挙式

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 挙式 is a noun and irregular intransitive verb read きょしき, meaning to hold a formal ceremony, especially a wedding ceremony.
• Basic usage: Use 挙式することにする for deciding how to hold the ceremony and 挙式の後 for the time after it.
  • 二人は家族だけで挙式することにした。 says that the couple decided to hold the ceremony with family only; 挙式の後、庭で記念写真を撮った。 describes taking commemorative photographs in the garden after the ceremony.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 家族だけで挙式する
  • だけ limits the participants to family, and で marks that composition or manner of holding the ceremony.
• 挙式することにした
  • ことにした indicates that the people concerned made the decision.
• 挙式 and 結婚式
  • 結婚式 names the wedding event as a whole, while 挙式 focuses on the act of conducting the ceremony.