Getting engaged begins a series of events that will require a lot of your attention. To plan your wedding without a hitch, it helps to familiarize yourself with some of what is in store before you jump into the fray. Lots of words get thrown around about nuptials. Whether you’ve heard these terms before or they sound like an alien language, knowing more about what these keywords mean can help you immensely as you plan. Use this guide to get to know some of the terms that couples may find useful along the way.

Change-the-Date Notices

Most people know the purpose of the save-the-date card. However, a similar term has arisen in the last few years. With couples having to make drastic changes to their wedding plans during 2020’s COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, the change-the-date notice has become quite popular. As the name suggests, this is a card or digital notification sent to your guests to alert them of major changes to the wedding details. If you need to cancel, postpone, or slightly delay the time of your event, a change-the-date message should be sent as soon as possible.

Force Majeure 

Before the spread of the novel coronavirus, couples would sometimes see the phrase “force majeure” in contracts with their venues and vendors. The clause typically indicates what will happen and who will be responsible in the event an unforeseen weather disruption or other “force of God” causes a breach of contract. Since COVID-19 created unprecedented setbacks for couples and vendors alike, force majeure clauses have become standard practice in almost all contracts for weddings. If necessary, work with a legal professional on this to ensure you minimize your losses and respect your vendors.

Latermoon

Weddings are not the only thing taking a hit due to the disruptions of the coronavirus. Recent surveys have revealed couples are more likely to delay or outright cancel their honeymoons out of health concerns. This has led to the rise of the “latermoon.” Essentially, this involves creating a contingency plan for your honeymoon excursion. If you can’t travel, you can make plans for a later date that seems like a safe bet. Couples who opt for a latermoon are likely to have a personal celebration at home after the wedding as a temporary substitute. 

Micromoons and Minimonies

Since the pandemic, people are doing everything on the internet and new wedding jargon seems to spread at record speeds. Such is the case with terms like “minimonies” and “micromoons” cropping up across wedding blogs. Though the names may have a sci-fi edge, the buzzwords simply refer to smaller wedding events. A minimony means a wedding ceremony with fewer than 20 guests. Similarly, the minimoon is a less-involved version of a honeymoon.

Sequel Wedding

A “sequel wedding” sounds a bit like a person’s second marriage. In fact, it is the phrase couples have been using to refer to delayed wedding receptions. Couples don’t always want to wait to get married, even if local regulations prohibit an assembly. To comply and still enjoy the benefits of being legally bound, couples will break the event into two separate affairs. The “first” wedding would involve whatever private steps the couple took to officiate and legalize their marriage. The sequel wedding is then held at a later date and is conducted in the way of the traditional reception. 

Most people feel a bit overwhelmed when reading through blog posts and articles packed with words they don’t recognize. If you’re planning a wedding, do yourself a favor and brush up on some of the jargon. The future is anyone’s guess, so stay current on the terms that will help you make sense of the madness.