Your Complete Guide to Bilingual Wedding Invitations

When planning a bilingual wedding, there are many details to consider, but one of them is having bilingual wedding invitations. If you are inviting guests that speak two different languages, then bilingual invitations are just for you!

Your wedding invitations set the tone for your guests about the wedding. They are the first impression about your event, so you need to take the time to think it through and choose the best option for your audience. When choosing the layout of your bilingual invitation, you have two options:

• You could have two sets of paper suites – one on each language or
• You could have a single invite in both languages.

The second one, in my opinion, is the most effective. Below, we will talk about the pros, cons, formats, and steps to make a single bilingual wedding invitation for both languages. But first, I want to say thank you to Xiaoqi Li from Xiaoqi Li Photography who shared her pictures and wonderful tips to complement this post. Okay let’s dive in.

BENEFITS OF BILINGUAL WEDDING INVITATIONS

• You will make everybody feel included. You are being inclusive and making sure everybody understands all important details of the event.
• It can help to make parents and other family members feel part of the planning. For example, they can help with translation and grammar corrections.
• As I said early, it will set the tone for your wedding. People will attend the wedding expecting a multicultural event. This is super helpful if you are planning a bilingual ceremony or add multicultural details throughout the wedding.
• You only have to send out one invitation per family, which everyone in the family can read.
• You don’t have to think about which invites to send to whom. 
• It’s more economical. When ordering invitations, there is often a minimum number required for each design or a better rate the more you order. With just one design, you don’t have to worry about order minimums or having to potentially order up to twice as many invitations. 

CONS OF BILINGUAL WEDDING INVITATION

• Bilingual invitations can sometimes get too wordy, too busy, and too complicated, so keeping the design simple is always a challenge.
• Make sure all grammar and words are reviewed by a native language speaker. It can take more time.
• Depending on the option you chose, it can be more expensive. For example, If the cards are thicker or heavier, postage will be more expensive.

BILINGUAL WEDDING INVITATIONS LAYOUT OPTIONS

When choosing the layout for your invitations, there are a few options to consider:

• Double-sided format: This format is a flat invitation and each side has the wording in a different language. One on the front, the other on the back.
• The side-to-side format: Layout where the information can be printed in two different languages on the same invitation, each language on each side of the invitation. Consider Z folding invitation for this layout.  Avoid embossing, de-bossing and anything that requires adding texture to your wedding card.
• The top and bottom format: In this format, you have one language on the top and the second language on the bottom. With this format, you can use letterpress, embossing and foil printing!
• One language under the other: Place the translation under each section of text in italic. Keep it consistent which language you choose to italicize.

STEPS TO MAKE YOUR BILINGUAL INVITATIONS

Making bilingual invitations is not too different from regular invitations. Let me walk you through the steps:

1. When choosing your wedding invitation suite, the first steps is to have your wedding guest list ready, once this list is ready you need to decide a few things.
2. Select your wedding invitation format/layout. Remember what we discussed on top? Consider those options.
3. After choosing the format/layout you will need to choose your design. When choosing the design, you can use a template, or you can work with a designer to make something custom for you. All will depend on your budget, of course working with a designer is more expensive.
4. And then decide your verses. Review grammar and ask for help from a family member fluent in the second language.

And to finish here, a few have miscellaneous tips brought by Xiaoqi Li Photography

• Due to differences in characters or alphabets and transactions, it’s not uncommon for the text lengths to be different. 
• Although script fonts are beautiful, they’re often tricky to read in some languages, especially for words with accents. Choose a font that is easy to read in both languages and supports all the accent marks you need.
• Don’t be shy about asking a family member for help with proofreading or creating the exact wording. Ask about any polite wording or other traditions you should follow with these invitations.

WHERE TO BUY THEM?

I know you are thinking where can I find them?. We did some leg work for you and found these options.

If you are thinking about having bilingual invitations go ahead and do it, don’t hesitate. You are probably thinking that you will annoy your guests with two languages in the invitations but that is far from the truth, you would be surprised by how many people enjoy something different and they may even learn a word or two. Not only will you ensure all the guests understand all key details, but it’s also fun for all the guests to experience another language.

I know a lot of couples give up on bilingual invitations because they don’t know how to do it or where to go, but if you really want to honor your heritage and make everybody feel included and welcome I would love to help you and point you in the right direction. I offer different levels of services including wedding planning consultations by the hour. Let’s chat and book your free consult HERE!

If you’d like us to help you plan your wedding…

If you are ready to plan a Warrenton wedding in this beautiful venue, we’d love to hear from you. Send us a message on our contact page or send us an email at hola@VVweddingplanning.com! We can’t wait to hear about your wedding! 🤗💕

And don’t forget to pin your favorite photos from this shoot to Pinterest!

Just hover over any photo and use the red “save” button to add your faves to your wedding photos or photography Pinterest boards!

Just hover over any photo and use the red “save” button to add your faves to your wedding photos or photography Pinterest boards!