Anja Simone

Anja Simone is a wedding photographer from Bern who trades as Anja Simone Photography. Her site's footer describes her as a photographer from Bern for wedding reportages in Thun, Solothurn, Zurich and across Switzerland, and her blog tags her work as fine-art photography. The page this listing links to is her guide to five wedding venues around Bern, Thun and the Seeland, and its most useful line for a couple is a statement of experience: "An all diesen Orten durfte ich bereits Hochzeiten begleiten und kenne mich bestens aus", meaning she has already photographed weddings at every one of these places and knows them very well.

The venue guide

The post is written to a couple who has just got engaged and is starting to look for a venue. She picks places that she, as a photographer, finds beautiful, with character, aesthetics and a touch of nostalgia, and notes that some of them can be hired exclusively. (The introduction mentions six venues; the title and the guide itself cover five.) For each venue she links to a full wedding reportage she photographed there, so a couple can see her work in a setting they may be considering.

Schloss Hünigen, Konolfingen. The castle carries the quality label «Herausragend» (outstanding), and she writes that it is officially counted among the most beautiful wedding venues in Switzerland. Everything from getting ready to the party can happen in one place. The ceremony takes place outdoors in the large park or, in bad weather, in the historic interiors, and there are enough hotel rooms for the guests. Since 2023 the whole castle can be hired exclusively for a wedding party.

Schloss Gerzensee. The courtyard, the garden and the pond give many settings for the day, and the castle can be booked exclusively for a private celebration. A non-religious ceremony can be held in the castle garden or in the hotel's own boathouse on the Gerzensee, and the village church is an alternative within easy walking distance. An avenue leads down to the castle's private lakeshore, where the view across to the Bernese Alps is, she says, simply perfect for a bridal portrait session. Her reportage from this venue is the wedding of Christine and Till.

Schloss Schadau, Thun. She calls it a fairy-tale castle, directly on the shore of Lake Thun. The castle lawn, looking over the lake to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is set up for the ceremony, and if it rains the ceremony moves indoors, into rooms she describes as splendid and romantic, with an imposing spiral staircase right at the entrance. Her Schadau reportage is the wedding of Karin and Thomas.

Schloss Münchenwiler, near Murten. A historic castle from the 11th century in a large park with a big pond and a fountain. On request the ceremony can be held in the castle's own church, so the whole wedding can take place in one location. She singles out the Turmsuite, the tower room for newlyweds, and mentions that the natural castle pond invites a refreshing swim the next morning. She photographed the whole day of Noemi and Micheal's wedding here, including a dance routine she recommends watching in the reportage.

Klosterhotel St. Petersinsel, Lake Biel. A historic former monastery hotel in the middle of Lake Biel, surrounded by vines and grazing cattle, with warm-toned walls she likens to Tuscany. The peninsula is car-free, so a boat trip with the wedding party is part of the day. The ceremony can be held outdoors, or the couple can simply hold their celebration there. She suggests hiring a boat for all the guests, as Lara and Lukas did when they chartered the vintage boat Romandie II to travel from Biel to St. Petersinsel.

What the guide tells you about her

The guide shows a photographer who has worked at castle and lakeside venues in the Bern, Thun and Seeland area, and who pays attention to the practical points that shape the pictures: where the ceremony happens in rain, where the light and the view are best for couple portraits, and whether a whole day can take place in one location. Her closing line invites couples looking for "eine erfahrene Hochzeitsfotografin" (an experienced wedding photographer) who records the day as a detailed and moving reportage to look at her wedding page. Her blog also has a separate post on the Grandhotel Giessbach on Lake Brienz, listed among her recent articles.

Other services

The site's menu shows weddings alongside couple shoots, boudoir shoots, pregnancy and baby-bump shoots, and branding shoots, plus a page giving an overview of her offers. The blog has categories for tips, couples, boudoir, baby bump, portraits, business and events.

Contact and language

The footer gives an email address, hello@anjasimone.com, and links to a contact page. The blog post and the site's menu are in German, and the post addresses the reader with the informal "du". Nothing on this page says whether she works in English, which is the first thing a couple from abroad should ask.

What the page does not settle

• Prices and packages. The venue guide gives none. The menu links to an overview of her offers, which is where to look before writing.
• Coverage and delivery. Hours, number of images and delivery time are not stated here.
• Travel. The footer names Thun, Solothurn, Zurich and Switzerland as a whole, but travel costs are not given.
• Language. English is not mentioned.
• Venue terms. Her notes on each venue are a photographer's view. Capacities, prices and ceremony rules have to be confirmed with the venues themselves.

Who it suits

Anja Simone suits couples marrying at a castle or lakeside venue around Bern, Thun, Murten or Lake Biel, and particularly couples who have chosen one of the five venues in her guide, since she has photographed weddings at each and can show a full reportage from it. The guide itself is a useful starting point for couples still choosing a venue in the region. The caveats for couples from abroad are that the page is in German and does not mention English, and that prices have to be looked up on her offers page or asked for.