About
Speaking is my profession.
Whether it's a board meeting, a company presentation, or a wedding ceremony, speaking to and with people has always been an important part of my life.
The story
The first ceremony found me. Friends of friends had seen me speak at an event and asked whether I’d be willing to marry them; I had to look up what a “Freie Trauung” even is. Still, I didn’t think about it for long. Today I write and hold wedding ceremonies: in German, in English, and occasionally with a few sentences of Finnish.
Speaking for a living
For twenty years, I’ve been building and leading design and technology agencies. A large part of this work involves “speaking”: in pitches with clients, with my teams, on stage. People entrust me in these moments with what matters most to them: their products, their companies, their money. Yet, for me, there’s even more at stake at a wedding ceremony, because I take nothing more seriously than guiding two people through the most important day of their lives.
The bilingual life
I have experienced a ceremony in a foreign language myself. Our wedding was in a small church in Finland, in the arctic winter, north of the polar circle. The priest had learned German in his youth. My family nodded kindly and understood about half of what was said.
Ever since then, I’ve known firsthand what it’s like when one family has understood every word and the other is still waiting for a summary. Twenty years of using English as my working language, many years living abroad, and a Finnish spouse later, I now officiate weddings where no one has to wait for a translation.
Working with me
I ask a lot of questions. Maybe sometimes more than seems reasonable. I'll call your closest friends — the people who know you best. And on the day itself, you’ll forget that any of this was part of the preparation.
A first hello
A conversation, no strings attached. And you decide in your own time whether we fit.