Rebecca Krebs

Rebecca Krebs is a wedding photographer based in Oberbalm, in the Bern region, who calls herself a Hochzeitsfotografin Schweiz, a wedding photographer for the whole of Switzerland. Her aim, as she puts it, is to document the wedding day the way it unfolds naturally, not staged or artificial, just the couple and their wedding. What sets her site apart for a couple planning from abroad is how much it answers up front: a starting price, what is included, how many photos to expect and how quickly they arrive.

What a Booking Includes

The wedding page lists what is always included in her wedding coverage (Hochzeitsreportage):

• a personal meeting and planning conversation before the wedding
• all photos in print quality as a download
• an online gallery for the couple and their guests
• travel within 50 km of Oberbalm
• for bookings of 8 hours or more, 50% off an engagement shoot (Kennenlernshooting)

Prices start at CHF 1900 for 4 hours, and she asks couples to contact her for an individual quote. Civil ceremonies are covered too: during the week she photographs registry-office weddings (Ziviltrauungen) from 1 hour of presence time, again on a quote. She also writes that she is glad to come along to a wedding abroad.

For an international couple, the travel line is the one to read closely. Travel is included within 50 km of Oberbalm; beyond that, the page does not say how travel is charged, so a couple marrying further away should ask for it to be itemized in the quote.

Photos, Editing and Delivery

Her FAQ gives figures most photographers leave out. The number of images varies from wedding to wedding with the number of guests and the program, but she normally delivers about 50 to 90 pictures per hour of coverage. Delivery is normally within 3 to 4 weeks, at most 5 to 6 weeks. She edits every photo, and the couple receives them in the style shown on her website.

On direction during the day, she says the real, unposed moments matter most to her, so she tries to give as few instructions as possible and let the shoot take its course, while making sure the couple feels comfortable in front of the camera and stepping in to help when needed.

On timing, her advice is to book as early as possible: popular dates, especially in August and September, are often booked out more than a year ahead. For a couple abroad, that means booking the photographer soon after the date and venue are fixed.

The Wedding Album

A full section of the page argues for a printed album. Her point is blunt: what use are the most beautiful photos if they gather dust on a USB stick, and far too often couples tell her that years later they still have not gotten around to making one. Her album is made by hand by a small album maker, and the page lists its specification:

• square, in 20, 25 or 35 cm
• 30 to 80 pages on high-quality fine-art photo paper
• a linen cover in 12 colors
• individual embossing

The page does not give album prices or say whether an album is part of any package, so a couple interested in one should ask for it in the quote.

Weddings She Has Photographed

Her blog shows real weddings in several regions, well beyond the city of Bern. Among them: a spring wedding at Schloss Schadau on Lake Thun at the end of April; a summer wedding at the Zehendermätteli in Bern; a church wedding in the Emmental in August; a civil wedding in Burgdorf; a wedding on the Gurten; a festival-style summer wedding at Morlon on the Greyerzersee; and a celebrant-led ceremony in July at the Bächlihof in Jona, among apple trees and a garden, ending with photos on the shore of Lake Zurich. Another post covers the Ziviltrauung in Bern, with tips and her favorite places for a civil ceremony, which is useful reading for any couple planning a civil ceremony in Bern.

The Schwarzenburg post is a small window into her base. She writes that she has lived in the Naturpark Gantrisch for 7 years, and that a wedding at the Wahlern church in Schwarzenburg was a home game for her. Each wedding post ends with a list of the suppliers involved, from the venue to the florist, which is a practical way for a couple to find other vendors in the region.

The site footer lists where she is typically out and about: Bern, Thun, Biel, Solothurn and all of Switzerland. In the FAQ she adds that she photographs weddings throughout Switzerland and finds it exciting to work in other cantons, but that sometimes the most beautiful thing is close by: "Manchmal ist das Schönste aber auch ganz nah" (sometimes the most beautiful thing is very close), and she likes photographing right on her doorstep and being home quickly afterwards.

What Couples Say

One review is on the wedding page, from Jasmine, who describes a very likeable, uncomplicated and professional photographer and thanks her for beautiful memories of a fairy-tale wedding surrounded by snow. It closes in French, with a "Merci beaucoup !".

Beyond weddings, the site has sections for couple shoots (Paare), family photography (Familie) and a section addressed to other photographers (Für Fotografen).

What the Site Leaves Open

The site is written in German, and it does not say which languages she works in. A couple who does not speak German should ask about English in the first message. The page also does not state album prices, how travel beyond 50 km is charged, the deposit or payment terms, or what the full-day rate is beyond the starting price for 4 hours. Those belong in the individual quote she asks couples to request.

Who It Suits

Rebecca Krebs suits couples marrying in and around Bern, Thun, the Emmental and the Gantrisch area who want natural, unposed coverage and a clear idea of cost from the start. The published starting price, the per-hour image count and the delivery window make her easier to budget for from abroad than a photographer who publishes nothing. Her willingness to cover short weekday civil ceremonies also suits couples who want the registry office photographed separately from a later celebration.

The caveats are practical: a German-only site, a need to book early for summer dates, and travel costs beyond 50 km of Oberbalm that the page does not set out.