結婚式

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 結婚式 (けっこんしき) is a noun for a wedding ceremony formally celebrating a marriage.
• Basic usage: Use で for an activity at the wedding and に when the ceremony is the destination or occasion.
  • 姉の結婚式で家族写真を撮りました。 — We took a family photograph at my older sister's wedding.
  • 来月の結婚式に着ていく服を選んでいます。 — I am choosing clothes to wear to next month's wedding.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Marriage and ceremony
  • 結婚 is the marriage or act of marrying, while 結婚式 is the ceremony. 姉 specifically means the speaker's older sister.