Bartels Fotografie

Bartels Fotografie is the business of Sandra Bartels, who describes herself as a "Hochzeitsfotografin aus Zürich", a wedding photographer from Zurich, and heads every page with "Destination & Elopements". Her site has German and English versions, and she writes that she regularly photographs weddings all over Switzerland. Her site includes a guide to Schloss Waldegg near Solothurn and wedding stories from Solothurn and Bern, which show how she works.

Schloss Waldegg, from a photographer's view

Her page on Schloss Waldegg is a short venue portrait. She calls the castle one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the region, and names what makes it so: baroque architecture, extensive gardens and a calm atmosphere, a mix of history, elegance and nature. According to her page, it lies only a few minutes outside Solothurn's old town. The historic rooms, the courtyard and the well-kept gardens feel elegant and relaxed at the same time, and she notes that the castle is particularly popular for intimate weddings and freie Trauungen (ceremonies led by an independent celebrant rather than a registrar).

For photographs, she points to the light facades, the baroque details and the quiet garden paths, and says the gardens offer plenty of calm spots for a first look away from the bustle of the party. A combination she describes as very popular is a first look at Schloss Waldegg followed by the celebration at a venue nearby, such as Restaurant Attisholz, joining a historic backdrop for the portraits with a relaxed place to celebrate. She sums up the castle as calm and elegant, a good match for couples who want natural, timeless pictures, and says the mix of architecture, nature and soft light is what makes the portraits there look so natural.

A wedding in Solothurn

The Solothurn story follows M and J, and opens with the observation that some wedding days start very quietly, with an anticipation you only slowly begin to feel. Their day began that way, relaxed, with getting ready, while Mehdi of Atelier Delaram finished the bridal styling. Sandra writes that these hours before the ceremony are always among her favorite moments of a wedding day: people laugh and talk, and the excitement slowly builds. When the dress from Liluca went on, she describes the moment as a mix of happiness, nerves and anticipation.

The first look took place at Schloss Waldegg. The groom waited in the courtyard while the bride approached slowly, and when they first saw each other, she writes, everything around them seemed to stand still for a moment. Those first seconds, she says, are among the moments she loves most on a wedding day. Afterward they used the castle's surroundings for some quiet portraits in the soft afternoon light.

The celebration followed at Restaurant Attisholz in Solothurn, where family and friends waited in the garden. Jonas of Liebefeiern led a very personal freie Trauung, which she describes as touching and warm, with moments that brought laughter and a few tears. The evening was full of long conversations and laughter, and the dance floor filled quickly. She also praises the restaurant for its stylish setting, great food and a warm team.

A wedding in Bern

The Bern story is written in English, and it follows the day from morning to night. On a sunny summer day she photographed Christina and Antonin, who got ready in an old apartment in the heart of the city and had their first look and couple portraits in Bern's Old Town. A taxi took them to Schloss Bümpliz for the ceremony and a short aperitif, then the tram brought everyone back to the Münsterplatz, where the Einstein Café served treats and its homemade ginger tea. One of the most moving moments, she writes, was a walk along the Aare where the couple exchanged personal vows. The evening continued at the Steinhalle with dinner and a party that went on well into the night.

For a couple from abroad the story is a good illustration of her way of working: a day spread across several places in one city, moved between by taxi and tram, with the photographer traveling alongside the couple and portraits taken along the way rather than in one long session.

Language and contact

The site has DE and EN switches, the navigation is in English (Home, About, Weddings & elopements, Contact, Stories, FAQ), and the Bern story is written entirely in English. The Waldegg guide and the Solothurn story are in German. For an English-speaking couple, that is a practical sign that planning in English is possible, though the site does not list the languages she works in.

Contact runs through "Get in touch" and "Let's connect" links and a contact page. The footer gives opening hours of Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and links to general terms (AGB), an FAQ and her Facebook and Instagram. The footer also links to pages titled "Hochzeitsfotograf Bern", "Hochzeitsfotograf Dolomites" and "Elopement Fotograf Schweiz".

What the site does not settle

• Prices and packages. None are given in the venue guide or the wedding stories.
• Hours of coverage and delivery. No standard coverage, number of images or delivery time is stated.
• Elopements. The site title names elopements and the footer links to an elopement page, but the wedding stories and venue guide do not describe what an elopement booking includes.
• Travel. She works across Switzerland and links to a Dolomites page, but travel costs are not published.
• Booking terms. The site links to general terms; deposit and lead time are not described in the stories or the venue guide.

Who it suits

Sandra Bartels suits couples who want natural, story-led photographs of a day that moves between several places, and in particular couples planning a wedding around Solothurn or Bern, where her site shows complete days. The English navigation and the English-language Bern story make her easy to approach for couples from abroad, and the elopement focus in her site title suits couples planning a small wedding. Prices, coverage and travel costs have to be requested, so the first message should give the date, the places and the size of the wedding.