Interpreting at the ceremony and reception
The spoken translation service to let your wedding be understandable to everyone
Say I do,
If you’ve decided to get married in Italy but either you or your partner don’t have residency here and you don’t speak Italian you are legally required to have an interpreter to translate the celebrant during the wedding ceremony.
I’ll be next to the celebrant, translating the service, the couple’s “I do”, the witnesses, and anyone else who speaks.
For wedding ceremonies I recommend liaison interpreting. What does this mean? It means I translate every sentence from one language to another when the speaker has finished a small part of what they’re saying. This way, everyone who doesn’t speak Italian can follow the ceremony and feel involved in that special moment.
But weddings don’t stop after the ceremony!
If you’re having a wedding reception or party before or after the ceremony and you want all your guests to feel at ease, speaking their own language and communicating with guests from abroad, you can count on my support. I’ll stay with you for as long as you need – or until everyone’s had enough to drink that language barriers disappear! – translating, aloud, for your guests as and when the need arises.
What you get:
A ceremony both you and your partner understand entirely.
A wedding where none of your guests are left out because of language barriers: everyone’s included!
A legally-recognized ceremony, with me there. This means your wedding will be recognized both in Italy and abroad — no unpleasant surprises afterward!
- Contacting the town hall who’ll be running the ceremony.
- Interpreting for up to one hour.
- Interpreter’s oath at the same time as the wedding.
- Interpreting for an agreed period at the reception or party.
- Interpreter’s oath taken on a different day from the wedding ceremony.
- Any hours worked beyond those agreed.
- Transport, if your venue is outside Modena.
- Accommodation if required.
- Sound system hire, if needed.
This service is right for you if:
- You or your partner are not Italian citizens.
- Your wedding will involve people who speak more than two foreign languages and you want them to feel included.
- Both you and your partner are Italian and you want to get married abroad.
- You want to bridge the gaps – including the language gap – between your families and friends.
This service isn’t right for you if:
- You’re both Italian and you want to get married in Italy.
- None of your guests are foreign.
- You don’t need your Italian wedding to be legally recognized elsewhere.
How it works
Contact:
get in touch and let me know about your wedding, outlining the services you think you’ll need. Tell me about everything you want to include, the sky’s the limit!
Quote and confirmation:
I’ll send you a quote outlining the services I offer, any additional services, and payment terms. Once you’ve confirmed, transfer the agreed fee to book the services we’ve agreed on, on the date you’re looking for. Then we’ll get down to business!
Setting out the timeline:
you, your wedding planner, and I will plan your wedding together, setting out dates by when I need to have the materials needed for the services you’ve booked and deadlines for me to get the translations back to you. This way, we can follow a plan that allows time for any unforeseen bumps or delays, so everything is in place for the big day.
I’ll get to work:
if you’ve asked me to deal with the documents to be submitted to the town hall, I’ll get in touch with their offices to get the materials I need, then get to work translating them and sending official texts. If the services you’ve chosen include writing a wedding speech, I’ll create a draft and set out the details. At this point I’ll also deal with the bureaucracy, so everything’s ready for the wedding day.
Preparing to interpret at the ceremony:
as with any interpreting job, I learn the names of the couple and witnesses, and the correct pronunciation. I practice using a mock interpreting and wedding ceremony: I record myself, listen back to the recording, and take notes on anything I need to work on.
Delivery:
I send the written translations to you, the graphic designer, and the town hall, by the agreed deadline.
Pre-event update:
a few days before the event, I’ll email you or your wedding planner – if there is one– to confirm the details of the service and finalize any changes to the plan.
And the stage is set!
I’ll arrive at the venue at least an hour in advance and wait for the celebrant. We’ll run through when they’ll pause for translation, and I’ll talk with the wedding planner to ensure everything is synchronized. I’ll wait for you at the altar and I promise not to cry.
What my happy clients say
Thank you so much for the translation! The wedding was really nice and the time since then as well! 🙂
Thank you again for your professional translation and support, we have received today the remaining documents. All the best!
How much it costs
Unfortunately the only honest answer is it depends. Prices may vary depending on any additional services you ask for, where the venue is, how long the ceremony will last, and the languages you need interpreted and translated. For wedding interpretation in Modena, where I live, prices start at €250.00 plus VAT. One hour of interpreting starts at €150.00 plus VAT. Get in touch and tell me what kind of event you have in mind. I’ll help you decide which services you need and give you a detailed quote.
Packages
Basic package
Luxury package
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