Bildermacher Moeri

Bildermacher Moeri is the business of Christof Möri, who describes himself as a full-time wedding photographer from Zug ("hauptberuflicher Hochzeitsfotograf aus Zug"), working from Bann 13 in Steinhausen, in the canton of Zug. He writes that he has accompanied couples since 2006, all over Switzerland and anywhere in the world. His site publishes a clear price list, a local guide to marrying in Zug, and a long page of client reviews, one of which answers the question most couples from abroad will ask: whether he works in English.

His approach

His wedding page is headed "Emotionen im Fokus", emotions in focus. He writes that he loves wedding photography and is always looking for the unique moments that give people goosebumps; sparkling, pure emotion is what grips him most, and together with the couple he wants to create stylish, elegant pictures. He describes his style as creative, elegant, uncomplicated and professional, and says a relaxed relationship with the couple matters to him as much as high standards for the pictures. Whatever the wedding, he writes, whether a small civil ceremony, a church wedding, a celebrant ceremony, a beach or a mountaintop, what matters is that it is full of emotion and suits the couple.

Packages and prices

The offers page lists four options, and says every package and service can be adjusted precisely to the wedding.

• Zivile Trauung (civil ceremony). On weekdays, or at short notice when he is free, for example a 2-hour reportage from CHF 1,000.
• Feuer, CHF 3,400. 8 hours: a couple shoot, the ceremony and congratulations, group photos, the banquet and the evening program. Travel costs within Switzerland are included. 400 images in the highest resolution.
• Flamme, CHF 4,500. 12 hours, from the morning at the hairdresser to the evening program. 600 images in the highest resolution.
• Unendlichkeit, CHF 6,600. 14 hours. Everything in Flamme plus a 1-hour couple shoot before the wedding, to get used to the camera, and a wedding album with 30 double pages.

The page also lists extras: a wedding album (smaller versions are popular as gifts for parents and witnesses), an engagement or pre-wedding shoot, an after-wedding shoot, drone photography, and a photo booth for hire at CHF 400.

What every booking includes is also set out. A first meeting without obligation, which can take place in person, by phone or by video call "um geografische Distanzen zu überbrücken" (to bridge geographical distances). Professional editing of cropping, color and brightness on calibrated screens, with fine retouching. And delivery of all photos on a digital storage medium, print-ready and with all rights, with no follow-up costs, plus a free password-protected web gallery from which guests can download the pictures the couple release.

Marrying in Zug

The Zug page is a local guide. It calls Zug the "Perle der Zentralschweiz" (pearl of central Switzerland) and says the old town on the lake, the mountain panorama and the sunsets make a fine backdrop. For the couple shoot, he suggests choosing between mountains, nature, old town or lake, and notes that the Saturday morning market fills the Landsgemeindeplatz, so he knows quieter spots and boat jetties too.

On ceremonies, his page says the Zug registry office has three wedding rooms; he names the historic town hall in the old town as the most beautiful and the 24th floor of the Park Tower for a view over the town and lake. According to his page, dates can be booked at the earliest one year before the wedding, and civil weddings in Zug are possible on a Saturday four times a year. He also mentions weddings at Burg Zug, the Sankt Verena Kapelle at the foot of the Zugerberg and the Liebfrauenkirche in the old town for church weddings, and the garden of the Biohof Zug, with its view of the lake, for celebrant-led ceremonies. The page ends with local recommendations: restaurants such as the Rathauskeller, the Krone, the Parkhotel Zug, Wildenmann Buonas and the Casino Zug, a goldsmith, two florists and a make-up artist.

What couples say

The reviews page is long and specific. Couples describe him as professional and friendly from the start, well integrated into the wedding party, and quick to spot where a good picture is. Several mention that he stayed in the background while always being in the right place, and two describe being surprised with a photo album at the end. One couple credit him with helping the day run to plan; another recalls him ready to climb a tree for the best shot.

The weddings named on the page range widely: Goldau and the Rigi, Villa Villette in Cham, the Böschhof in Hünenberg, the Hotel Montana in Lucerne, Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall, the Hofkirche and the Palace in Lucerne, Sarnen, Zermatt, and weddings abroad in Santiago de Chile and Málaga. Reviews come in German, English, French and Spanish.

Language

The visible site is in German, but an English-language review from a couple married at Villa Villette in Cham says his "fluent English was a huge asset on the day - especially with family from abroad". For an international couple, that is the clearest evidence on the site that he can run the day in English. The site's structured data also lists German and English as his languages.

What the site does not settle

• Delivery time. The site does not say how long after the wedding the photos arrive.
• Travel on the larger packages and abroad. Travel within Switzerland is stated for Feuer; the site does not spell it out for the other packages or give costs for weddings abroad.
• Album and extras pricing. Only the photo booth has a published price.
• Booking terms. No deposit or cancellation rule is described.

Who it suits

Bildermacher Moeri suits couples marrying in Zug, central Switzerland or further afield who want a very experienced photographer, a published price before the first call, and a relaxed, unobtrusive presence on the day. The Zug guide is useful in its own right for couples choosing a ceremony location there. For couples from abroad, the video-call first meeting and the review praising his English make him an easy choice to approach, though they should confirm delivery times and travel costs for the larger packages.