Monday, May 11, 2009

DOES NO ONE SPEAK ENGLISH?

I try not to be a bitch. When I do weddings I deal with people from all over the world. They are lovely people. They are in love, they want to be married. Yet they forget to tell us one of them doesn't speak English.


Today I did only one wedding. I tried to do two. But both weddings we had language problems. The brides spoke no English. One groom spoke English, one groom spoke broken English. This isn't really a problem,UNLESS they don't tell us. Then it is a major problem. The first wedding the bride spoke only Farsi. I don't speak anything except Southern English. The second wedding the groom spoke broken English. The Bride and guests spoke only Spanish. We had problems

The first wedding in the middle of the wedding I realized the bride did not have any idea of what I was saying. I stopped the wedding, bawled them out for not telling me. Then a guest said she would translate. I was really ticked. If both parties don't understand what it going on, it isn't a legal contract. We worked it out. I knew it was a love match from the actions of the couple, and not a bride being coerced. But I have to be sure the parties understand what is being said.

The second wedding I had a Spanish speaking Commissioner do the wedding. Today was so slow, I fell asleep at my desk. I sure hope the marriage business picks up. I really prefer a busy day to a day like today.

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