Wedding, handfasting, funeral sevice, child’s welcome celebration, naming ceremony and for all other beginnings and transitions in between.

Wandelworte. Who is this actually?

My name is Friederike Amara Sonnenberg and I am a creative orator. I am happy to accompany you as a celebrant and ritual guide in moments of transformation. As a funeral eulogist and wedding celebrant, at children’s welcome ceremonies and naming ceremonies, at transitions, at new beginnings and farewells and everything in between. I am also available to accompany your rites of passage in English or in English and German.

My pronouns are she/her and I am happy indeed if you would like to tell me your pronouns.

For many years I have been expanding my methods of expression for exploring and articulating emotions through song and dance. I am trained as a naturopath (psychotherapy), systemic counsellor, workshop leader for dance pedagogy. Also I am intensively involved with spirituality in the broadest sense, consensuality in all areas of life and attentive togetherness.

What enriches, touches and enhances our lives is what inspires me and gives me fulfilment in everything I do.

Accompanying queer people, polyamorous relationships, rainbow & patchwork families and pagans is a heartfelt matter for me, as is accompanying classic relationship models and secular ceremonies. However, this is a warm inclusion and invitation, by no means an exclusion of other love and life models and people.

I know from personal experience that (especially unplanned) changes are often a particular challenge for neurodivergent people (e.g. ADHD, autism). I am genuinely neurodivergent-affirming.

Professionally, I originally come from the book industry – so I have actually made my love of words my livelihood.

Wandelworte. What does she actually do?

As a creative orator and ritual guide, I would like to accompany you through your transitional moment with personalised words. Together we will design the ceremony for your wedding, handfasting, funeral sevice, child’s welcome celebration, divorce or whatever other significant step you would like to take.

We can also add other elements to make this ceremony as unique and harmonious as possible for you. Therefor we can work with memory boxes, candles, blessing ribbons, candle boats and many other creative options. All according to your personal and individual needs.

I also offer chanting, dance and movement work, as well as pagan ceremonies.

Wandelworte. What is important to me?

An open, empathetic and attentive mindset when collaborating. With a sense of mutual sympathy on both sides, it’s way easier to come together on such intense topics. Above all, it’s especially important to me that your expectations and wishes are the centre of attention.

To ensure this, our potential collaboration always begins with a 30-minute, non-binding and free preliminary meeting, in person, by telephone or video call.

Whether you want to begin something or say farewell, in a very mundane or more spiritual way, in a very small or large circle, purely and poignantly or fantastically and colourfully, elegantly or barefoot, indoors or outdoors, in the forest, on the beach, in gardens or on festival stages – if you want to celebrate this one important moment – I’d love to be with you! In the whole spectrum of the rainbow.

Let’s get into contact with each other!

Wandelworte. How can you contact me and where am I travelling?

You can also visit and contact me on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Feel free to contact me via email at wandelworte@posteo.de or by phone on +49 1577 277 3010 or +49 5121 306 7744.

I mainly travel around Lower Saxony in the areas of Hildesheim, Hanover, Braunschweig, Peine, Salzgitter, Sarstedt, Göttingen, Wolfenbüttel, Wolfsburg, Alfeld, Bad Salzdetfurth and Wedemark. Also I am glad to come to you if you live somewhere else and would like me to accompany you.

I look forward to meet you!

The financial aspect

I cannot and do not like to offer all-inclusive prices, as I do not have a set programme, but would like to create the individual ceremony for you that you wish for.

During the first real conversation I can estimate how much time will be needed for your ceremony. At this point you will then receive a cost estimate from me, which will include the approximate amount of hours, the discussed contents/programme and an estimated final sum.

The actual final price may and will not exceed this estimate by more than 15%. Only when you accept my written offer will our collaboration be finalised

Should there be any major changes in the course of the collaboration, for example because you would like to have additional elements in the ceremony, you will receive a new cost estimate from me.

You can also read the full business terms and conditions at your leisure under point 5 in the General Terms and Conditions.

How is my fee made up?

My fee is made up of binding (preliminary) meetings; writing, creating and rehearsing the speech; composing additional ceremony elements and, of course, carrying out the oration/ceremony. Also included is the consultation with the other participants to ensure that everything flows smoothly.

The initial talk is the basis on which I write your personalised oration. Here we also talk about wishes and ideas, biographies and the possible integration of songs or ritual elements. Depending on the nature of the occasion, we may meet more than once. You can estimate about 2 hours for this, but we will do it at your own pace.

If you wish, you can choose to read your personalised oration in advance, but in any case you will receive it afterwards as a keepsake.

For meetings and ceremonies within a 15 kilometre radius of my address, there are no travel costs. For further distances, travel time, possible accommodation and my travel costs of 0.35 ct/kilometre or the actual costs incurred by the means of transport used will be added to the invoice. Items and materials purchased in consultation for the ceremony would also be listed there.

On average, I require around 15 – 20 hours for a wedding/handfasting ceremony, which includes a preliminary talk(s), the creation and the presentation of a personalised oration, a briefing with the guests on the day itself and the integration of various rituals and traditions.

For a funeral service with a preliminary talk, as well as an individual and personal eulogy (and if you like a feedback talk), as well as the consultation with the funeral home, for example, I usually need about 7-10 hours, depending on the scope and length of the talks. The costs are then around 420-600€.

We will find a way.

If you have an important request and are unsure whether you can afford it financially: please talk to me! In any case, we can try to find a way together and perhaps create a different balance. It should not fail because of that!

I would be glad to arrange everything with you personally and in an atmosphere of calm.