roadmap. 1  a map designed for motorists, showing the principal cities and towns of a state or area, the chief roads, usually tourist attractions and places of historical interest, and the mileage from one place to another. 2  any plan or guide to show how something is arranged or can be accomplished: your road map to financial independence.
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts provide their choice of food and drink, although a wedding cake is popular.
And how to know if you need one! While it gets lost easily in the noise of the WIC, the truth is that the wedding is the ceremony, and the reception is the party that happens after the wedding. In a similar way, the rehearsal dinner has become a big deal in the American Wedding Machine, and the rehearsal itself is often an afterthought.