Delnon Photo

Delnon Photo is the wedding photography business of Jean-Marie Delnon, who lives in the Engadin and photographs weddings around St. Moritz and across Graubünden. He covers everything from a half-hour civil ceremony to a full-day reportage, publishes a detailed FAQ on what is included, and also rents out a photo booth and Pyro Vulkan effects for the party.

A photographer who lives where the couple are marrying

The homepage makes local knowledge the main argument. Delnon writes that he knows St. Moritz, Champfèr, Silvaplana, Pontresina, Celerina, Samedan and many other Engadin villages "wie meine Westentasche" (like the back of his hand), which saves couples time looking for good photo spots. Because he lives in the Engadin, he adds, he needs no overnight accommodation and can act quickly. For a couple flying in to marry in the valley, that removes one cost and one logistical question that a photographer brought in from elsewhere would raise.

He has been photographing weddings for more than ten years, by his own account, mostly discreetly in the background so that the couple can stay in the moment. His motto on the wedding page is "Unvergessliche Momente, eingefangen für die Ewigkeit" (moments to remember, held for eternity), and he describes his way of working as unobtrusive, authentic and wholehearted. He says he works in an uncomplicated way, has a feel for situations, is open to the couple's ideas, and cares most that they feel comfortable in front of the camera, because that is how unposed, emotional pictures happen.

Weddings sit alongside other work. Under his own name he photographs people, events, landscapes and free projects, and he lists music videos and fine art prints on the contact page. Commercial jobs such as business portraits, real estate, food, product and drone photography run through a separate company, Gammeter Media AG.

What he offers for a wedding

The wedding page lists six services:

• a pre-wedding photo shoot
• photography at the civil registry office (Standesamt)
• full-day photo reportages
• an after-wedding photo shoot
• other photography on request
• rental of a photo booth and Pyro Vulkan effects

The civil ceremony option is the one most useful to couples keeping things small. He notes that a civil ceremony usually lasts half an hour and that he photographs the emotions during that time. For a full day, the reportage follows the couple from start to finish.

The after-wedding shoot answers a common problem. Asked whether a tight schedule means the couple shoot can move to another day, he replies that it is actually better that way, because the session can then happen at the best time of day and at a good location that would otherwise be out of reach. He will shoot at a place the couple choose or suggest one himself, drawing on his knowledge of the Engadin.

What is included

His FAQ lists the standard inclusions:

• a personal preliminary meeting
• an online gallery by download link, for the couple and their guests
• all images in digital form, full size and full quality (JPG)
• 5 to 10 specially edited photos
• travel anywhere in Graubünden
• full usage rights to the photos

On numbers of images, he says it depends on the length of the day: about 50 to 300 pictures for a civil wedding, and between 400 and 1200 for a complete wedding day, with more if there are more good pictures. Delivery is within two weeks, and he can send a few photos at short notice if needed. He keeps the files for at least a year after the wedding. He will remove skin blemishes and other distractions, giving a red fire hydrant on the street as his example.

On guests, he is candid: at a large wedding he cannot promise to get every guest in front of the lens, and he asks couples to tell him which people must appear in the photos.

Extra costs, prints and publication

Asked whether other costs come on top, he answers basically no. He would appreciate being fed at the wedding. For a longer stay, however, overnight costs and travel expenses from 50 km are added, and he writes a quote on request. That matters for couples marrying outside the valley.

Wall prints can be ordered in almost any format and type, such as Alu Dibond or framed. A photo book is listed automatically when the images are handed over and can be ordered there for a fee. He uses 1 to 5 photos from a wedding for his own website and passes on no others; couples who do not want that should tell him by email before the wedding. One small practical note from the FAQ: the online gallery shows a button labeled «Kaufen» (buy), but clicking it downloads the files free of charge.

How booking works

The page sets out the steps. The couple get in touch, then meet him without obligation, by phone or in person, to get to know each other. If he is booked, they sketch out the day, and once the plan is final (about two weeks before the event, he says) they speak again. A trial shoot is available on request, and he passes on his wedding experience along the way. At the latest two weeks before the day, he contacts the couple or their witnesses to go through the updated plan for the key photo moments. He also offers a free wedding checklist on request.

The contact page asks two questions for an accurate quote: when and where the wedding takes place, and how long he should photograph. His mobile number is +41 79 500 03 07, and the page gives delnon@delnonphoto.com for press enquiries.

What the site leaves open

The site publishes no prices for wedding coverage, the photo booth or the Pyro Vulkan; each is quoted individually. The whole site is in German, and it does not say whether Delnon works in English, which an English-speaking couple should ask in the first message. It also does not describe a backup photographer if he is unavailable on the day, or the terms for deposits and cancellations (the site links to general terms, but the wedding page does not summarize them).

Who it suits

Delnon Photo suits couples marrying in St. Moritz or elsewhere in the Engadin who want a photographer who already knows the locations and does not need a hotel room. The civil-ceremony option and the separate after-wedding shoot make him a good fit for small weddings and for couples who would rather do portraits on a quieter day. The published inclusions, image counts and two-week delivery let a couple compare him with others on concrete terms.

He is a less obvious choice for couples marrying far outside Graubünden, where travel and overnight costs apply, or for couples who need English confirmed and a price in hand before the first conversation.