More and more often, lovers find each other from different countries, cultures and nationalities, which means that their there will be international wedding guests at the celebration and they will often speak different languages. LĪGAVĀM explains how to join wedding guests and how to help them get along if they can't speak the same language.

International wedding guests – a bonding event on the eve of the wedding

Wedding organizer Alice Kolosova / Boutique Event Planning by Alise Kolosova shares her experience that often half of the guests represent one nationality and one half of the other, thus also speaking in different languages, then the couple tends to hold a pre-wedding night gathering event - it can be both a dinner and a cocktail evening in an informal atmosphere.

"Since foreign guests usually arrive in Latvia a day earlier, the gathering events take place the night before the wedding relatively often. In this way, the guests will already know each other, and the wedding day will be much more pleasant and enjoyable a more relaxed atmosphere," convinced Alice. However, she does not recommend exaggerating when it comes to gathering guests.

"I always recommend carefully thinking about, for example, the seating of guests. I don't recommend over-mixing guests at the tables, because it can break your sense of well-being. It is important for people to feel good.

Since a relatively long time is spent at the dinner table, you should definitely think about it," advises the wedding organizer. This recommendation applies more to those cases where the number of local and foreign guests is high equivalent. If the number of foreign guests is much less, then the seating plan should be carefully considered so that they do not feel ignored and separated.

Introduce traditions

Alice Kolosova recommends using the most beautiful traditions of both countries in international weddings. She also agrees to the wedding manager Arvis Zēmanis, stating that it is worth addressing the guests in all languages, as well as getting to know the traditions of other nations and highlight them. "I have conducted weddings in Latvian and English, but there were also a large number of Poles among the guests, who did not know anything." don't understand In such cases, calling out a phrase in Polish every now and then will make the guests very happy.

Everyone is human and they expect that when they travel to another country, they may not be understood, so if you somehow involve and show respect, then this is already a successful direction.

People come to weddings to celebrate the strengthening of a new family and they do it of their own free will. They will be happy and happy already basically.

The leader only increases the joy with an easy, interested and open conversation," says Arvis. He is a leader with great experience and states that his role is to get to know the audience through "microhosting", that is, engaging guests in conversation and witty situations individually and in small groups.

It is necessary to unite the guests and create positive vibrations. International wedding guests are always more open because everything that happens at a wedding in Latvia is big news for them. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to teach them a word in Latvian language, tell about traditions. For them, Latvian weddings are interesting because, for example, in Great Britain, Germany, In France, Holland and other old European countries, they don't think so much about entertaining guests at weddings," says Arvis.

The tradition of stealing the bride

Speaking of traditions, Arvis reminds that international wedding guests do not know local traditions, so they will have interesting if you find a story that will excite them.

• "One can highlight, for example, the tradition of stealing a bride, saying that historically only wives could steal a bride relatives, because it was the last chance to get him back to his homestead. Many Latvians do not know this story either.
• You can also make the election of the bride's guards more fun by holding a vote in which you choose both guests from Latvia, both abroad, each asking questions as to why exactly they should protect the bride, which is their strong point.
• The guests then vote with applause and choose the bride's guards. If the bride is stolen, it is usually foreigners shock and guaranteed to be real fun," says Arvis.
  

Not translating everything 1:1

When conducting an international wedding, one of the biggest issues to be resolved is translation. Alice Kolosova suggests a wedding without translating the ceremony completely, because in this way the dynamics of the ceremony are lost. In such cases, Alice advises in advance prepare translated ceremony programs to distribute to guests. Arvis also points out that not all weddings are during the celebration need to be translated. "It's definitely interesting if you address guests in both languages, but I wouldn't recommend sticking to it literal translations.

I recommend using the privilege of different languages and addressing each audience a little differently. In this way, those guests who understands both languages, will not be bored," Arvis shares his experience.

PHOTO: BAZALY PHOTOGRAPHY, JĀNIS RATNIEKS , KLAIDES LIELBIKSIS , SAIVA LIEPIņA