So I’ve been researching where all those antiquated terminology comes from and what it means:

Carriages at midnight: doesnt mean some sort of Cinderalla carriages. Its just a polite way of saying that the party will end at midnight, please arrange for your transport home by this time. 

Bring a bottle: means asking guests to bring gifts of alcohol to the parties. 

Here are some terms that will be useful when researching your wedding dress or speaking to the bridal consultant. I’ve also put in some terms about flowers so it can help when speaking to a florist. 

Fish bowl: a centerpiece in which flowers are arranged in a glass bowl 

Madonna veil: a veil that falls just below the chin and is worn at informal weddings. Also known as a birdcage veil.

Elbow: a veil that’s about two feet long and reaches to the bride’s elbows.

Flyaway: a less formal veil, it has multiple layers and reaches just to the bride’s shoulders.

Waltz: A veil that falls somewhere between the knee and the ankle. Also known as a Ballet veil

Presentation: flowers with long stems arranged so that the bouquet is 
cradled in the bride´s arms (like a beauty pageant).

Fingertip: a veil that falls just to the bride’s fingertips

Blusher: A short, single layer of veil material, it’s usually worn over your face during the wedding ceremony and then flipped back over your hair when you kiss

Extended Cathedral: extends 12 feet or more from the waist. Also known as a monarch train

Tussy Mussy: a silver carrying cone for flowers made popular in Victorian times, often used by brides to carry a nosegay-type nosegay

Ballet: A veil that falls somewhere between the knee and the ankle. Also known as a Waltz veil.

Semi-cathedral: extends 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet from the waist.

Cathedral: The most formal veil, it’s usually three and a half yards long. Also known as the ‘royal veil.’

Dotted swiss: A piping technique for cake frosting that makes tiny dots in patterns that resemble a dotted swiss fabric.

Fountain: a veil that is gathered at the crown of the head to create a cascading effect around the face, it usually falls to the shoulders or fingerips.

Double Tier: A veil of two layers (either two veils or a veil and a blusher), usually of different lengths

Topiary: Flowers or foliage trained and trimmed into geometric shapes, often resembling miniature trees or animals.

Cascade: resembles a cascade or waterfall with the flowers flowing downward in a free-flowing, loose appearance. Traditionally made using white flowers such as roses, stephanotis, and white or calla lilies.

Boutonniere: A single bloom or one or more buds worn by men on the lapel of their jackets. Usually worn by grooms, attendants, ushers, and the bride´s and groom´s fathers

Sweep: the shortest dress train, it goes back 8 to 12 inches after touching the floor.

Nosegay: Round in shape and usually smaller than the other styles, it´s made using flowers all cut to the same length and usually made with one dominant flower or color. They´re often wrapped with ribbon or lace.

Pouf: A gathered piece of tulle or netting that fastens to a comb or headpiece to create height for the veil.

Trellis: A woven wooden frame used as a screen or support for climbing plants and flowers.

Classic Hand-Tied Bouquet: gives the illusion of a “just picked” bouquet of flowers anchored in a bouquet holder, wired, or hand-tied.

Monarch: extends 12 feet or more from the waist. Also known as an extended cathedral train.

Pomander: A bloom-covered ball suspended from a ribbon, sometimes carried by flower girls instead of the usual basket of flowers.

Posies: Similar to nosegays but smaller, posies often feature silk ribbons

Huppah: A wedding canopy decorated with flowers that is an integral part of the traditional Jewish ceremony

Dais: a flower arrangement at the head table that usually hangs over the front of the table.

Mantilla: A long, Spanish-style circular or triangular piece of lace that is draped over the bride’s head. It’s usually made of lace or lace and tulle and is held in place with a comb.

Corsage: A single bloom or a small cluster of blooms usually featuring a ribbon. They come in various styles, including those that are pinned on, held on the wrist with elastic, and hand-held. Usually worn by the mothers/grandmothers of the bride and groom.

Beidermeier: A nosegay made up of concentric circles of different flowers for a striped effect of rings (think of an archery target).