Bilingual wedding invitations: wording, layout and examples

Which language goes first

Put first the language of the country where the wedding takes place, or the one most guests read. If the families are evenly split, follow the host: the side hosting the reception leads. When each family hosts its own reception, each side’s invitation can lead with its own language.

Keep the order the same everywhere on the page. Switching which language is on top from section to section makes the page harder to scan.

Translate the meaning, not the words

Wedding wording is full of set phrases, and set phrases do not translate word for word. The Vietnamese "trân trọng kính mời" becomes "request the pleasure of your company", not "respectfully and solemnly invite". "Bữa cơm thân mật" is a "wedding reception" or "dinner", not "an intimate meal". A friend who speaks both languages well is worth more here than any translation tool.

Tone should match too. If the English is relaxed, the second language should be relaxed in its own way; a casual English line next to a stiff, formal translation reads as two different invitations.

Names, dates, times and addresses

The facts are where bilingual invitations go wrong, because each language has its own conventions. Decide once and check both versions against each other line by line.

• Names: keep the same spelling in both, with Vietnamese diacritics if that is how the person writes their name. Do not anglicise only one version.
• Name order: Vietnamese puts the family name first (Nguyễn Văn Nam). In English text many couples keep it, or use the given name only ("Nam"). Pick one and use it everywhere.
• Dates: write the month as a word in English ("12 December 2026") so nobody confuses 12/11 and 11/12. The lunar date, if you include it, belongs in the Vietnamese version only.
• Times: 18:00 in Vietnamese, 6 pm in English. Both are fine; just make them the same moment.
• Addresses: keep the local address exactly as written locally, so taxi drivers and map apps can find it. Add an English description ("the hotel by the lake") if it helps.

Layout: side by side or one under the other

On a paper card, two columns work for short text and stacked versions for longer text. On a phone, stacked is almost always better: each block of text in the first language, then the same block in the second, in a slightly smaller or lighter style.

On Perlink, write both languages into each block yourself: the letter, the schedule titles, the event names and the venue notes. Then choose the site language: it sets the words Perlink adds around your text, such as "Tap to open", the countdown labels and the buttons. It can be English, Vietnamese, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese, Korean or Chinese, so pick the one most of your guests read.

Two families, two languages

For a couple whose families live in different countries, the two-side layout often lines up with the two languages: the groom’s family reception in one country, the bride’s in another. Make one page with a Groom’s side tab and a Bride’s side tab, write each side’s schedule in that family’s language first, and send each family the link that opens their tab (ending in ?side=groom or ?side=bride). Shared friends can switch tabs and see both.

Practical notes for guests from abroad

Guests travelling for your wedding need more than the time and place. Add a short section in their language with what they will need to know.

• The nearest airport and how long the ride to the venue takes.
• A hotel you recommend, and whether you have a group rate.
• What to expect at a ceremony they have not seen before, such as a tea ceremony.
• Dress code, with the local custom explained in a line.
• Gifts: a bank QR code is easier than cash for guests who cannot change money.