wedding
B1Neutral, Formal/Informal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A marriage ceremony, including the formal union of two people as partners in a personal relationship, typically accompanied by celebrations.
Can also refer to the anniversary of a marriage (e.g., 'silver wedding'), the associated festivities, or metaphorically to any close union or combination.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun referring to the event/ceremony; the legal state is 'marriage'. 'Wedding' often implies the social/ceremonial aspects (dress, cake, guests), while 'marriage' refers to the institution or relationship.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. UK may use 'wedding breakfast' for the post-ceremony meal; US more likely 'reception meal/dinner'. US more likely to say 'get married'; UK uses both 'get married' and 'get wed' (more informal).
Connotations
Largely identical. Both strongly associated with tradition, celebration, and legal/spiritual commitment.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
at the/a weddinginvite someone to your weddingthe wedding of X and Yget married/be married (verb phrase for the action)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wedding bells are ringing”
- “a shotgun wedding”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In events/hospitality industry: 'wedding planner', 'wedding venue', 'wedding catering'.
Academic
Rare. Might appear in sociological/anthropological studies of ritual and kinship.
Everyday
Very common in social conversations, invitations, and family contexts.
Technical
Legal contexts may distinguish between 'wedding' (ceremony) and 'marriage' (contract/status).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They are wedding at the local registry office next month. (rare, formal/archaic)
American English
- The couple will be wed in a small ceremony. (still used, slightly formal)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form. 'Weddingly' is non-existent.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form. 'Weddingly' is non-existent.)
adjective
British English
- We need to finalise the wedding list for John Lewis.
- She looked stunning in her wedding gown.
American English
- We're looking at wedding bands in the jewellery district.
- The wedding planner handled every detail.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My sister's wedding is in July.
- They had a beautiful wedding in a garden.
- We've been invited to a wedding in Scotland.
- The wedding ceremony was very moving.
- Planning the wedding took over a year of meticulous organisation.
- Their wedding blended traditional customs with modern touches.
- The extravagant wedding was widely reported in the society pages, sparking debates about ostentation.
- Anthropologically, the wedding serves as a rite of passage, signalling a change in social status for the couple.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the phrase 'We'd be together' – the 'We'd' sounds like the start of 'wedding'.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WEDDING IS A JOURNEY ('embark on married life'), A BOND ('ties that bind'), A CEREMONIAL CONTRACT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'свадьба' – they are direct cognates and semantically identical.
- The verb is 'to marry' or 'to get married', not 'to wedding'. 'Свадьба' as an anniversary ('серебряная свадьба') translates as 'silver wedding anniversary'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'wedding' as a verb (*I will wedding next year*). Correct: *I will get married/have a wedding*.
- Confusing 'wedding' and 'marriage': *Their wedding lasted 20 years* (incorrect). Use 'marriage' for the duration.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is CORRECT?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Wedding' is the ceremony/event. 'Marriage' is the lifelong partnership or institution. You *attend a wedding*, but you *are in a marriage*.
The verb is 'to wed', but it is formal/archaic. In modern English, we use 'to marry' or 'to get married'. 'Wedding' is almost exclusively a noun.
It refers to the anniversary of the marriage. 'Silver wedding' means the 25th anniversary.
Yes, 'wedding day' is a very common and correct collocation referring specifically to the day on which the ceremony takes place.
Collections
Part of a collection
Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.
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