A Ceremony for All to Hear: sign language interpreting at weddings

Now that I think about it, I am actually surprised to note that in more than 12 years of planning weddings, I have only recently had an experience with sign language (deaf interpretation) at a wedding.  At Dani and Leo's gorgeous wedding at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in January, we had the special honor of being able to work with Dani, who is hearing impaired, and with the signers designated to help ensure that the guests "heard" all the special parts of the wedding ceremony and reception.  A dear friend of Dani's gave the reading of I Corinthians 13 in sign language during the ceremony, and interpreters made sure that Dani and other guests could be just as involved as the hearing guests.

Little did I realize the challenges one must face if hearing impaired or deaf, but at Dani and Leo's wedding, it became clear how much those who can hear, including myself, rely on this particular sense to appreciate a wedding.  The special words uttered by the officiant, the beautiful melodies performed by musicians, the toasts and speeches given by closest friends and family members, and especially the couple's vows, all get lost for those who are deaf.  An interpreter plays a critical role in providing the richness of meaning in words uttered that would otherwise escape the grasp of a deaf or hearing impaired person.  While hiring a professional sign language interpreter to be on-site during a wedding could be pricey, the value of the the service provided is priceless.

If interested in sign language interpretation for your wedding in Hawaii, Hawaii Interpreting Services offers ASL (American Sign Language) interpreting, and Sabina Wilford of  HIS was a joy to work with at the happy event.

Mahalo to Joseph Esser of Joseph Esser Photography for sharing photos of Dani and Leo's wedding with us!

Best wishes, and Happy Planning!