence in her shoe to bring the new couple wealth and prosperity. Some bridal stores sell a sixpence gift set or you can buy the coin online.
Slipdress – It’s a style of dress that clings to your body and is named for its similarity to a slip or undergarment. It usually features thin, silky material and slim straps.
Spaghetti Straps – Very thin shoulder straps, named for their similarity in shape to spaghetti.
Sweetheart neckline – A neckline style with two curves that look like the top of a heart.
Tea-Length dress – A length of dress featuring a hem that ends just below the knee
Thermography invitations – A technique that uses heat-sensitive inks to create raised lettering on the front of paper with no indentations on the back.
Three-quarter length sleeves – A length of sleeves that ends between the elbow and wrist.
Tulle (TOOL) – A fine net of material used for veils and gowns (and ballerina tutus!)
Trunk Show – A show at a bridal store featuring a designer’s entire collection of clothes and accessories. Also, a display of the collection at a store, attended by a representative of the designer.