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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Welsh wedding invitation.

653 replies

Spikeyplant · 18/04/2017 22:39

Just as it says in the title really.

My DH has a significantly younger relative who is getting married this summer. We have just received an invitation to the wedding, written entirely in Welsh. Neither DH or I speak Welsh and the bride and groom are well aware of this.

I am totally cool with somebody who grew up in a Welsh first language family wanting to celebrate their wedding in their language. However I can't help feeling it is a bit rude to send out invitations in a language many guests can't understand without even a short note in a mutually spoken language.

AIBU?

OP posts:
NightWanderer · 19/04/2017 02:11

But there's so much to modern weddings. Children ok or child free? Presents or cash only? Evening only invite or whole day? Dress code, do they want guests to wear a particular color? Parking details, hotel details, how to RSVP.

It's so complicated!

PyongyangKipperbang · 19/04/2017 02:12

Surely it should be

ateb, os gwelwch yn dda?

And the point isnt whether it is easy or not but whether it is a deliberate snub, and the OP would better than us whether that is the case. She mentioned a bit of a blow up about her wedding so one cant help wondering if this is a point making exercise.

NightWanderer · 19/04/2017 02:14

Actually I want to know more about the OPs wedding.

GreatFuckability · 19/04/2017 02:15

As MrsJM said, for those who don't read welsh ;) an invite in welsh uses the same characters as English, so the comparison with mandarin isn't valid really.
And, as has been said more than once, unless you KNOW they purposely wanted to offend you with their invitation (cos you know, people often do that....) then chances are it's at worst, thoughtless and more likely an error of some kind. People just like to take offence.

GreatFuckability · 19/04/2017 02:17

If the OP would like to post the details (excluding names and identifying details of course), I'd be happy to translate!

Cailleach1 · 19/04/2017 02:59

How lovely. I received an invitation to a wedding in Greek. The main details were in Greek, but the bride put a note in as well. We contacted them for the details as we couldn't decipher the greek letters. It was a marvellous experience and I have kept the lovely card. Being in Greece wasn't too shabby either.

If I was going to that wedding, I would aim to learn a phrase or two, knowing it will be in Welsh. As one of the celtic languages spoken on this island, isn't it wonderful to still be able to witness it in everyday use? Despite it's endangered position.

Fl0ellafunbags · 19/04/2017 03:25

On an aside - are you me, Welsh Uni, years abroad etc

Welsh university? You went to a Welsh university? And you're offended because some Welsh people sent you an invitation in Welsh?

Headofthehive55 · 19/04/2017 03:40

I think it's lovely. A translation would be useful only to make sure I'd got the details right! But you could ring and check? I am a pleased Welsh gets used. My children have some Welsh heritage (DH grandparents ) but the language wasn't passed down.

MongerTruffle · 19/04/2017 04:12

Use Bing Translator to reply in Klingon.

KC225 · 19/04/2017 04:17

Hahaha Chaitea

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 19/04/2017 04:26

I agree with Cheby.

I would have expected them to add a note explaining the invitation just like I'd expect them to speak English to you in person. I'd write off the failure to do so as an oversight though.

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/04/2017 05:31

Options are:

  1. They are rude bastards
  2. They left out a note
  3. They were being cute
  4. They think is perfectly reasonable to send an invitation in their own language and not deliberately causing offence
  5. They didn't think about it; just wrongs the same to everyone

What I want to know is:

  1. Why would anyone assume 1. it's so odd
  2. Is it a singularly English thing to be offended by people speaking their own language? I've lived and travelled in many countries, sometimes conducting conversations in three languages at once and everyone just rubs along. We had Dutch, Italian, German and English round a table last Summer and no one appeared to be getting the arse.
user1492504457 · 19/04/2017 05:40

I think English people just get upset about Welsh tbh, in a way that they don't with other languages.

JessicaJulia234 · 19/04/2017 06:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

RestlessTraveller · 19/04/2017 06:11

jessicajulia can you post that in Welsh please?

MrsTrentReznor · 19/04/2017 06:15

I'd be offended by it to be honest.
All Welsh speakers can speak English. Few English speakers can speak Welsh.
It's petty. All the bloody roadsigns have both on. It's not much of a stretch to make your guests feel welcome.
I'd decline in Cornish or something.

user1492287253 · 19/04/2017 06:24

They probably assumed that you could easily translate. Surely you can read place date and time ?
Stop being so mean spirited. Accept or decline. It was lovely of them to think of you and invite you. Or did i misunderstand the point of a wedding invitation?

AntigoneJones · 19/04/2017 06:39

Yes if you went to a Welsh uni, surely you understand days and months as a minimum?

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 19/04/2017 06:44

Unless they honestly thought you understood Welsh, then IMO it was plain inconsiderate and bad manners to send an invitation you'd have to translate.

It would have been quick and easy enough to slip a translation into the envelope.

I don't see that it's at all 'mean spirited' of the OP to find this U.

RuggerHug · 19/04/2017 07:45

Unless they're normally rude and you're VERY sure they know you haven't any Welsh I'd have assumed they forgot a translation note. Have you tried just asking them in case? I went to a wedding years ago where the entire service and a good portion of the speeches were in Irish. No indication on the invites, only found out on the day when we saw the order of service as we entered the church. Aside from a few amadáns I was sitting beside who sniggered and complained throughout the ceremony that I had to translate for no one had issue with it. If you want to go, then go. Most people aren't horrible so I'm sure if you were obviously lost/confused on the day someone would helpSmile

Gwenhwyfar · 19/04/2017 07:52

"If I received an invitation in Mandarin, as mentioned above, I wouldnt be able to translate it because the characters are different. "

Yes, but Welsh is written in Latin script. All invitation follow the same pattern - name of the place and date and time followed by the name of place and time for the reception. You can see how they meaning is easy to guess as in Mrs James's post above and the link I posted earlier.

Gwenhwyfar · 19/04/2017 07:53

"But there's so much to modern weddings. Children ok or child free? Presents or cash only? Evening only invite or whole day? Dress code, do they want guests to wear a particular color? Parking details, hotel details, how to RSVP.

It's so complicated!"

Not all are complicated. Non of that with my most recent wedding invitation. I emailed about the list and will presume clothes will be as is usual for a wedding.

How to RSVP is going to be really simple to understand even in another language, isn't it?

unicornsIlovethem · 19/04/2017 07:55

I sympathise a bit op.

An English friend of mine married a lovely Welsh woman 2 years ago. All her family spoke Welsh, none of his did.

The invitations, ceremony and 4 of the 6 speeches were entirely in Welsh with no translation. It was all very pretty and everything, but not very integrating. And I ended up getting far too drunk - the bus trip back to the hotel was not fun.

FittonTower · 19/04/2017 07:55

My Spanish family send invites in Spanish. I don't speak Spanish (other than restaurant Spanish and I'm weirdly good at ordering timber) and when I'm visiting they speak English to me when they can. Never ever once thought it was rude not to get a special English invite! I just workout what it says and reply. I don't understand how getting an invitation in the first language of the couple could ever be seen as rude?? But I can't really understand the mentality that could ever see an invite as anything but kind.

WelshMoth · 19/04/2017 07:56

Good post MrsTerryPratchett
although your username should be MINE Grin