Nicole Hermann

Nicole Hermann runs Zeremonien mit Herz, a celebrant business in Buochs near Lucerne, and designs and leads freie Trauungen: symbolic, non-religious wedding ceremonies written around a couple's own story. She describes herself as a ceremony designer and communications consultant, active since 2015, and travels across Switzerland with a focus on central Switzerland. What sets her apart for this site's readers is a dedicated English page, "Wedding in Switzerland", with its own packages and prices for couples who live abroad.

The approach

Her German site sums up the job in one line: "Ich verwandle Ihre Liebe in Worte, die berühren und zu Herzen gehen" (I turn your love into words that move you and go to the heart). She casts herself as storyteller, comforter, wedding coach and ideas person as well as celebrant, and on the day she keeps the running order together and leads the ceremony with wit, charm and depth. She mentions her 10 years of experience, and adds that it makes her the steadying hand when nerves flutter.

The selling points she lists: more than 10 years designing freie Zeremonien, creative ideas rather than standard texts, humor balanced with emotion, travel throughout Switzerland with a focus on central Switzerland, and her own battery-powered sound system.

How the German-language service works

The "So geht's weiter" section sets out the steps:

1. Getting to know each other. Her online calendar shows which dates are still free. After an inquiry, they meet in person or online; she shares ideas and explains how she works, and the couple receives a personal offer. This first conversation is free.
2. Booking. When the couple says yes, they receive a proposed ceremony outline with practical tips. A deposit reserves the date.
3. The detailed meeting. She sends some questions to prepare. About 3 to 4 months before the wedding they meet for 2 to 3 hours to talk about the couple and their love story, settle the running order, choose rituals if wanted and discuss how the vows will be exchanged. The agreement is confirmed in writing.
4. Writing. She writes the speech at her desk and works on it until it reflects both partners. In this period she also coordinates with the venue, the music and the witnesses. A few days before the wedding they talk by phone and go through the running order step by step.
5. The day. She arrives at least 90 minutes early, sets up her amplifier and the ceremony table, and coordinates with the venue, photographer, musicians and anyone taking part. The ceremony lasts around 45 to 55 minutes and includes a surprise keepsake. On request, couples also receive a booklet of their love story afterward.

Prices in the German offer

The German page states the fee plainly: "Ihre freie Trauung plane und gestalte ich für 1850 Franken" (I plan and design your freie Trauung for 1850 francs). The introductory conversation, in person or online, is free. Included: practical tips on the running order and organization, ideas for music, the 2 to 3 hour preparation meeting plus emails and calls, writing the ceremony including the love story, coordination with witnesses, guests and other suppliers, leading the ceremony, a personal keepsake and her battery-powered sound system.

Travel is charged as a guide at 70 Rappen per car kilometer and 50 francs per hour of travel, with special terms for travel abroad and longer distances. Live music is booked directly by the couple (the site lists recommendations), and she can prepare music from digital files for a small fee.

The English offer for couples from abroad

The second site, freietrauungmitherz.ch, carries an English page aimed at international couples who want a wedding, an elopement or an intimate ceremony for 2 in Switzerland. It describes a free ceremony as independent of religion and civil authorities, and says she can work with couples' cultural backgrounds. What it promises: personal guidance from Switzerland, online meetings by video call, clear processes, advice on music, the technical equipment, coordination with the venue's event team or the couple's wedding planner, and a personal keepsake with a connection to Switzerland. As an extra, she can help find a location or live musicians.

It has 2 packages:

• Ceremony "Love", CHF 990. A clear, pared-back ceremony of approx. 20 minutes, with 2 songs played digitally and a souvenir gift.
• Ceremony "Big Love", CHF 1290. More room for the couple's story, personal words and rituals: approx. 30 to 35 minutes, 3 songs played digitally, a personal ritual, a marriage certificate without legal character, and a souvenir gift.

Not included: travel and expenses, charged according to effort, and a high season surcharge of CHF 100 for Fridays and Saturdays from May to September. The introductory meeting is free and without obligation, and at that meeting she shows photographs from previous ceremonies. The inquiry form asks for names, where the couple lives, email, and the date and place of the ceremony.

Symbolic, in her own description

Her FAQ takes up the question of legal status directly and describes the freie Trauung as a symbolic wedding. She adds that couples do not have to be married at the Standesamt (registry office) first in order to hold one, and that the format suits a renewal of vows just as well. Couples from abroad who also need a civil marriage can ask her how others have combined the two.

Other ceremonies and resources

The menu shows separate sections for winter weddings, weddings for 2, naming ceremonies (Taufe), vow renewals (Ehe-Erneuerung) and farewells, plus audio samples, press coverage, a list of locations and recommendations. Couples who want to hear her before booking can use the audio samples.

Testimonials on both sites come from couples in Lucerne, Schwyz, Aargau and Nidwalden, and one couple, Petra and Sven, mention a ceremony she led on a boat.

What the sites do not settle

• The English page does not state a travel rate; the German page's per-kilometer guide may or may not apply to the English packages, so ask.
• Neither site says how the English packages handle a preparation meeting of the length described in the German offer.
• The deposit amount is not given.

Who it suits

Nicole Hermann suits couples from abroad who want a clearly priced English ceremony in Switzerland, including elopements and small ceremonies, and German-speaking couples who want a longer, fully written ceremony with a published fee. Those planning a large wedding far from Lucerne should budget for travel on top, and couples marrying on a summer Friday or Saturday under the English offer should add the high season surcharge.

Contact: 041 610 73 12, 079 628 46 43, info@zeremonienmitherz.ch, Im Lindeli 20, Buochs.