30 terms
The wedding planning glossary.
The words planners, vendors and families use, defined plainly, from per-function RSVP to Pheras.
Advance payment
The first payment made to a wedding vendor to confirm a booking, usually a fixed share of the total agreed fee. The remaining balance is paid on agreed dates before or on the wedding day.Vendor payment schedules
Anand Karaj
The Sikh wedding ceremony, held in a gurdwara in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, in which the couple walk around the scripture four times (the laavan).
Balance payment
The remaining amount owed to a wedding vendor after the advance, typically due shortly before or on the day of the function.
Baraat
The groom's wedding procession to the venue, usually with music, dancing and the groom on a horse or in a decorated car.
Budget band
A range, rather than an exact figure, that a couple gives for their wedding budget during an enquiry. Planners use it to qualify enquiries and shape proposals without an awkward conversation about exact numbers.
Day-of coordination
A wedding planning service where the planner runs the wedding day (or days) from a plan the couple has largely made themselves, usually taking over a few weeks before the wedding.
Destination wedding
A wedding held away from where the couple and most guests live, such as Udaipur, Goa or abroad, which adds travel, accommodation and hospitality planning for most guests.
Event-wise invitation
An invitation that shows a guest only the wedding functions they are invited to. A planner typically sends different links to different groups, for example the full schedule for family and only the reception for colleagues.Per-function RSVP guide
Guarantee number
The minimum number of plates or guests a caterer or venue charges for, agreed in advance. If fewer guests attend, the guarantee is still paid.
Guest segmentation
Organising a wedding guest list by attributes such as the bride's or groom's side and a group (family, friends, office), so invitations, reminders, seating and headcounts can be handled for each segment.
Haldi
A pre-wedding ceremony in which family members apply turmeric paste to the bride and groom, usually held on the morning of or the day before the wedding.
Headcount
The total number of people expected at a wedding function, counting every member of each guest's party, not just the number of replies. Caterers and venues quote against the headcount.
Mehendi
A pre-wedding function where henna designs are applied to the bride's hands and feet, and often to guests, usually with music and food.
Muhurat
An auspicious date and time chosen for a wedding or ceremony according to the Hindu calendar. Muhurat dates often cluster, which creates peak wedding seasons and busy weeks for vendors.
Nikah
The Islamic marriage contract and ceremony, in which the couple consent to the marriage in the presence of witnesses and an officiant.
Per-function RSVP
An RSVP in which each guest replies separately for every wedding function they are invited to, including how many people are coming to each. It produces an accurate headcount per function instead of one total.How to set up per-function RSVP
Pheras
The central ritual of a Hindu wedding, in which the couple walk around the sacred fire, traditionally seven times, making vows at each round.
Planner portfolio
All the weddings a planning business is running at the same time, viewed together, with each wedding's date, progress, vendors, payments and owner on one screen.
Reception
The post-wedding celebration hosted to introduce the couple to a wider circle of guests, often the largest function by guest count.
Roka
A pre-engagement ceremony in North Indian families that formalises the match between the two families, often the first function of a wedding season.
Room allocation
Assigning hotel rooms to out-of-town wedding guests from a room block, matched to RSVPs and travel dates, and shared with the hotel before arrivals.
Room block
A set of hotel rooms reserved for wedding guests at an agreed rate and for agreed dates, usually with a deadline by which unused rooms must be released.
RSVP chase
Following up with wedding guests who have not replied to an invitation. Good practice is to remind only non-responders, only about what they have not answered.WhatsApp reminders done right
Run sheet
The minute-by-minute plan for one wedding function, shared with every vendor working it, covering arrival and setup times, the sequence of events, contacts and the final headcount.
Sangeet
A pre-wedding music and dance night where both families perform, often one of the largest and most produced functions of an Indian wedding.
Save the date
An early announcement of the wedding dates, sent before the full invitation so guests, especially those who must travel, can plan.
Vendor readiness
Whether every vendor category a wedding needs (venue, catering, decor, photography and so on) has a booked vendor, tracked per wedding and prioritised by how close the wedding is.Vendor management playbook
Vidaai
The emotional farewell ceremony at the end of a Hindu wedding, when the bride formally leaves her family home with the groom. Also spelled bidaai.
Wedding planner software
Software that a wedding planning business uses to run several weddings at once: enquiries and sales, a portfolio of client weddings, vendors and payments, guest lists and RSVPs, and team access.What to look for
WhatsApp message template
A message format pre-approved by WhatsApp that a business must use to start a conversation on the WhatsApp Business Platform, with placeholders for personal details such as a guest's name and invitation link.
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