Multicultural
Weddings
Meaningful
JEREMY BYRNES PHOTOGRAPHY
Many couples want more than just a civil ceremony at the town hall. Some people choose to have a religious wedding, especially if they share the same faith. Others prefer to hire a secular celebrant.
Since 2011, I specialise in crafting meaningful – often multicultural – wedding ceremonies for couples who value their differences and wish to commit their lives to each other in the presence of their loved ones. I work with them to craft a ritual that reflects their unique relationship and expresses their ambition for the future.
I believe these ceremonies are both universal and unique...
Universal, because throughout the world and since the dawn of time, there have always been people uniting their destinies and communities, developing social rituals
to symbolise and acknowledge this partnership for life.
Over and above cultures and traditions, “life as a couple” seems to be part of our human nature. So many of us thrive when we find the right partner, the right relationship.
Unique, because a wedding ceremony is always the union of two different beings, with their own personalities, their distinct backgrounds. On this very special day, more that any other day, they want to be true to themselves and true to each other, with the support of the community formed by all their loved ones.
Read the Testimonials below !
Same-Sex couples ?
What about ...
The right to marry is no longer determined by sex or gender in Australia (since 2017) and in Switzerland (since 2022). This is not necessarily the case elsewhere in the world. However, many couples do commit their lives to each other. In my opinion, it is extremely important to celebrate the symbolic union of two human beings.
>>> Would you like to know more?
Please feel free to contact me (see my details below). I am happy to answer any question.
I usually propose a meeting in person or a Zoom call, in order to try and determine which kind of ceremony might be most suitable, how to organise it and how much it would cost.
Testimonials
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“ The ceremony was a magical moment full of emotion that will remain engraved in our hearts! And it was largely thanks to you, Andrés. During the preparations, you provided guidance and help, while letting us express ourselves freely, so that we could create a ceremony that reflects who we are. We drew on your solid experience to create the ceremony of our dreams. Many thanks to you!
Mélissa & Benjamin
Domaine de Collet, 1 June 2024
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“ A huge thank you to Andrés for guiding us through the preparation of this very special moment. Our wedding was as unique as our couple and there's nothing we'd want to change. Everything reflected our relationship, there wasn't a detail that didn't ring true.
Thanks to meticulous and fun preparations, our wedding ceremony was simply perfect. We were able to focus on our emotions and share them with our guests without any stress, knowing that everything was under control. The various rituals and speeches made for a very lively ceremony in which the guests played a part too. We made our friends laugh, we made our parents cry. No time to get bored.
Trust him! Sometimes, during the preparations, you may think that certain rituals might seem kitschy or artificial, but it will not be the case. At the ceremony, everything comes together naturally and perfectly. It was a magnificent bespoke ceremony.
Lise & Jérôme
Le Louverain, 29 July 2023
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“ Andres, thank you so much for a perfect day. Comments included:
• “It couldn’t have been more perfect”
• “It was like a “proper” wedding service but without the boring bits”
• “What a beautiful wonderful day and such beautiful rituals. We’ve never seen anything like this before”
• “I am still thinking about the loveliest of days ever last Saturday. It was truly magical”
• “It made me feel like saying my OWN vows all over again”
All of which we couldn’t have done without you. You really steered us in the right direction, helped us before, during and after the ceremony and ensured everyone had an entertaining, very emotional, and very professional, but fun afternoon. Thank you once again.
Carolyn & Jan Pieter
Chexbres, 21 May 2022
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“ Dear Andrés, we would like to sincerely give our thanks and appreciation for the wonderful ceremony. It was a beautiful co-creation, and we thought the moment was more magical than we dreamt possible. It was truly a perfect day. We will be sure to share some pictures once available. And please let us know if there is anything we could do by way of recommendation for your services. We would be more than happy to do so. "
Christina and Hamilton
Spiez Castle, 13 May 2019
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“ Dear Andrés, it was a moment of such intense emotion! Seeing the beautiful bride and her father walking down the aisle by the lake was just breathtaking. The whole family is unanimous, the ceremony was exceptional and it is thanks to you. You knew exactly how to support us as we took this important step in life. Your ability to understand us and to express our values and emotions is exceptional and we could not dream of having a better celebrant by our side on our very special day. Thank you so much for everything you did to make this day the most wonderful of our lives."
Silvia & Jérôme in love
La Barcarolle in Prangins
21 July 2018
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“ Dear Andrés, thank you very much for a fantastic ceremony. We were just unbelievably happy. We definitely felt married after that! We were particularly impressed to see what an amazing job you do before the wedding, discovering who we are and what our couple is all about. Many of our friends said they loved the ceremony. We would be more than glad to recommend you."
John & Cecilia, Verbier
2 Septembre 2017
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“ Dear Andrés, we often think back to our wedding. The ceremony with you at the Rose Garden in Bern was one of the highlights of the day. Thank you again for everything, it was really beautiful and unforgettable! You can tell couples who contact you that we loved our very original ceremony, standing and in a semicircle. We highly recommend it! "
Alexandra & Nicolas
The Rose Garden in Bern
17 June 2017
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“ Andrés, we are both feeling quite emotional and in awe of how you do this. I am crying while reading again the beautiful words you wrote. You have absolutely nailed it. The ceremony reflected us both as individuals and as a couple. Our families and friends were as touched as we were. You have done us such a huge honor. Thank you for guiding us through the emotional day and for supporting us through the challenging process - and for never giving up on us writing our vows! "
Christy & Trineesh
Whidbey Island, Seattle
17 Septembre 2016
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“ Andrés, it is impressive how you managed to seize what we were looking for. You identified our interests and our values - in fact, who we are."
Shanoor & Gwen
Provence, 3 June 2016
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“ Being a culturally and religiously mixed couple, we were looking for someone that could embody the role of a secular wedding celebrant. Having interviewed several, we just clicked with Andrés. Little did we know how much he was going to bring to the table.
We wanted to get married. We wanted a real wedding ceremony. But would a ceremony diverting from the norm and traditions still be considered a real wedding? Andrés's work made it clear to us that this was possible.
Thanks to his excellent interviewing skills, we discovered what was truly important to us. Andrés helped us construct a unique and genuine ceremony that reflected our cultures and beliefs. When the big day finally arrived, our ceremony not only represented our mutual traditions but it represented us.
Andrés has a gift for precision and a personality for captivating an audience. Working with him was a real pleasure and the ceremony he helped construct remains for us a memory for life."
Caroline & Othman
Marrakesh, 23 May 2015
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“ Once again we would like to thank you for your huge input on our BIG day! With a lot of warm emotions I remember all of our meetings, our conversations and the whole process of preparing this beautiful and unique ceremony! We received an enormous amount of compliments for you and for the ceremony! Our guests really appreciated a lot! People refer to it as the most cozy, warm and pure ceremony they ever attended!"
Taya & Gabriele
Lausanne, 23 August 2014
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“ We are both so happy with what you have written. Thank you so much for your effort and input, it really is very special and we both feel really connected to it. This has been a great process.
Joanne & Madox
2 Novembre 2013
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“ Andrés, we want to THANK YOU. It was magical. Very intense. (...) We were really moved by your script. It was powerful and we could recognise ourselves in the things you said. Wonderful! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. "
Sara & Ricardo, Aubonne
31 August 2013
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“ We have such wonderful memories of our ceremony, so intimate, so personal. We received many compliments, people found it sincere and very moving (even friends who are not usually emotional told us that they were teary). It was really shaped in our own image. Tailor-made! Exactly what we had hoped for. We want to thank you once again for having walked us through this important step in our life. "
Réguy & Grégory
Château Maison Blanche, Yvorne
27 July 2013
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“ Once again, a big thank you for your invaluable help in the preparation of our wedding. It was a success. Our guests very much appreciated the ceremony and it will remain, for us, a wonderful memory. Forever in our hearts."
Nathalie & Morgan
Château de Glérolles, Saint-Saphorin
29 June 2013
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“ How can we thank you for your amazing work? Wasn’t it amazing how the whole universe seemed to play a part? I believe strongly that the wind was a sign of God talking. Dear Andrés, thank you again for your wonderful words! "
Merel & Peter
Jiva Hill Resort, Crozet
18 August 2012
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“ Dear Andrés, we just wanted to say thank you for the beautiful ceremony. (...) We are extremely grateful for how thoughtful you were in putting together this perfect ceremony. We had a wonderful time, and we have already recommended you to some of our engaged friends! "
Bina & Nico
Château de Bossey
28 July 2012
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“ Thank you for sending us the texts you read at our ceremony. They are so beautiful. It makes us relive our amazing day. We are still feeling very emotional."
Semegnish & Antoine
Kiosque du Parc des Bastions
17 Septembre 2011