Got some great advice here on finding "independent" churches to marry us later this year ie ones out of the swiss tax system....but due to a number of reasons (potentially refusing to marry us coz I'm divorced, cost (CHF2000 for 30 minutes in a church ) etc etc) we think we need to look for a Plan B.
Aside from the civil ceremony in the registry office, we wanted something a bit more personal and intimate (hence the church request), but I know that in the US and in the UK, you can do a sort of non-religious wedding commitment ceremony....one with no legal or religious overtones, just somebody who will find a place where we can go with friends and family and make commitments and promises to each other. You know, something special for that "white dress" moment rather than the Zivilstandsamt!
I think you still have to do the legal part at the registry office do you not? we were at a wedding on Friday at the registry office in Zurich and I find the swiss wedding system very bizarre and impersonal, I hope you manage to find a better solution. It's a shame you can't do a civil ceremony at a nice location like you can in the UK which will be classed as legal so you can then bypass the zurich registry office
Yeah, sure, its to do as well, not instead of the Zivilstandsamt......here in Bern you can actually marry civilly in some other places (a bit like the UK), but its still the same conveyor belt approach in a nicer place PLUS it isn't on Saturdays (so tough for family to attend) PLUS all booked up until October!
Find a place you love both, (ie forest, lake, mountain,things like that, ) write down what you would say to the other, make a circle with both of you in the centre plus *God's right hand*.
Say that you are gathering here in His presence to unit your life under His Love.
read you text, kiss.
and make some noise.
I can assume you that you will have more *people* around you that you can imagine, they love it.
I think the official 'registry office' ceremonies can vary a lot in the way they are done. Ours (way back in 1969) in Basel was VERY 'this is a legal requirement, and nothing but' - which didn't bother us at the time as we were having a ceremony in church anyway.
I went to another 'Zivilstandsamt' wedding a few years back. There the atmosphere was quite different. The 'ceremony' plus little talk was really great. The bride wore a long dress, the other folk dressed appropriately and it was all very festive. The 'talk' was in dialect, which suited everyone present very well and a couple of meaningful points were made. I requested a copy afterwards which was sent to me by the 'registrar'.
I witnessed a friends wedding in Basel registry office, and found it very sensitively handled. Some people even cried! Then off to restaurant for champers, followed by evening party.
Yes, I agree with Bertrand. Let the "Oficial" thing for the Civil Marriage.
When I got married, I went to the Zivilstandsamt with my white dress, he with his tux, our closest friends also present. It was lovely. After that we went to the Lake Zürich for some pictures and then to his father's house. A nice garden, something around 30 guests, good music... Nothing super fancy, but very intimate, romantic, and economic
I'm sure you'll find a place to gather your closest friends and celebrate this special and unique moment.
We thought of hiring one of these guys for "Freie Trauung", but the new age crap was scarier and more expensive than going to the church.
So we had a chat with the lady at the registrar, and she was so open about the whole thing. She told us she can spare 1 hour for us, and gave us several options with the text that she could present (from strict legal to uber romantic) and suggested 3 different venues where she can conduct the ceremony. We chose the one on the hill in Kilchberg (the local museum, but capacity for only 15 people I think) overlooking lake Zurich. Then she also suggested that since we chose that place, we could use one of the gemeinde's little houses nearby by the lake to have our apero and party, which costs only a couple of hundred Fr. to rent for the whole day. Superb!
I had my civil wedding in Balstal last year and they offered a really nice ceremony and even gave me a bouquet of flowers after we were married. It was very serene and everyone truly enjoyed it. Myself and my husband are having our church wedding this year and we originally had a priest from Ireland going to perform the ceremony but he can no longer do it. I am beginning to panic. We have everything booked including the chapel in Altreu and the hotel in Grenchen for the reception afterwards. Friends from my birth country, Ireland have already booked their flights . Would anyone know of a pastor, minister or frankly anyone that could perform a blessing for us. It does not need to be terribly religious but are looking for some kind of a blessing ceremony. PLEASE help.
well, just recently I spoke with a local civil officer about the ceremony... and it very much depends where you go. Sometimes it is an ugly modern room, but in other locations it is lovely and antique. They asked if rings would be exchanged, if friends and family wanted to participate or do readings, if the bride and groom wanted to say vows - for a ceremony that would last about 30', and wanted to provide the "feeling" of getting married.
A far cry from the classical expectation of cold and impersonal.
Hi Axman, I know this a really old thread, but my fiance and I have the same problem being discusssed here... that we are getting formally married at the stadthaus in zurich on the Friday (aug 29th) but are having our proper wedding day with 100 family and friends on Saturday 30th august. we want someone to do a wedding blessing / ceremony on the Saturday, in front of our guests, but we can't find anyone who can do it (non-religious, in English).
I asked at the stadthaus by phone today (based on your experience), but they said they are officials and cannot do anything unofficial like this.
Do you have any specific contacts who might be able to help us?