Myriam Macrì

You work across marketing, legal, and wedding interpreting — quite a mix. What drew you to weddings specifically?

There's something magical about it that I haven't found anywhere else in this job. In the space of one ceremony you end up wearing so many hats — you're almost stepping into the registrar's shoes for a moment, translating not just words but an entire legal and emotional ritual. You build a bond of trust with the couple incredibly fast, because for that day you're their only point of reference — sometimes even for things that have nothing to do with interpreting, like where to eat or what to see while they're in town. That trust, and being part of a day people will remember for the rest of their lives, is what keeps pulling me back to it.

What does a typical wedding interpreting assignment actually involve? Walk us through it.

Usually it's a wedding planner who brings me in — they're the ones coordinating everything else, so it makes sense they're the ones who think of the interpreter too. That said, I do also get requests directly from agencies. People are often surprised it's not just one appointment. Under Italian law (D.P.R. 396/2000, art. 66), if one of the spouses doesn't speak Italian, the registrar has to carry out the ceremony with an interpreter present — so I'm usually needed on at least two separate occasions: first at the anagrafe, a few days before, when the registrar reads out the verbale di pubblicazione and the couple confirms all their details are correct, and then again on the wedding day itself for the ceremony. On the day, it's mostly consecutive interpreting — the registrar speaks, I take notes, then relay it to the couple — plus a fair amount of sight translation, since there are documents to read and sign both before and during the ceremony. The registrar also reads out articles 143, 144 and 147 of the Civil Code, on the spouses' mutual duties, which I translate for the couple on the spot.

Beyond fluency in your languages, what skills does a good wedding interpreter actually need?

People tend to assume it's just about the languages, but there's a lot more to it. You need solid legal terminology, because a wedding is a legal act before it's anything else. You need to be comfortable dealing with bureaucracy — different registry offices, different requirements, different people to coordinate with. And then there's the human side: empathy, and the strange skill of being fully present while staying almost invisible, so the couple and their families can just live the moment. Even small things matter, like knowing there might be a dress code for the ceremony and dressing accordingly. It's worth saying too: in Italy there's no professional register for interpreters, so technically anyone who speaks two languages could try to do this. But because it's a legal, institutional setting, the interpreter has to take an oath and sign the official record — and swearing falsely is a criminal offence. So proper training really matters here, even if the law doesn't formally require it.

Is there a moment from a wedding you've interpreted at that has stayed with you?

The best part is always la promessa — the vows. There's a moment when the bride and groom realise that this moment, this exact exchange, wouldn't be happening without you standing there. And the ufficiale di stato civile is always delighted too — you can see it on their face when the ceremony flows the way it's supposed to, in two languages at once.

What's the hardest part of interpreting at a wedding — logistically or emotionally?

Honestly, it's not that it's hard, more that it takes real preparation. You need to be sure you can logistically be there on time, and if the venue is far, you have to quote properly for travel and accommodation as part of the job, not as an afterthought. Beyond the logistics, it comes back to empathy — that's not optional in this line of work. If you're not an empathetic person, this really isn't the job for you.

How much preparation goes into a wedding assignment? Do you meet the couple beforehand, learn about their families, the ceremony structure?

There's a lot more prep involved than people expect. It's not just a case of turning up and translating on the day — as the interpreter, I actually sign the official form, and legally the wedding cannot go ahead without me there. That's what makes the preparation so important: everything has to be right before the couple even reaches the ceremony. Sometimes I end up becoming the link between the institutions and the couple themselves — handling a lot of the paperwork and bureaucracy in the run-up to the wedding, not just the language on the day.

Multilingual, multicultural weddings often mean blending traditions as well as languages. How do you navigate cultural nuance in the moment, not just words?

It's a huge part of the preparation, honestly — not just the language, but understanding the couple's culture and traditions before you ever meet them. Something as simple as a smile can mean completely different things depending on where someone's from — for some cultures it's an everyday courtesy, for others it's reserved only for close friends and family, and reading that wrong in the room can throw off the whole atmosphere. You're not just translating words, you're helping everyone feel genuinely understood.

What would you say to another interpreter who's curious about moving into wedding work?

Start by studying — there's no shortcut. Get properly comfortable with the legal terminology and the civil code articles that come up in every ceremony, and practise sight-translating old wedding verbali so it's not the first time you've seen that kind of document when you're standing next to the couple. Word of mouth among colleagues does a lot of the work too — you'd be surprised how often another interpreter gets asked for a wedding and passes it on. And don't underestimate just introducing yourself to the local registry offices and building relationships with wedding planners directly; for destination weddings especially, they're often the ones searching for a local interpreter on the couple's behalf. It also helps to think of yourself as part of a wider team — the registrar, the wedding planner, the photographer, the venue staff — everyone's working toward the same thing, and leaning on each other is often what makes the day actually run smoothly, especially if you're just starting out.