Jairo Thoma Photography

Jairo Thoma Photography is the wedding work of Jairo Thoma, whose studio is at Bachstrasse 5 in 9606 Bütschwil, in Toggenburg. He describes his style in three words, "Dokumentarisch, natürlich, emotional" (documentary, natural, emotional), and covers weddings across eastern Switzerland, with dedicated pages for Appenzell and for Rapperswil-Jona on Lake Zurich. His Rapperswil page says he has accompanied more than 50 weddings since 2023. A banner across the site announces that 2026 weddings are fully booked and invites inquiries for 2027.

How he works

He works unposed and close to the couple's emotions, and writes that how a couple look at each other matters more to him than a perfect pose, so that the pictures feel like their day rather than a photo shoot. He records the day in order, from the first quiet preparations through the vows to the toast in the evening. Both pages say plainly that the sample pictures are real work of his but do not necessarily come from Appenzell or Rapperswil-Jona; they show his style, and the actual locations are planned together with each couple.

Mountain weddings in Appenzell

The Appenzell page describes the region as rough mountain scenery, with the Säntis (2502 m) rising in the south, in front of soft, green hills with scattered farmsteads between Appenzell, Gais, Herisau and Urnäsch. For a wedding above the fog he points to the Alpstein: the page says the Schwägalp lies about half an hour by car from Appenzell at the foot of the Säntis, with the cable car to the summit and its view over the Alps and Lake Constance, and it names the Seealpsee, the Saxerlücke and the small mountain village of Meglisalp.

He is glad to go up with a couple, and says he always plans a weather plan B with them and reacts to clouds, wind and changing light. Rising fog is not a problem for him but "oft das stimmungsvollste Bild des Tages" (often the most atmospheric picture of the day). For lower-key weddings he suggests Appenzell and Weissbad, the ridges around Gais, and the Herisau and Urnäsch hinterland with its living traditions.

His case for working in Appenzell is that Toggenburg and Appenzell are neighbors, separated only by the ridge around the Säntis, and that he knows the light and paths of the region well, including how early the shadows fall into the valleys on a summer evening.

Lake weddings in Rapperswil-Jona

The Rapperswil-Jona page gives the distance itself: his studio is about 35 kilometers and roughly 40 minutes' drive away, and travel within the region is included in his packages. It calls Rapperswil the Rosenstadt, with about 15,000 roses in some 600 varieties blooming in three rose gardens between June and October. Schloss Rapperswil serves as an outside wedding venue of the local civil registry: the page says the civil ceremony takes place in the small Rittersaal, with room for about 30 guests, the castle courtyard suits the apéro, and the Lindenhof looks out over the lake to the islands of Lützelau and Ufenau. For couple portraits he suggests the old town and Capuchin monastery, the 841 meter wooden bridge to Hurden, which the page calls the longest in Switzerland, and the rose gardens, harbor and lakeshore with the Glarus mountains behind. He also photographs at the Bächlihof of the Jucker Farm in Jona, a farm in a large orchard that suits rustic weddings with a free ceremony.

Civil and free ceremonies

The Appenzell page explains how civil weddings work there, in its own words: in Switzerland the civil ceremony always takes place at the civil registry, and in Appenzell the wedding room is small and meant for a limited number of people. He photographs that part quietly and without hurry, then takes the couple out into the hills, onto an alp or to a favorite spot for couple and group pictures. For a free ceremony outdoors, on an alpine meadow or in front of a mountain panorama, he is glad to come along too.

Packages and prices

• Essential, from CHF 2150: half-day coverage for the civil ceremony or a compact celebration, suggested for small weddings.
• Classic, from CHF 2650: full-day coverage from preparations to the evening, with time for couple pictures in the landscape.
• Premium, from CHF 3800: comprehensive coverage for a big wedding, with detailed reportage and full flexibility for special locations.

For a full day, couples receive 400 to 600 carefully edited pictures in a password-protected online gallery, usually within 6 to 8 weeks. A second shooter costs CHF 600 extra. An engagement or couple shoot in the mountains or by the lake is available from CHF 350. HelloFamily vouchers are accepted.

Reviews and booking

The site shows a rating of 4.9 stars from 36 Google reviews, and quotes three of them, which praise his authentic work and editing, his speed and attention to individual wishes, and his patience. The FAQ advises asking early, since popular summer Saturdays go quickly, and says he replies within 7 days in high season. Inquiries go through the contact form or WhatsApp, and the phone number given is +41 79 908 51 47. The only email address in the footer sits on an unrelated web design domain rather than the photography site's own, so the contact form, WhatsApp or the phone are the routes to use.

What the site leaves open

The site has a German and English switch, but the pages do not say in which languages he works, so a couple from abroad should ask. The prices are starting figures, and the pages do not detail how many hours each package covers or what Premium adds in concrete terms. Travel is included within the region, with no stated rate for weddings farther away. He also offers family shoots, application photos and pages for venues such as Kartause Ittingen, Schloss Arenenberg and Schloss Wartegg.

Who it suits

Jairo Thoma suits couples planning a mountain or nature wedding in Appenzell or Toggenburg, or a castle and lake wedding in Rapperswil-Jona, who want unposed documentary pictures, a clear gallery size and a stated delivery time. The caveats are that 2026 is full, and that the working language and full package details need to be confirmed directly.