Multilingual wedding interpreting and translation between Italian, English, Dutch: from Serena and Patrick to The Petersons
An Italian-Dutch wedding that speaks English: the dream ceremony of Serena e Patrick in Veneto
Serena was a follower of mine and I was one of hers: we have been following each other on Instagram for a long time and when I saw she got engaged with Patrick, I wished I could be their Italian-Dutch wedding interpreter.
This is the story of how my dream came true.
Yes, I do.
Ja, ik doe.
Sì, lo voglio
Working together
First contact
Serena wrote to me and when I read her message I was so excited: I had known her for a few years and I witnessed her love story with Patrick right up to the day he popped the question during a romantic weekend. I hoped I could help them on their big day but I had underestimated how challenging this wedding be: Serena is Italian and Patrick is Dutch. That’s a language I don’t speak! Moreover, they planned to have guests from all over the world – literally – and there would be lots of different languages spoken. I therefore suggested a video call to discuss together in detail the couple’s needs and give them some ideas.
Getting to know each other
Before the virtual meeting with Serena and her wedding planner, I listed some questions and some solutions I would propose based on the details they shared with me, to make the meeting more efficient. On this occasion I tried to understand the couple’s aims and priorities and, more generally, to evaluate whether I was the right professional to be by their side or if it would be better to suggest a colleague. We then decided the official language of the event would be English so that most of the guests could be involved in the ceremony. I also suggested translating the ceremony booklets into Italian and Dutch so that no-one was left behind, and all the guests would feel involved in the wedding and follow it in their favorite language. Serena liked this solution a lot and also her wedding planner approved it.
Preparing for the assignment
As soon as we defined the details of the ceremony, I started contacting the town hall where the wedding was to take place place, and the graphic designer laying out the booklets, menus and tags. With them, we set deadlines for all of us in order to have enough time to work on our own tasks and avoid any unforeseen delays. I then collected and translated the witnesses’ speeches and couple’s vows and delivered them to graphic designer to be included in the booklets. Like I always do before interpreting assignments, I trained by simulating similar scenarios, rehearsing the celebration script written by Serena and translating wording of the ceremony aloud.
Services Serena and Patrick chose
For Serena and Patrick’s Italian-Dutch wedding I worked as an English-Italian interpreter during the wedding ceremony: I translated the ceremony performed by the Mayor from Italian into English, and translated Serena and Patrick’s answers from Italian into English, so that their wedding was legal.
I also worked as an English celebrant: Serena wrote the text of the celebration in English, I revised it and translated it into Italian and Dutch, with the help of a native Dutch-speaking colleague. On the wedding day I read the introduction speech aloud before letting the Mayor continue with the official ceremony in Italian.
I translated all the wedding materials: the ceremony booklet, the menu, and the tags for the dessert table. I translated material originally written in English into Italian and I asked a couple of colleagues to translate the material originally written in Italian into English and Dutch. I then revised the translated texts before sending them to the graphic designer for the final print.
Do you dream about a wedding in Italy?
Curiosity
A month and half before the wedding I happened to be in Amsterdam for work, so I was able to meet Serena and Patrick in person before their big day. It was a valuable opportunity to create a more personal bond with them and get to know better the couple I was about to announce as wife and husband.
Difficulties
This was an amazing assignment, but there was no shortage of difficulties! The event was complex: dealing with a wedding where three different official languages were spoken and having to translate material into all three takes time and concentration. Moreover, Serena and Patrick got married in May, so while planning the event, we had to take into account the many Italian public holidays mean businesses would be closed, slowing down our work. We had to remove a couple of weeks from our schedule, bring forward the delivery of translations to be sure there was enough time to check them once laid out and printed, and keeping a bit of a buffer before the wedding date.
Results
Wedding that made guests with different languages feel included and involved.
English celebration with multilingual booklets available.
International event with no language barriers.
What the client has to say
Francesca was not only our interpreter during our wedding, she was much more! Her presence and help were crucial during our wedding planning: she took care of collecting and translating our vows and our guests’ speeches, she worked side by side with our graphic designer to co-ordinate the printing of our materials. During the wedding celebration she translated orally the formal part, but she also introduced and held the emotional part of our ceremony in English for us and our guests.
Thank you!
Get in touch if you want to book interpreting services for your wedding!
If you chose Italy to host your wedding, but you or your partner do not speak Italian, you need to trust a professional interpreter specialized in weddings to have it legally acknowledged in your home country. But not just any interpreter: me.
Fill out the contact form with all the information requested and you’ll receive my quote within 48 hours.
Other services you may need
- Wedding interpreting with suppliers: when you get married in a country where they don’t speak your language, you may need linguistic support to speak with your suppliers, explain them your dreams and understand their suggestions. I can be by your side during your meetings with Italian suppliers and help you have your dream wedding.
