Herzenspunkte

Herzenspunkte is the business of Elena Murmann, a certified free wedding celebrant (freie Traurednerin) from the Goms valley in Valais, with a contact address in 3900 Brig. She leads personal, non-church wedding ceremonies and vow renewals in Walliserdeutsch, the Valais dialect of German, both in Valais and, as destination weddings, abroad. Her site publishes a complete price, which makes it easy to budget.

Who she is

Her about page opens with the love stories that have fascinated her all her life, from Lady and the Tramp to Carrie and Mr. Big to royal weddings such as Kate and William's. She grew up in Goms and, after almost 20 years away, now lives there again with her small family. She describes herself as someone who loves the lightness of life and has a strong talent for organization.

She tells how a friend from Oman once told her «Follow your heart» and to do what she really loves, and that she did exactly that: she quit her job, followed her heart and went independent. She writes that designing and experiencing a ceremony together with couples is a matter close to her heart and gives her enormous joy. Her qualifications are listed as «zertifizierte Traurednerin» (certified celebrant) and «Direktionsassistentin eidg. FA» (executive assistant with a Swiss federal certificate). The page does not name the organization behind the celebrant certificate. Her interests: travel, music, culture, nature and kayaking. Her language is given as one word: Walliserdeutsch.

The ceremony and how it is prepared

The free ceremony page says her focus is the couple's love, whether for a free wedding or a renewal of vows, and that she celebrates it «Mit viel Empathie, Witz, einer Prise "Walliser-Charme" und ganz viel Herzenswärme» (with a lot of empathy, wit, a pinch of Valais charm and a great deal of warmth). The page opens with a line in dialect, a quotation attributed to "Walliser Seema".

The preparation runs in four steps:

1. Kennenlernen. A free, no-obligation first meeting to find out whether she is the right celebrant for you, with room to ask anything about free ceremonies.
2. Traugespräch. About 2 to 3 months before the wedding, a detailed conversation, at your home, in which she learns your story and you agree the running order and elements such as the "I do", the ring exchange and any ritual.
3. Planning and writing. Between that meeting and the wedding she is available for questions, designs the ceremony and writes the speech about your love story.
4. The day. She arrives in good time, prepares the ceremony and tests her wireless sound equipment. The high point, she writes, is your "JA".

The package includes the first meeting, the planning conversation at your home, personal advice on open questions, a visit to the venue where needed, building in rituals and vows as you wish, coordination with others taking part (witnesses, photographer, musicians), leading the ceremony, which lasts 35 to 45 minutes, and a microphone and speaker that need no power supply. That last point is useful for a meadow or mountain ceremony far from a socket.

Prices

The prices are on the pages:

• In Valais: a flat CHF 2,250, including her travel costs within the canton.
• Elsewhere in Switzerland: the same fee plus a CHF 100 travel flat rate.
• Abroad: a base fee of CHF 2,250 for the ceremony, plus CHF 350 for expenses such as travel time and meals, plus her journey (train, flight or car) and at least one night's accommodation.

Destination weddings

The destination page is headed "Destination Weddings «üf Walliserditsch»" and opens with «Die Liebe ist die schönste Reise, die wir antreten können, und so wird jeder Ort zu einem Herzensort» (love is the most beautiful journey we can take, and so every place becomes a place of the heart). She writes that travel is one of her greatest passions and that she enjoys being part of a couple's journey, whether to a beach, the mountains or «einer romantischen Stadt im nahen Ausland» (a romantic city in a nearby country). The offer mirrors the Swiss one, with tips on destination weddings in place of a venue visit.

Language

This is the point for couples from abroad to weigh. The only language on her about page is Walliserdeutsch, and both her Swiss and destination offers describe ceremonies held «üf Walliserditsch». The site is in German. It does not say whether she can lead a ceremony in Standard German, English or another language. For a Valais family, a ceremony in their own dialect is the attraction. For guests who do not understand Swiss German, it is a real limitation, so ask before booking.

Past work

The Inspiration page shows photos by CuBu Foto & Film (Lara and Cüneyt Budakoglu) and a link to a summer series by the regional TV station Kanal9, "Braut und Braut: Eine Liebesgeschichte aus Ergisch", which followed Corinne and Anouk, two women who had just got engaged. Elena Murmann writes that she took part in the feature as a celebrant and thanks the couple for their trust. The homepage also mentions "Herzensempfehlungen", her recommendations. Her about page carries a line in dialect, «... will dü mine Härzensmänsch bisch ...» (because you are my heart's person), credited to Claudi.

Contact

Contact is by email at info@herzenspunkte.ch, by phone on +41 77 429 26 56, or through the contact form, whose confirmation asks you to check your spam folder for her reply. She also points to her Instagram for more about her.

What the site does not settle

The site does not say how far ahead to book, whether the planning conversation can be held by video call for couples living abroad (the package places it at your home), or what a vow renewal costs if it differs from a wedding. It does not name the certifying body for her celebrant training, and does not state any language beyond Walliserdeutsch.

Who it suits

Herzenspunkte suits couples marrying in Valais, or Valais couples marrying abroad, who want a warm ceremony in their own dialect from a celebrant who publishes a clear all-in price. The travel flat rates make her easy to book elsewhere in Switzerland too.

It suits less well a couple whose guests mostly do not understand Swiss German. For them, confirming the language is the first question, before date and venue.