Nicole Kym

Nicole Kym is a full-time wedding photographer based in Basel, trading as Nicole.Gallery, who describes her work as natural, timeless and stylish wedding reportage. She has photographed weddings for over 10 years in Basel, Baselland and across Switzerland, from a small civil ceremony to a free ceremony outdoors or a big celebration with family and friends. Her site is in German and answers an unusual number of practical questions up front, which makes it easier than most to plan from abroad.

Photographic Style and Approach

Her homepage introduction is short and specific. She calls herself "hauptberufliche Hochzeitsfotografin aus Basel" (a full-time wedding photographer from Basel) and says she accompanies couples who want real, unposed and stylish pictures. On her style: "Mein Stil ist natürlich und zeitlos. Ich arbeite diskret." (my style is natural and timeless; I work discreetly). She observes, empathizes and records what is really there, which she lists as honest emotions, small gestures and "dieses besondere Leuchten in euren Augen" (that special light in your eyes). Of the weddings themselves she writes "Jede Hochzeit erzählt ihre eigene Geschichte und genau das liebe ich daran" (every wedding tells its own story, and that is exactly what I love about it).

She also offers, if couples want it, to draw on her experience to help with planning and to give tips so they can enjoy the day in a relaxed way.

Discreet does not mean hands-off. Several testimonials describe her guiding couples through the portraits: one couple credits her location suggestions and concrete tips on posture and posing for giving them confidence as people with no modeling experience, and another says she posed them skillfully at the registry office, the Basel Minster and Schloss Binningen.

She is clear about editing style too. Asked whether she can edit in a different style, she says no: she edits in her own natural, timeless look, as shown on the site, and asks couples to look through her work and make sure they like it.

Weddings and Places in the Testimonials

The site carries a long list of testimonials, most of them from couples in and around Basel. They mention the civil registry office in Basel (Standesamt Basel), the Basel Minster, Schloss Binningen, an aperitif in the Merian Gardens that a couple chose after seeing her photos, a wedding in the mountains that ended with a rainbow, and couples who booked her for both their civil and church weddings. One couple married in constant rain and still got pictures they love, with reflections on the wet ground ("Spiegeleffekt am Boden"). To the question whether she photographs weddings outside Basel, her answer is "Ja natürlich": she offers wedding reportage throughout Switzerland, wherever couples want her.

Booking and the First Meeting

The FAQ sets out the process. Couples get in touch by phone or email and arrange a personal preliminary meeting in Basel or by video call, which is useful for couples living abroad. It matters to her that the chemistry is right, since they will spend several hours together on the day. At an in-person meeting she also shows the wedding album.

On timing, she says the earlier the better and that many couples book her 6 to 12 months in advance, but she also takes short-notice requests. The date is reserved once she receives the signed agreement and the deposit.

The Couple Shoot and Bad Weather

For couples who have never done a photo shoot, she says there is nothing to worry about. She usually starts with a short walk to help them loosen up and forget the camera, and helps them throughout. For a full wedding reportage she recommends 1 hour on location for the couple shoot, which can also be split, for example into 2 sessions of 30 minutes; the best time is agreed at the preliminary meeting.

On rain, she says a rainy wedding can also be beautiful and romantic, but a plan B is essential. For the couple shoot they look for alternatives together: covered places, a stylish room in a restaurant or hotel, umbrellas or even rubber boots.

What Couples Receive

All delivered images are edited. After selecting them she adjusts brightness, contrast, color tone and saturation, straightens horizons and crops where needed, and couples receive all their good pictures in color and in black and white. The edited images arrive about 4 to 8 weeks after the wedding. If couples want, she sends a few pictures within days so they can prepare thank-you cards.

Delivery is through a password-protected online gallery, which couples can share with family and friends. For wedding reportages of 8 hours or more, every couple also gets an individually designed wedding box with a USB stick and her favorite images as prints. Albums can be ordered, and the site has a separate photo album page.

Team, Contact and Prices

Several testimonials thank "Nicole und Milan", and one refers to her team, so couples should ask whether a second person will be at their wedding and in what role. The site lists her address as Hirzbrunnenstrasse 110, 4058 Basel, with the phone number +41 79 660 64 39. It notes that she volunteers as a photographer for Herzensbilder and has a section for memberships and publications. Prices are not given on the homepage, but the menu has a separate price list page (Preisliste), and general terms (AGB) are linked in the footer.

Languages

The site is in German, and several testimonials are in Swiss German. It does not say whether she works in English, so couples from abroad should ask about language in their first message; the option of a video call for the first meeting makes that easy to test.

Who She Suits

Nicole Kym suits couples who want natural, emotional pictures with some gentle direction for the portraits, and who like a clear process: an early meeting, a signed agreement, a set delivery window and a defined package for longer days. Couples marrying in Basel get a photographer who knows the registry office, the Minster and the local settings well. Couples marrying elsewhere in Switzerland can book her too, and should ask how travel is charged. Couples who want a heavily stylized or editorial look should note that she edits only in her own style.