wed ‧ ding S2 W3 /ˈwedɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a marriage ceremony, especially one with a religious service:
She’s busy planning her daughter’s wedding.
When is the wedding?
2 . (hear the sound of) wedding bells spoken used to say that you think it is likely that two people will get married
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ go to a wedding ( also attend a wedding formal )
I’m going to a wedding on Saturday.
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About 100 people attended the wedding.
▪ come to the wedding
She wrote to say she couldn’t come to the wedding.
▪ conduct a wedding formal (=say the official words and perform the actions at a wedding)
Their wedding was conducted by the local priest.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + wedding
▪ a church wedding
I wanted a church wedding.
▪ a big wedding (=with a lot of guests)
They couldn’t afford a big wedding.
▪ a quiet/small wedding (=with not many guests)
We had a quiet wedding, with just a few close friends and relatives.
▪ a white wedding (=a traditional wedding where the bride wears a white dress)
She had always wanted a white wedding.
▪ a traditional wedding (=at a church, with the bride wearing a white dress)
I wanted a more traditional wedding.
▪ a registry office wedding British English (=at a local government office, not in a church)
They decided to have a registry office wedding.
▪ a civil wedding American English (=a wedding that is not performed by a religious leader)
Only church or civil weddings have full legal status.
■ wedding + NOUN
▪ sb’s wedding day
She looked beautiful on her wedding day.
▪ sb’s wedding night
They spent their wedding night in a hotel.
▪ sb’s wedding anniversary
They celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary in May.
▪ the wedding ceremony
Her uncle, a priest, conducted the wedding ceremony.
▪ the wedding service (=the ceremony in a church)
It was a beautiful wedding service.
▪ the wedding reception (=the large formal meal or party after a wedding)
Her uncle got drunk at the wedding reception.
▪ the wedding breakfast British English (=the meal after a wedding, usually in the afternoon)
▪ the wedding cake
The bride and groom cut the wedding cake.
▪ a wedding present/gift
He gave them a painting as a wedding present.
▪ a wedding guest
All the wedding guests laughed.
▪ a wedding invitation
They had already sent out all the wedding invitations.
▪ a wedding photograph/picture
my mother’s old wedding photographs
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THESAURUS
▪ wedding a ceremony in which two people get married, especially one with a religious service:
We had our wedding in the local church.
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a registry office wedding
▪ marriage a wedding. Marriage is less common and more formal than wedding :
Their marriage will take place in Westminster Abbey.
▪ reception a large formal meal or party after a wedding:
Where will you be having your reception?
▪ honeymoon a holiday taken by two people who have just got married:
We’re going to Barbados for our honeymoon.