Lara & Cüneyt Budakoglu

A photo and film team from Zurich

Lara and Cüneyt Budakoglu run cubuphotography, a wedding photography and film business based in Zurich that works across Switzerland. Lara is the photographer and Cüneyt the videographer, and together they cover weddings, elopements, couple shoots and families. Their homepage opens with "It all starts with your story." and describes the business as wedding photographers for Zurich and Switzerland offering timeless wedding photography, family photography and cinematic wedding films. The site offers an English version from its menu.

Lara, whom the site affectionately calls the team's photo fox, writes that she is an experienced wedding photographer in Zurich with more than 500 weddings behind her, working with couples throughout Switzerland. Whether it is a stylish wedding in Zurich, a romantic elopement in the mountains or an elegant celebration by a lake, she says she tells each couple's story honestly, in a modern way and "mit viel Feingefühl" (with a great deal of sensitivity). She also offers family photography in Zurich and across Switzerland.

Cüneyt, the team's self-described video bear, is a passionate wedding videographer in Zurich, a real cinema fan and, in the site's words, a hopeless romantic. He has worked with couples across Switzerland for many years, filming the quiet, genuine and emotional moments unobtrusively and with sensitivity. His wedding films, the page says, are meant to feel like a real film: emotional, modern, timeless and full of atmosphere.

How they work on the day

The offer page sums up the wedding approach in the German original as "Echt authentisch und total unkompliziert" (truly authentic and totally uncomplicated). They accompany the day in reportage style, on request from getting ready to the very last dance, and want the couple to feel at ease and simply forget that they are there. Their get-to-know-us text adds that they create space together for real moments, natural, unposed and fully focused on the couple, and that it matters just as much to them that couples feel comfortable in front of their cameras and enjoy the time together.

Wedding prices

The wedding and civil ceremony section publishes its prices, including VAT. Photography for 6 hours starts at CHF 3,550. A civil ceremony package of 2 hours starts at CHF 1,440. Weddings can be booked on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 2 hours; on Saturdays from May to October there is a minimum booking of 8 hours. Included are their Wedding Guide, an unlimited number of edited images, an online gallery for the couple and their guests, and a personalized giveaway with a USB stick and fine art prints.

The published figure is for photography. The site presents the film side prominently, but the offer page does not give a price for wedding films, so couples who want both should ask for a combined quote. Albums are available in leather, linen, wood or acrylic glass, in a choice of sizes and formats, with layflat binding and a matching box as options; prices are on request.

Other sessions

The couple and engagement shoot starts at CHF 660 for an hour, with shooting outfits and accessories, about 50 to 60 edited images and an online gallery. Their stated goal is that couples drive home more in love than when they arrived, and they suggest the session for invitation cards or as a dress rehearsal for the big day, which is useful for a couple from abroad who wants to meet the team before the wedding.

Family and maternity sessions start at CHF 720, with dresses and accessories to borrow and about 50 to 60 edited images. Newborn and at-home sessions start at CHF 890, including 30 edited and retouched images, outfits for the baby and 10 fine art prints. Gift vouchers start at CHF 100 and can be used for every package except weddings. The homepage also advertises 20-minute mini sessions, with the next date on 30 August 2026, and Christmas mini sessions on 8 November 2026, limited to 10 sessions.

Portfolio and reviews

The portfolio previews include a summer wedding for Marion and Neil, a golden hour shoot at The Dolder Grand and a detail-focused set headed "IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS". A winter weddings section appears on the homepage too.

The one review on the homepage, from Géraldine and Michele, says Lara and Cüni accompanied their wedding the previous September as a photo and video pair. Cüni's wedding video, they write, was the finishing touch, in Swiss German "s Tüpfli ufem i", and it "rührt uns heute noch zu Tränen" (still moves us to tears today). They praise the pair's professional, humorous and uncomplicated manner and Lara's eye for detail.

Workshops and the podcast

The pair also teach. Their Portfolio Days and Workshops are aimed at wedding photographers and content creators who want to build their portfolio for the upper end of the wedding market, with editorials and couple shoots at selected Swiss wedding venues. The Matcha Blossom portfolio day at the Gartenatelier in Domat/Ems offers 6 editorial wedding sets with 1 model couple and 1 single bride, in small groups, for CHF 790 including snacks and drinks; a collaboration with Zimtblumen is listed as sold out.

They also appeared on Bridezilla, a Swiss wedding podcast, in an episode on how CuBu Photography is rewriting the wedding film game. The site describes it as "Ein ehrliches Gespräch über Emotionen, Storytelling und darüber, wie wir Hochzeiten in bewegten Bildern festhalten" (an honest conversation about emotions, storytelling and how they record weddings on film).

What the site does not answer

The offer page does not price wedding films or a combined photo and film package, and it does not say when the photos and the film are delivered or how long the film runs. Travel costs for weddings outside the Zurich area are not stated. The site has an English version, but it does not say in so many words whether the pair work in English on the day, so couples should confirm. There are separate FAQ and terms pages, which are the place to look for booking conditions.

Who they suit

Lara and Cüneyt suit couples marrying in Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland who want relaxed, unposed pictures and a cinematic film from one team, and who can plan around a Saturday minimum of 8 hours in the main season. Weekday and civil ceremony couples get shorter options. The caveats are the unpublished film prices and the need to confirm language and travel terms before booking.