Stories that touch the heart
at moments that matter
I love taking the time to hear your story, to shape it and tell it in a way that does justice to you and the occasion. I will inspire you with ideas, which will help you create a perfect, highly personal ceremony. One that you and the people around you will always remember.
First independent wedding celebrant
In 2005, I became the first independent wedding celebrant in the Netherlands. I have always had a desire to offer bridal couples a ceremony of quality and depth. I am a native Dutch speaker, but I am also proficient in English, which has made it possible for me to perform many English ceremonies. I also speak some German and French, but not enough to perform an entire ceremony. Nevertheless, I am able to devote a personal paragraph to guests who speak a different language. I will do my level best to welcome them in their own language.
Wedding Ceremony
Wouldn’t it be beautiful if the ceremony were the beating heart of your wedding day? The ceremony will be a beautiful homage to your relationship. It will be personal, created with and for you. I will find the words that describe your relationship with each other and with the people around you. I will try to get to the essence of your story and tell it in all its colours. People may be moved to tears, but there will also be a lot of laughter. Together we will create a unique celebration of your love. One that you will still remember long after your wedding day.
In most cases I will be able to officially complete the wedding ceremony and wed you by law, for I am legally recognized to do so. If you don’t live in the Netherlands and neither of you is Dutch, it is possible to have a beautiful ceremonial wedding. It could either take place in the Netherlands or abroad. I will bring certificates that can be signed and your guests will not notice you only got married ceremonially.
Pauline was recommended to us when we were looking for someone who we could trust and create a wonderful atmosphere to marry us. After meeting her we were immediately convinced that she would be great. We instantly liked her warm and welcoming personality, mixed with a good sense of humour – and that she seemed confident and very interested to tackle a very diverse multicultural setup without one common language (chinese and vietnamese families, german, dutch, english, spanish and friends from virtually everywhere). We also got the feeling that she understood us, our motives and gave us a good perspective of how this would translate into the ceremony.
My husband and I got married in the Netherlands, “in the middle” of our respective home countries, Germany and the UK. We were so lucky to have Pauline as our ceremoniespreker. She came to visit us in the UK before our wedding, and we spend a lovely afternoon together, chatting about our lives leading up to our engagement, our relationship, wishes for the ceremony, and the people involved. Pauline made us feel very comfortable, she has a lovely energy, is an attentive listener and we just had a lot of fun together, though we had been a little bit nervous about the process beforehand.Rates for a personal wedding ceremony by Pauline Suidgeest are starting from € 1.495,00.
Funeral ceremony
Preparing a funeral ceremony with a family is incredibly valuable, special and intimate. I will help you, as a family, to create a beautiful homage that will do justice to that special person you have lost.
On the day of the funeral, many people prefer to do as much as possible themselves. If you are unable to do so on this difficult day, I would be honoured to help you and tell the story on your behalf and lead the funeral ceremony. I am very conscientious and attentive and I find it very important to take enough time to prepare the ceremony together with you, so that I know your story and I know what you want the day of the funeral to be like. It goes without saying that I would welcome working with the funeral director, who takes care of all practical affairs. My responsibility will merely be the funeral ceremony.
Rates for a personal funeral ceremony by Pauline Suidgeest are on request.
Speech
Memorable moments in life often call for a speech. This could be a speech at a wedding ceremony, at a funeral ceremony, or it could just be a toast at the table. Not everyone is a natural speaker, but anyone can capture an audience and tell a meaningful story. It is a matter of preparing yourself well. Together we will compose your story. We will make sure it runs smoothly, with a captivating opening, a clear core and a brilliant ending. Giving a speech can be quite terrifying, but we can practise the speech together if you like. I would love to help you get through difficult moments with practical tips and turn your speech into a memorable one!
Rates for personal speech coaching by Pauline Suidgeest are starting from € 495,00.
