Bilingual Weddings

[Yader&Sarah 0]

My question is completely off topic, so it seems I'm in the right place...

One of my favorite ways to distract myself from this seemingling endless wait, is to throw myself whole-heartedly into the planning of our wedding. While many of the huge details (ie DATE) still elude us, I've sought solace in planning to death the little details (ie colors, readings, music, etc). But one thing that has me really hung up is language. My finance and I communicate only in Spanish. He is taking English classes currently, and I figure that after being in the States a few months he'll pick up even more, but regardless, it seems cruel to have a wedding in a language he doesn't understand so well, when we both communicate fluently in Spanish. Problem is my family doesn't speak Spanish (minus the Spanish classes my parents are taking at the community college, and a distant cousin).

I think it is really important that Yader is comfortable (obviously!) at our wedding and plan to do the vows for sure in Spanish, maybe include a translation in the program or something? and maybe more, but Ive heard that translating word for word makes for a long and tedious wedding?

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any interesting/creative ideas or experience in pulling off a successful bilingual wedding.

ps. thanks for contributing to my distraction! that was a whole 10 min...

[MrsCat 6]

Perhaps not having the entire ceremony bilingual, but the vows to one another in english/spanish. I dunno - personally I would hate to sit through an entire wedding 2x over. I dunno - I guess it depends on your fiances comfort as well. Maybe he would like the entire ceremony in spanish as well.

[Y's_habibitk 2]

I would have the entire ceremony in spanish and have the translation of the vows written in the program(if they are personal), in english. I would also have the pastor(whoever is preforming the ceremony) announce " i now pronounce you man and wife" in spanish and then english at the end.

If the vows arent personally written by you guys.. no need to translate.

Just my thoughts.

Good Luck!

Lisa

Edited October 13, 2008 by Y_habibitk

[natty bumppo 297]

My question is completely off topic, so it seems I'm in the right place...

One of my favorite ways to distract myself from this seemingling endless wait, is to throw myself whole-heartedly into the planning of our wedding. While many of the huge details (ie DATE) still elude us, I've sought solace in planning to death the little details (ie colors, readings, music, etc). But one thing that has me really hung up is language. My finance and I communicate only in Spanish. He is taking English classes currently, and I figure that after being in the States a few months he'll pick up even more, but regardless, it seems cruel to have a wedding in a language he doesn't understand so well, when we both communicate fluently in Spanish. Problem is my family doesn't speak Spanish (minus the Spanish classes my parents are taking at the community college, and a distant cousin).

I think it is really important that Yader is comfortable (obviously!) at our wedding and plan to do the vows for sure in Spanish, maybe include a translation in the program or something? and maybe more, but Ive heard that translating word for word makes for a long and tedious wedding?

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any interesting/creative ideas or experience in pulling off a successful bilingual wedding.

ps. thanks for contributing to my distraction! that was a whole 10 min...

do the entire ceremony in a language your fiance doesn't understand ... also ask your SO to sign documents that are in a language not understood ... after all ... if your SO loves you ... it's okay to

[pedroh 21]

ha fukcin ha natty..

i think she's asking a serious question

[Yader&Sarah 0]

I, gasp, was/am serious. I am just trying to figure out a way to let as many people share in our wedding as possible, and I figured that here lots of you have had experience and might have some interesting ideas. Thanks!

[franklie 0]

As a licensed minister, I recently officiated a bi-lingual wedding ceremony for a friend of mine. It was a beach wedding in the LA area with a combination of religious, quasi-religious and non-religious people attending.

While keeping in mind the sensibilities of the non-religious, monolingual folk attending, the focus of the ceremony was the couple being married. The important parts of the ceremony such as the vows were done in Spanish, with me doing a simultaneous translation in English so the rest of people could understand what was being said and promised. The couple themselves only said the vows in Spanish. I did a brief talk/sermon for the couple that I also simultaneously translated in English. It touched on religious themes but was applicable to everyone's life regardless of whether or not one had proclaimed Jesus as his/her personal saviour.

Perhaps the above can help the OP.

[natty bumppo 297]

ha fukcin ha natty..

i think she's asking a serious question

just do the opposite of what was posted ... and everything will be ok

[Mononoke28 135]

I, gasp, was/am serious. I am just trying to figure out a way to let as many people share in our wedding as possible, and I figured that here lots of you have had experience and might have some interesting ideas. Thanks!

I suggest you hire franklie to marry you. He sure seems to know what he's talking about! It sounds lovely.

Diana

[JVKn'CVO 11]

I would have the entire ceremony in spanish and have the translation of the vows written in the program(if they are personal), in english. I would also have the pastor(whoever is preforming the ceremony) announce " i now pronounce you man and wife" in spanish and then english at the end.

Nice idea

Saludos,

Caro

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Our religious ceremony was in both languages so my hubby and his family from th US could understand, the vows were in english.