Bilingual Weddings: Not So Uncommon Anymore

Did you know that you can order bilingual wedding invitations in a snap? It may not be what the majority of couples are looking for, but bilingual wedding services is a growing market. With cultures meshing more than ever in a global marketplace, many couples are choosing to go 50-50 on their native languages, speaking or representing both languages to respect the heritages of the bride and groom. A bilingual wedding has the potential to touch families in a deep and meaningful way, helping the couple's families to understand and bond with one another for a lifetime. However, the bilingual wedding also has the potential for mass confusion and accidental insults.

If you are planning a bilingual wedding, you will want to do it right. For instance, if you wish to hold a Japanese-English wedding, do some research. With a few clicks of your computer mouse, you can find a Japanese translator who specializes in translating wedding music from English to Japanese. You can also find a Japanese translator who specializes in wedding vows, poems or dedications. The islands of Hawaii have a high population of people with Japanese heritage. Thus, Hawaii has become a hotbed for Japanese-English bilingual wedding planners, photographers, officiators and caterers. Fluidly switching from Japanese to English, these wedding professionals do not have to be certified Japanese translators to supply your needs.

Although you may choose to hire bilingual wedding professionals whose main profession is not that of a Japanese translator, pay attention to whom you hire to perform any document translation. A photographer or caterer may have the handy skill of switching from speaking Japanese to English, but you will probably not need them to translate any documents for the wedding.

Someone who may be translating documents for you is the officiator. In choosing a bilingual officiator who speaks both Japanese and English, consider asking not only their spiritual qualifications, but their translation qualifications as well. Ask if they have experience in document translation. Consider, if you are the Anglophone and your spouse-to-be is Japanese, do you want to surprise your spouse by saying your vows in Japanese?

My American friend chose to surprise her French husband when they were married three years ago. During the ceremony, she began to say her vows in French, as a symbol of her willingness to learn from his culture. Her gesture brought a beautiful element to their ceremony, one that took her husband to the point of tears. If she had not been fluent in French, her gesture may have been more distracting than eloquent. If you are interested in surprising your fiancé with statements in his/her native tongue, but you lack fluency in the language, it is vital to use an officiator or Japanese translator who has document translation experience. After all, you would not want to be unsure of yourself or stumbling over broken words on your wedding day.

Another American friend of mine married a Chinese gentleman two years back. She also chose to bring bilingual elements to her ceremony and reception. She dressed in traditional Chinese wedding wear, and she hired a translator for some of the poems and music. In choosing her wedding professionals, she checked to be sure that those who were translating documents had plenty of experience in document translation. Because of her homework, her husband and his family were extremely touched by the careful accuracy of each written word.

About the Author: Amy Brevard is a Writer for Innuity. For more information about document translation or to find a Japanese translator, go to MultiLing.