Bilingual weddings – vows (I)

by HelenMarch 5, 2009 0

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You’ll remember we told you that Salma Hayek got married in Paris a couple of weeks ago. As descriptions of the ceremony filtered out, reports soon started highlighting the fact that the Mexican actress got married in French.

Perhaps this is not so surprising – her partner is French after all, but how many of you international brides and grooms will take the plunge and get married in a bilingual ceremony?

It may well be that you’re fluent in your partner’s language and he or she in yours. or you’re at least used to hearing your loved one’s mother tongue often enough. So no problem, right?

But are you really confident enough to stand up in front of lots of people and say perhaps some of the most meaningful words of your life in another language?

If you think you are, or at least feel you really want to, here are some tips for making sure you don’t say anything out of place on the big day:

• Practice! It may seem obvious, but during the run-up to the wedding, you’ll have very little ‘me time’. Give yourself a break, stand in front of a mirror and speak!
• Get a friend to listen. Remember, it’s going to be an emotional day, so get a native speaker to help you get over any possible bumps in pronunciation that might give you the giggles.
• Look at your partner. He or she will understand what you’re saying, so go for it…and watch them fill up!
• Remember your audience is perhaps the least demanding you’ll ever face – on your wedding day they’ll laugh, cry and applaud everything you do. So take your time, stop when you need to, and enjoy it!

***More bilingual wedding issues coming up in the future!***