Barbara Stalder

Under the name Wunderbarbara, Barbara Stalder leads free, non-religious ceremonies for couples in and around Thun. A free ceremony like hers carries no civil or legal weight on its own, so it sits alongside the registry office wedding and gives a couple the chance to mark the day in their own words. She writes each speech from what the couple tells her beforehand, folding in their story and the rituals or symbolic moments they want to include.

She works in German and brings an inner-Swiss dialect to the room. Themed weddings are part of what she does, from medieval to western settings, and she's happy to officiate for couples of any pairing. Vow renewals are also on offer. Stalder is based in Thun and covers Bern, Uri and the rest of Switzerland, and she'll hold a ceremony outdoors, on a farm, by a lake or up in the mountains.