As I pointed out previously, a wedding is a 'rite of passage.' Your ceremony and celebration make a statement to your community of friends and family that you now have a different identity. You invite friends and family to witness and celebrate this transition with you. Whether your guests include neighbors, co-workers, people from your past, distant relatives or those closest to your heart, you think of these people as your community. You've identified them as the most important people to be present for one of the most important passages in your life.
You have an opportunity to include your community in your ceremony, to make them an integral part of the day. I've often performed weddings for couples who had guests who did not speak English. While this may seem like an issue, it can be a good occasion to incorporate the importance of their presence into the ceremony. While I am not multi-lingual, I can usually manage a welcome in other languages. If you'd like your officiant to take on another language for the welcome or any other part of the ceremony, it might be a good idea to provide a phonetic "cheat sheet." Incorporating the language of some of your guests into your ceremony makes them feel more welcome and honored as guests.
Couples often provide programs for their guests outlining the events of the day. The program is another way to make sure the non-English speaking guests feel included. This is particularly valuable when parents or grandparents do not speak English. Having a copy of the ceremony printed in their own language helps them to feel valued and more involved in the ceremony.
While you are, in a sense, making a separation from your families of origin, you still will retain these special relationships. This is one way to honor and respect them.
I Do adapts traditions and creates new options to help couples personalize their wedding ceremonies. by Sydney Barbara Metrick Buy The Book www.ChickenSoupCounseling.com
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