Bilingual International ceremony, how do I include everyone?

barcelona2011

My fiancé and I met in Texas, we currently live in France, and we are getting married in Barcelona where he is from. We decided to have the wedding there because his family is about 70 people and mine is about 10. At home we speak in English but with his friends and family we speak in Catalan or Spanish. Since his uncle will be the priest at our ceremony, he will conduct it in Catalan. However, I feel as though my American family and friends are travelling a long ways to come to the wedding and spending a great deal of money but will be completely lost during the wedding day. How can I incorporate English and Catalan into the ceremony and reception without making it chaotic???

Nukke

I would suggest you doing your vows in English.  That's the only part that will matter the most to you and your family and friends.  they'll love the wedding even if it isn't in English, don't worry.  They'll have even more to talk about afterwards after witnessing a wedding conducted in Catalan.  it just adds to the experience, in my opinion.

Avion22

Since it's only 10 people, maybe just tell them before hand what the ceremony is going to be like.  If it's like a traditional Christian ceremony,then it should be fairly self explanatory.  You could do a program, but for such a small wedding I'm not sure it's important.  

Maybe you could have the uncle do some of the important parts in both English and Spanish.   Or say in Enlgish, "Jane and John will now say their vows to each other" then do the vows in English.

I've been to some really beautiful bilingual English/Spanish ceremonies:-)  

GJones27

Have speeches and stuff be pre-written and have a projection with a translation on there as people are talking.  Don't do simultaneous translation... even if someone knows two languages, they can't translate quick enough and people will get bored (I went to a wedding where they did that, and it was awful).

We're in a similar boat... met my Brazilian FI in Germany, and we're getting married in the U.S.  Everything will be in English, and we'll have a second reception in Brazil for the Brazilians.  

Fireworks061510

I would keep the ceremony in the language that you generally speak, whichever is more like you & your FI.

As far as guests go, just put a translation of your wedding vows in your programs. 

Animeki

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_bilingual-international-ceremony-include-everyone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:1251ca35-bc8a-4f78-bd5d-935b9418b499Post:a9da4e40-32b7-4f79-b153-eefaeda3d61b">Re: Bilingual International ceremony, how do I include everyone?</a>:
[QUOTE]Have speeches and stuff be pre-written and have a projection with a translation on there as people are talking.  Don't do simultaneous translation... even if someone knows two languages, they can't translate quick enough and people will get bored (I went to a wedding where they did that, and it was awful). We're in a similar boat... met my Brazilian FI in Germany, and we're getting married in the U.S.  Everything will be in English, and we'll have a second reception in Brazil for the Brazilians.  
Posted by GJones27[/QUOTE]

Ok but what do you do when you have elderly there who can't see well? I was thinkin havin the officiate speak and then have a translator for the spanish only speakers. I'm thinking we'll need to make things run a bit shorter for obvious reasons

[Deleted User]

I would have the cermony be soley in English if eveyone can understand English. If not repeat everything, first in english then in Catalan.