Monika Breitenmoser Photography

Monika Breitenmoser Photography is a wedding, couples and family photographer working in French-speaking Switzerland, with Geneva in the site's title and Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey and Ticino named on her homepage. Alongside wedding coverage she sells fine art albums and wedding boxes, so couples can leave with printed work rather than only files. Her site is published in French.

Where she works

The homepage headline is "Photographe de mariage en Suisse - pour les couples modernes", followed by "qui veulent plus qu'une image : du sens, de la beauté et des souvenirs qui durent" (for modern couples who want more than an image: meaning, beauty and memories that last). Under it she describes herself as a "Photographe de mariage, couple & famille en Suisse romande", a wedding, couples and family photographer in French-speaking Switzerland. The strip of place names on the homepage reads Genève, Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey and Tessin, which takes her coverage beyond the Lake Geneva region into Italian-speaking Ticino. Her published weddings match that spread, from Geneva and the La Côte area of Vaud to Lavaux, Vevey and Ascona.

Her approach

On the homepage she writes that she records true emotions with sensitivity to turn memories into timeless images. The key lines are hers: "Avec une approche authentique et discrète, je m'efforce à immortaliser chaque sourire, chaque regard et chaque détail qui rendent votre journée inoubliable" (with an authentic and discreet approach, I try to preserve every smile, every look and every detail of the day), and "Mon style photographique se caractérise par sa modernité et son élégance intemporelle. Je privilégie les compositions soignées et la lumière naturelle" (her style is modern and timelessly elegant, and she favors careful compositions and natural light).

The wedding portfolio page adds how she behaves on the day. Her approach is calm and discreet, it lets the couple live each moment fully, and she documents the day naturally, as it really unfolds. On the Crêt-Bérard wedding she describes herself as staying discreet but always present where memories are made, with an authentic, natural style focused on emotion and real light. After that ceremony she used the golden light for a couple session where, as she puts it, there was no need to pose, only to be there together. For couples who dislike being directed, this is the most relevant thing on the site.

What couples say

The homepage carries a testimonial from Magali and David, in French. They write that they loved having Monika as their photographer, that she is professional and kind and put them at ease from the first meeting, and that she listens to what couples need. They describe the photos as "réelles, romantiques, drôles et douces" (real, romantic, funny and gentle) and say they recommend her to all their friends. The menu also has a separate testimonials page.

Published weddings

The wedding portfolio lists these reports:

• a civil wedding at the town hall of Aubonne, Vaud
• a secular wedding at the Domaine de Belle Ferme, Julie and Alan
• an elegant and timeless wedding at the Hotel des Trois Couronnes in Vevey
• Cindy and Quentin's wedding at Crêt-Bérard, in Lavaux
• an elegant wedding at the Hotel des Trois Couronnes in Vevey, Zhao and Christian
• an elegant wedding at the Hotel Castello del Sole in Ascona
• an intimate, modern wedding at the Eaux-Vives town hall in Geneva

Civil weddings at town halls, hotel weddings in Vevey and Ascona and secular outdoor ceremonies give a fair picture of the range.

The Crêt-Bérard report is the most detailed. She describes the house in Puidoux as a historic building set between the Lavaux vineyards and the mountains, and lists why couples choose it: a peaceful setting suited to secular ceremonies, views over the vineyards and the Alps, the option of staying on site, and several spaces for the meal, the ceremony and photos. Cindy and Quentin held their secular ceremony in the park under the trees, had dinner in one of the large rooms and ended the evening on the dance floor.

The Belle Ferme report describes a country reception venue ("lieu de réception champêtre") suited to an outdoor ceremony, in open countryside a few kilometers from town. Julie and Alan's guests sat under the old trees of a large garden while the couple exchanged vows they had written themselves.

Albums and wedding boxes

The Coffrets Mariage page is where the site is most concrete about deliverables. It opens: "Il n'y a pas de plus belle manière de sublimer votre reportage de mariage que l'impression de vos photos et la création des albums photo haut de gamme" (there is no better way to set off a wedding report than printing the photos and making high-end albums). She says she wants to leave couples "un rendu qui traversera les générations", a result that will last for generations.

Collections #1 and #2 include a box and prints. According to the page, the boxes are made by hand in the United States and the prints are produced in Europe, and everything comes with a USB key holding all the photos in HD. A separate fine art album page carries more detail on the printed products.

Languages and booking

The whole site is in French, and nothing on it says whether she works in English. Couples from abroad should ask about language in their first message. Contact runs through a contact page, and she is on Instagram as @breitenmoser_photography. None of the homepage, portfolio or wedding box pages gives prices, hours of coverage, lead times or cancellation terms. The menu has a "Prestations" (services) page, which is the place to look for package details, and otherwise costs have to come from a direct inquiry.

Who it suits

She suits couples marrying in Romandie or Ticino who want natural, lightly guided photography and value printed albums. Her portfolio shows she is at home with both intimate civil weddings at a town hall and secular ceremonies outdoors, and with hotel weddings in Vevey and Ascona. Couples choosing Crêt-Bérard, where guests can stay on site, will find a detailed report of a wedding there.

The caveats are practical. Couples who do not speak French need to confirm she can work in English. Couples planning a religious ceremony will find none in the published portfolio, so it is worth asking to see one. And anyone who needs a price before a first conversation will have to write to her or check the Prestations page, since none of the other pages gives one.