Wedding | Dennis & Lucas

The Anti-Bride
2 hours ago
5 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Lucas was born in 1982 in the Jura Bernois and works as an architect with two partners at their firm, Apollo Architecture, based in Bienne, Switzerland.

Denis was born in 1987 in Neuchâtel and is an artist. He also teaches at the Haute école d'art et de design de Lausanne (ECAL) and at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

In 2015, we met in Bienne. Ten years later, we live together with so much love and joy in the charming little village of Twann. Our love is natural and clear. Every day, we show each other our deep, passionate love. Marriage was not a necessity, but it is a symbolic way for us to express our commitment and to share it with our loved ones during a special and celebratory moment.

During our summer holiday in 2024, on a small sailboat (kindly lent to us by dear friends) on Lake Neuchâtel, we anchored in front of an idyllic beach called Pointe du Grain. At dessert time, Lucas arrived with a small treasure box of ice cream, in which Denis was delighted to discover a ring. What a wonderful surprise and what a beautiful way to end our vacation and to begin our married life!

The civil ceremony took place on July 11, 2025, on Île Saint-Pierre and at the delightful restaurant Les Trois Amis in Schernelz.

The festive wedding celebration was held on November 22, 2025, at Haus der Kunst St. Josef in Solothurn.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Our first wish was to find a place that felt enchanting and unique. Inspired by the spirit of a campfire that brings people together and offers comfort, we were quickly drawn to the idea of having a winter wedding, so that everyone could gather in an enclosed, warm, and welcoming place to celebrate our union together.

Haus der Kunst St. Josef in Solothurn is a contemporary art gallery housed in a deconsecrated church. Every year in December, Anet and Reto (the charming hosts and guardians of the place) passionately transform their art space into a French-style brasserie name Brasserie St. Jo. It is a truly unique place, of breathtaking beauty.

As it turned out --- thanks to both intuition and good fortune --- this first choice was the right one.

In addition, we were able to display works by around one hundred artists from the Palais gallery in Neuchâtel (art space which Denis runs with his maid of honor Prune Simon-Vermot since 10 years).

Same-sex marriage is not recognized by the Catholic Church, yet it felt symbolically powerful to us to marry in a church nonetheless --- a place meant to be welcoming and unifying. Christian Egger, a friend, gallerist from Neuchâtel and himself gay, served as our master of ceremonies with great and poetic skill.

How many guests did you have?

It was touching to see our family and friends all gathered together for the first time in one place. There were 100 guests, including 11 children.

What was your budget?

Enough to experience a such beautiful moment... thanks to the invaluable and generous help of our parents. The total cost of organizing the wedding was about CHF 30'000.-.

Tell us about your outfits.

We were dressed in black tie, really classic.

Denis opted for a 1950s-inspired look: single breasted jacket with a shawl-collar, enhanced by a silk pocket square designed by the artist Pierre Keller, cummerbund and black belgian loafers.

Lucas drew inspiration from the 1930s: single breasted jacket with peaked-lapels and a red carnation in the buttonhole, waistcoat an patent leather shoes.

We looked like the little couple in tuxedos on top of a wedding cake.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

Showing our love to others, with coherence and warmth.

Writing our respective vows was a very special challenge. Each of us discovered the other's vows live during the ceremony, in front of our families and friends, which certainly added a fair amount of pressure.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

The ceremony itself: secular, yet classic in form, led with great talent by our friend Christian Egger. He spoke about love with a wonderful mix of eloquence and humour.

The musical accompaniment to the ceremony by an ensemble made up of a soprano, two violinists and a pianist from the Haute École de Musique (HEM) in Neuchâtel. Julie, Cécile, Lara and Terence beautifully performed several pieces of our choosing at key moments of the ceremony, adding great depth to the occasion.

It was important to us to serve a coherent menu that reflected the concept of the Brasserie St Jo, inspired by traditional French brasseries: artichoke, choucroute de la mer, an assortment of cheeses brought from France by Reto, and a lemon cream dessert. For a local touch, the wedding cake was a Solothurner Torte, a hazelnut speciality from the city of Solothurn.

Living in the wine-growing village of Twann, it was essential for us to serve local wines, more specifically those of the excellent Martin Hubacher from Johanniterkeller.

Dancing until the end of the night.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Choosing a venue that truly reflects who you are is essential and should be done as early as possible. The organisation of the celebration then develops quite naturally based on the possibilities offered by the location.

Organise the wedding away from home --- though not necessarily too far --- so that guests are encouraged to stay overnight. Free from worrying about getting home, they enter a kind of enchanted bubble and can really let go and enjoy the moment.

Hire an excellent DJ --- in our case, Camille Fabre. Camille kindly travelled all the way from Marseille, leaving at 5.30 a.m. on the morning of the wedding. That didn't stop him from keeping us dancing until 6.30 the next morning!

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Reto and Anet, the wonderful hosts of the Brasserie Saint-Jo, which takes place every December at the Haus der Kunst St. Josef in Solothurn. They listened carefully to our wishes, welcomed our requests with kindness and made thoughtful suggestions. They showed exemplary flexibility and availability. Most importantly, they genuinely enjoy what they do --- and it shows.

Raya and Beat, the hosts of the BnB IN2 in Solothurn. The rooms and the kitchen are decorated with great taste and also serve as a showroom for their interior architecture studio, located on the first floor of the building.

Last but not least, the photographer Annabelle Zermatten, also known as Coucoustudio Love, was perfect. Warm, kind, and reassuring, she managed to capture this important moment for us, both on film and digitally, with delicacy, lightness, sensitivity and talent. Thank you so much to her!