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Bilingual invitations: side by side or two versions: the difference is double the cost
For an East-meets-West wedding invitation, the first decision isn't the design style, it'show to arrange the languages. This decision directly affects your cost.
Two ways to do it
Side-by-side Chinese and English (on the same card)
- This is cheaper since you only need to print one version
- But the layout gets cramped, and because fonts, line spacing, and visual balance are completely different for each language, it is tough to make both look good
Printing two separate versions
- The layout looks much nicerEach version can follow the natural conventions of that language
- Butcosts will doubleyou have to pay twice for both design and printing
Typically, each set is $2–$8(including RSVP cards and postage) 💵. For 100 copies, having separate versions means spending an extra few hundred bucks.
The content of the two versions is actually different
This is the real value of having separate versions: beyond translation, it is alsotwo different etiquette traditions.
Chinese Version for Elders
- Should include "敬邀" and "恕邀" along with other traditional terms
- Needs to listBoth parents' namesIn Chinese tradition, a wedding is about uniting two families, so parents' names definitely need to be included.
English version
- Listed following American custom Dress code
- RSVP URL
- Do not include registry info (that is considered poor etiquette, see item 115 on the list)
You’ll notice that what goes on both sides doesn't completely overlap, which is why forcing everything onto the same card can be so tricky to handle.
Timeline
Design + printing 4–6 weeks, and it needs to be completed before the mail-out date.
The mail-out date is before the wedding date by 6–8 weeks(2–3 months for destination weddings, see item 37 on the checklist). Working backward:
Send out 6–8 weeks before the wedding date ← Start design and printing 4–6 weeks before that ← So finalize everything about 3 months before the wedding date
Make sure at least three people proofread before printing
Dates, addresses, and name spelling.
If there is a typo, the entire batch has to be reprinted, and design plus printing alone takes 4 to 6 weeks, leaving no buffer to start over.
What often goes wrong in Chinese weddings isPinyin names: Translating Chinese names into English pinyin has many variations, and you need to get every name right, including your parents and the wedding party. Having a native English speaker check the English version and an elder check the Chinese version is the most effective approach.
Ways to save money
- Send digital invitations to younger guests, and print paper ones only for elders, which will significantly lower the cost of managing different versions
- Switch response cards to online RSVP(See item 95 on the list), saving you the return envelope and postage
- But rememberolder folks might not go online, so keep options open for paper or phone responses
In short
Making separate versions costs a bit more, but it is the right way to do it because the content needed for two different languages is naturally different; before printing, ask a native English speaker and an older relative to proofread them once.