Comments on: Deaf wedding guests

By: alandia

alandia — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:35:27 +0000

I'll just like to tell you that… buy chemical citrate nolvadex research tamoxifen http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/med-brother/ buy nolvadex liquid Good luck!

Good morning! buy gerneric nolvadex buy cheap nolvadex
buy nolvadex in the usa All the best!

By: purplepuppy

purplepuppy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:57:28 +0000

This website is a blessing. I decided to google Deaf Weddings and this website came up…
I am Deaf and also have Low Vision, My fiance is hearing and learning ASL… We are going to be married October 2, 2010. We are currently trying to figure out what exactly we want to do about interpreters.
I have ONLY attended Hearing weddings some with interpreters some without.
I want to make sure that my Deaf guests are 100% included in the wedding because I have been to weddings where I don't understand what's going on and it's tremendously boring!! I would NEVER want my guests to experience that especially since I'm Deaf myself…

As for me I'm trying to figure out how the interpreter will be placed due to my having very low vision… I want to make sure that I can see my fiance and the interpreter to understand the words and what's being said and what's happening.

I was able to ask around and have several interpreters who are willing to interpret the wedding as a wedding present to my fiance and me. I am planning to have 2 interpreters.
I am obviously going to need one with me the whole time, but because of my low vision it will be more work for them… I will also need an interpreter for my Deaf friends who will be attending the wedding.
I am going to make sure that each interpreter has a copy of the vows, and the words for songs that will be used during the slideshow as well as ANY Other part of the ceramony that will have words including the toast.

We are having 2 receptions one for ALL of our guest's with cake and punch and a second smaller dinner and dancing reception for our out of town guest's.. Most of my Deaf friends are local and therefore will be attending ONLY the FIRST reception. There are a few Deaf friends who are the exception and will be attending the second reception which will have dinner and dancing…
I want to make sure that No one feel's left out at either reception!! I am would like to have whichever interpreter is not with me interpret the toast's and things of that nature anything that should require interpreting at the receptions… Any suggestions to make this process go smoothly?

Thank you in advance.

By: Romana

Romana — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:15:46 +0000

I'm currently beginning plans for a June 2010 wedding to my Deaf partner…ditto, we automatically knew we'd have an LSE interpreter (…we're in Spain) but I am certainly getting my thinking cap on as to what where and how it will all go ahead. I will mention one rather difficult aspect we have come up against; my boyfriends family have never taken an interest in learning to sign and we were both dreading the thought of having a huge divide between our guests. Our choice has been to opt for a simple, formal more traditional ceremony on one day with family members (+LSE interpreter) then a more "us" type ceremony (including Handfasting..which will be a challenge…imagine us signing with one hand bound!.. I will let you know how we get around that)..with all out friends, both Deaf and hearing, to celebrate the way we really want to. . One thing that constantly springs to mind for me is visibility. We will think carefully so we don't have Deaf guests feeling uncomfortable craning their necks to see the interpreter…I'm delighted to have found this post and I'll keep all informed of other important aspects that occur to me..

By: AprilShowers

AprilShowers — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:48:00 +0000

I'm SO glad that my discussion inspired a blog that has been so helpful!

By: Juli

Juli — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:23:34 +0000

How can someone have a good time when they are being excluded? Would you enjoy yourself at a wedding if you weren't provided the opportunity to participate like everyone else? If you couldn't communicate with the other guests, understand the ceremony, laugh at the drunken toasts? Inviting a Deaf friend to your wedding and then not providing an interpreter for the time he or she will be in attendance is like inviting someone and then telling them they have to stand outside during portions of the event that you've decided they don't need to be a part of. If it's important enough for your hearing friends to be in attendance the whole time, its important enough for your Deaf friends to have the opportunity to participate as well. Otherwise, why are you even having the event? Are you going to show your wedding video to people who couldn't attend with the sound off?

By: Nikki

Nikki — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:25:04 +0000

As an interpreter I am thrilled to see this often overlooked subject addressed, and so well at that! You covered a lot of points that most wouldn't think to mention, but that anyone planning a wedding WOULD want to know when choosing a course of action.

Any good interpreter will make sure to meet with the couple and discuss exactly how they wish to have the interpreted information come across; it's their wedding – a very important day and action – and it's important for the deaf person(s) to get the same experience as anyone else. Do make sure to check experience/background in the case of student interpreters (this is fair game with all terps, "experienced" or otherwise), which can still be a viable option if qualified.

Kudos to Offbeat Bride, a well-rounded and thoughtful site that I am thrilled to have discovered as I plan my less-than-traditional wedding this fall… Many thanks!

By: Kathlyn

Kathlyn — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:39:52 +0000

My Fiance is Deaf and interpreting is playing a huge part of our wedding. We are having a interpreter for our Deaf guests and Bridal party memeber as well as one interpreter who will be commited to only interpreteing for my Fiance during the ceremony as well as a voice interpreter for our hearing guests. For the reception we plan to have 2 interpreters available for announcments, toast and communication between hearing and deaf guests as needed.

By: Sherryse

Sherryse — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:13:04 +0000

Thanks so much for all of the great advice. I am getting married soon and have a few deaf friends I inviting to my wedding and was unsure about exactly what I should do for an interpreter. Now I am confident that a skilled interpreter would be completely worth it. After all, you only get married once and you want all of your friends to enjoy it with you, right?

By: Ronda

Ronda — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:41:18 +0000

Hello-
Thank you very much for all of this great information!! I just wished that Ann Landers would get a hold of this, and pass it on to her readers.
I am hearing, but have been in the Deaf/deaf Community for 28 years. This is the best information I have read in a very long time!!

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:49:31 +0000

I am Deaf. I've been to several weddings… Here is my experience.

The 'hearing' weddings I have been to have been SO boring. I sat through the ceremony not knowing what was being said, and why everyone was laughing/crying/applauding (as it obviously wasn't the end of it) etc..

The 'Deaf' weddings I have been to have been so much fun. I really got involved, laughed, cried and completely enjoyed myself.

I noticed that 'Deaf' weddings always had an interpreter for the hearing people and the 'hearing' weddings NEVER had an interpreter. This includes both ceremony and reception. As a result, I rarely accept invitations to 'hearing' weddings – if they don't think enough of me to invite an interpreter, then they won't miss me at the wedding!

For our wedding, it was an automatic decision to involve an interpreter, and we thought long and hard about who we would want to terp for us. We knew this person had to be important, compassionate and a true representative of us. She/he also had to be really good. When we decided on an interpreter, we approached her and she was delighted to accept. She later waived the fee for the wedding as she felt she could give her services to us as a gift.

Trust me when I say that your Deaf guests will feel so special and honoured if you approach them and ask about accommodating them for speeches, etc. It would make your wedding one of the most memorable ones for them, and it would make you feel good to know they are as equally involved as everyone else.