About

Humans + Love + Stories

We create heirloom-quality audio stories and meaningful ceremonies that preserve a person’s voice and legacy for the next generation.

Love stories, life stories, and legacy stories are human stories and belong to everyone — regardless of who they love, where they come from, or how they identify.

For all humans.

Crafted with love.

Whether officiating a wedding, honoring a life, or preserving a voice for future generations, our work is rooted in the belief that every story deserves to be heard, honored and shared with love.

An honor to serve.

It takes courage to be vulnerable with others and share the truth. We create a safe environment for stories and emotions to flow.

We listen to the heartbeat in the room. We check to understand how events unfolded and shaped lives.

Your beloved stories, fond memories, tall tales, and personal reflections are treated with respect and care.

It’s an honor to serve the needs of families and individuals in our community.

All we do is you and yours proud.

But…

Making a meaningful impact in intimate settings requires emotional depth, comfort with death and grief, along with the ability to speak in front of others during high-stakes joy and sorrow, engage guests, be heard, and above all, to do it with sincerity and love. For real.

…not everyone can do this.

Thankfully, we know a guy…

Michael Venske

Legacy Specialist

Michael Venske possess the rare combination of comfort with grief and the ability to bring playful humanity into in solemn places.

He helps folx mark notable events of distinction without holy hangups. He honed these skills as an actor and writer.

Venske received his ordination in 2008 to officiate the wedding ceremony for longtime friends and became an InSight Certified Celebrant in 2023.

Your Funeral Music

Michael Venske is also the creator, producer, and host of Your Funeral Music on volunteer-run WFNU Frogtown Community Radio.

Venske views this music program as diving board to deeper discussions where community members and families start conversations about life and wishes while listening to guests’ stories and ideal send-off playlist. Sundays at 8PM on 94.1FM in Saint Paul or WFNU.org.

Community Matters

Venske is connected to others as a volunteer Twin Cities Threshold Choir singer, Saint Paul Alley Captain, Ramsey County Precinct Elections Judge, and as a member of the Minnesota Death Collaborative.

Additionally, he serves on the boards of Morels & Memories where he helps produce an annual fundraising event for Alzheimer’s research and Frogtown Tuned-In, the non-profit overseeing WFNU Frogtown Community Radio.

Off-Hours

During leisure hours, Michael enjoys documenting life one second a day, exploring with his dog, splitting/stacking firewood, and trying new dishes from Cooking No-Recipe Recipes with for his partner. #IWNDWYT