In recent years, it has often happened to me to organize a bilingual wedding (indeed, even multilingual!) where, essentially, the guests did not all speak the same language as they originate from different countries and cultures.
The biggest issue to consider when planning a bilingual wedding is making everyone feel at ease, regardless of the language they speak. Therefore, the care of the different elements that characterize communication in a marriage must be at the highest levels.
BILINGUAL WEDDING: WHAT IS IT?
Quite simply, we speak of a bilingual wedding when the guests speak different languages and very often also belong to different cultures (not necessarily those of the spouses, even if it basically depends on the origins of the couple). The situation gets complicated when some guests speak only their own language of origin and therefore, communication with them could be quite difficult.
The main objective, therefore, will be not to make guests feel uncomfortable or, even worse, isolated because it is not clear, for example, at what time the ceremony will begin or, once the reception has begun, where the drinks corner is.
With today's post, I reveal 8 useful tips for organizing a perfect bilingual wedding.
8 useful tips to organize a perfect bilingual wedding
1. COMPARISON WITH FAMILIES AND GUESTS
Talk to them, your parents, your families. Try to understand what they expect, what they prefer and what they would never want to experience in a marriage. Be clear right away. Knowing the traditions of different cultures will certainly help you not to fall into blunders or blunders that you could have largely avoided.
When everything is clear, when you have the needs of each of them well in mind, I am sure that everything will be easier because there will be no unknowns.
2. WEDDING SUITE STATIONERY AND DECORS
Undoubtedly, all the communication of the event will have to follow the double/triple language principle: from the save the date to the invitations, from the ceremony booklet to the welcome signs, from the tableau de mariage to the menu and placeholder, etc. It will therefore be necessary to find a graphic and design layout suitable for the purpose. Some couples prefer to have all the necessary languages, for example for the mass booklet, on the same page, while others prefer to personalize as much as possible, therefore going to print all the material in separate languages.
3. BILINGUAL WEDDING WEDSITE
Here I go back to point 1.: create a wedding website (and, in my consultations Top and Dream is included for free! Contact me here) where you can enter all the useful information regarding, not only the logistics and the marriage process, but also all those notes and details typical of bilingual weddings. For example, you can indicate to your guests the dress code to follow, perhaps asking them to wear traditional clothes. Or, inform them about possible special rituals or customs that they should know about before coming to the wedding. All to prevent different cultures from feeling welcomed and respected.
Obviously, as for point 2 just seen, it will be necessary to use both/all the necessary languages so that anyone who accesses the site will have everything clearly understood and will not have to get lost in improbable translations. As with the graphics suite, it will also be necessary to decide whether to create one for each language or to integrate all the texts with the various translations on the same pages.
4. INTERPRETER FOR CEREMONY AND SPEECHES
When organizing a bilingual wedding, both in the case of a religious ceremony and a civil ceremony (and obviously in the case of a symbolic ceremony), it will certainly be necessary to provide for the presence of an interpreter who, in agreement with the celebrant, can act as an intermediary. Unless it is the celebrant himself who will take care of this aspect. Certainly, for guests who speak a second language, it will be very nice to be able to follow the ceremony (or at least the most important moments) independently and with the help of a booklet printed specifically for them.
Also at the reception, considering that there will certainly be speeches (i.e. speeches of good wishes from families, witnesses of the couple and the couple themselves) it would be very useful to have a friend or relative who lends itself to translating for all those who do not speak the same language. These are such important and emotional moments that it would be a real shame not to grasp their essence!
5. MUSIC AND CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT
Never underestimate musical entertainment at a bilingual or multilingual wedding. The presence of a singer/dj who will communicate the different times of the event with the guests and who knows how to involve all the guests, regardless of the language spoken, will certainly be greatly appreciated.
As well as music, which is a mix of different cultures, perhaps international and, therefore, not just local/Italian.
If you have planned entertainment for children and teenagers in your wedding, try to rely on an agency that knows how to offer trained staff who speak at least English: parents will appreciate it!
6. LAYOUT & SEATING
The management of seats at the table has always been rather delicate and, alas, complicated. It will be necessary to ensure that, in case you have to join people who don't know each other at the same table, at least they can communicate and chat easily with a common language otherwise long faces and boredom will prevail.
For all the couples who choose my Top or Dream consultancy, arranging guests at the table has never been easier thanks to Aisle Planner's powerful Layout & Seating tool!
7. MENU
In a bilingual or in any case multicultural wedding, the presence of culinary references to one's traditional cuisines will certainly be appreciated, but to avoid risky and perhaps not too suitable experiments, my advice is to propose Italian cuisine in its entirety. Foreigners love our food, they come here to Italy just to experience the Italian atmosphere so I don't think it's necessary to adapt or distort the menu just because of the presence of foreign guests.
8. BILINGUAL SUPPLIERS
Last, but not least, is the presence of bilingual staff: from the make up artist, to the singer, to the catering staff. Foreign guests will certainly feel more pampered and less lost if there is a staff next to them, not only trained, but also able to explain, in case of request, what they are about to eat, or where the toilet is located or in which area the cake will be!
IN CONCLUSION, ORGANIZE A BILINGUAL WEDDING...
or multilingual requires a small organizational effort which, if done together with a Wedding Planner, will be a piece of cake!
If you need to talk to me, if you want to know more about how I work and what I can do for you, what are you waiting for?
EnJoy!
Federica
Your Planner in Romagna & Le Marche
