A Wedding Website in English and German

Half the guest list speaks German, the other half speaks English, and some of them speak both but would still rather read the arrival time in their own language. That's a common shape for a wedding in Germany, Austria or Switzerland with friends from abroad, and just as common for a British or American wedding with a German side of the family.

The answer is one wedding website in two languages, not two websites. This guide covers what's worth translating into German, how guests end up on the right language, and, because it saves you a surprise later, the parts of a two-language site that stay in one language.

We've checked how this works in WhiteClover against the product itself. Other builders differ, so if you use something else, test these points on yours.

TL;DR:

• Build one site with English and German versions. Two separate sites split your replies and drift out of step.
• Nothing is translated for you. You write the German, or ask someone who speaks it.
• Guests see German automatically if their browser is set to German. Anyone can switch language from the menu.
• For relatives who should land straight on German, add ?lang=de to the end of the link you send them.
• Event names, RSVP questions and the reply form itself aren't translated into German. Write event names in both languages, and keep the questions short.

Why one site, not two

Two websites sound tidy: an English link for one side, a German link for the other. Then someone forwards the wrong link, the ceremony time changes on one site and not the other, and you're merging two sets of replies by hand a fortnight before the caterer wants numbers.

One site with two languages keeps one guest list, one set of replies and one place to change a time. Every guest gets the same link, and the site decides which language to show.

How guests land on German or English

When a guest opens your WhiteClover wedding website, it picks the language in this order:

1. A language named in the link itself, such as ?lang=de at the end.
2. The language that guest chose last time on the same phone or computer.
3. Their browser's language, if it's one of the languages your site has.
4. Your site's default language.

So a guest in Hamburg whose phone is set to German sees the German version without doing anything. A guest in Leeds sees English. And there's a language switch in the site's menu for anyone who wants the other one, which is then remembered on that device.

The link trick is the useful one. Your aunt in Stuttgart may have her phone set to English for work. Send her your link with ?lang=de added, for example whiteclover.io/m/anna-and-tom?lang=de, and it opens in German regardless.

What to translate, and what to leave

You don't need a literary translation of everything. Translate what guests act on.

Write the German as a German speaker would, not as a translation of the English. If neither of you is fluent, ask a German-speaking friend or relative to read it over. A machine translation is a reasonable first draft, but read the result before you publish it, because the site shows guests exactly what you wrote.

Decide early whether to address German guests as "ihr" or "Sie", and keep it the same across the whole site. Mixing the two reads oddly.

If you have a Polterabend, a German custom where guests break crockery for good luck, usually the night before or a week or so earlier, explain it on the English side. International guests won't know what it is, or what to wear.

What stays in one language

This is the part most guides skip. A two-language site isn't fully two-language everywhere, and it's better to know before you send the link.

• Event names. Each event has one name, not a German and an English one. Write both into the name, like "Standesamt / Civil ceremony" or "Feier / Party", so everyone can read the schedule.
• Anything you haven't written in German. If a section has no German text yet, German readers see your default language instead. Preview the German version before you share it.
• Some built-in labels. A few labels the site supplies itself have English and Greek wording only, so they show in English on the German version. The same goes for day and month names on the schedule.
• The reply form. When a guest taps to reply, the form runs in English or Greek, not German. Your RSVP questions can be written in English and Greek too, but not in German, so keep them short and simple, or put both languages in the question itself: "Hauptgang / Main course".

None of this stops German guests replying. But if your guest list includes older relatives who don't read English, it's worth a phone call to them, or a family member who can reply for the household. WhiteClover lets one person reply for everyone linked to their household, so a cousin can answer for grandparents in one go.

Setting it up

1. Create your website and pick a template. Write everything in your main language first.
2. Add German as a second language. The editor gives you a tab per language, and you fill in the German text section by section.
3. Name your events in both languages, and give each its own time and place.
4. Write your RSVP questions in English, with the German alongside where it helps.
5. Open the German version yourself, with ?lang=de on the link, and read every section.
6. Send the link. Add ?lang=de for relatives who should land on German.

Building the site, publishing it and collecting replies is free, with no charge per guest. See how the wedding website is put together, or start yours free.

One site for both sides

A two-language wedding is mostly a writing job. The site does the routing: German phones get German, English phones get English, and a link with ?lang=de takes your aunt straight to her language. The work is writing the German so it sounds like you, naming events so both sides can read them, and checking the German version before anyone else sees it.

If your guest list includes Greek speakers too, our guide to a Greek and English wedding website covers that pair, and the same site can carry more than two languages.

Frequently asked questions

Can a wedding website be in English and German at the same time?

Yes. Build one site with an English and a German version. Guests see the version that matches their browser language, and anyone can switch from the menu. You write both versions yourself.

Does the website translate itself into German?

No. Nothing is translated automatically: guests read exactly what you wrote. Write the German yourself, or ask a German-speaking friend to check it.

How do I make sure my German relatives see the German version?

Their browser language usually takes care of it. To be certain, add ?lang=de to the end of the link you send them, and the site opens in German whatever their phone is set to.

Can guests reply to the RSVP in German?

The reply form runs in English or Greek. Write your questions simply, or put both languages in the question, such as "Hauptgang / Main course", so German guests can answer without guessing.

What languages can a WhiteClover wedding website use?

Twelve: English, Greek, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. You choose which ones your site has and write each one.

Recommended

• One Wedding Site, Greek and English Guests
• Two-Language Wedding Day: Greek and English
• The Questions Every Wedding Guest Asks
• How to Share Your Wedding Website With Guests
• Day and Evening Guests: Two RSVPs, One Website