Romana Schönauer

Romana Schönauer is a photographer who lives in the canton of Zug and photographs weddings, couples, families and businesses in Zug and central Switzerland. Her homepage headline is "Authentische Fotografie für Menschen & Marken" (authentic photography for people and brands), and her short description of her own work is that it is elegant, timeless, harmonious and natural. For couples who like soft, light colors and unforced pictures, she says, they have come to the right place.

Her Style

The wedding page is brief and says what she aims for. A wedding tells a story, from the small, quiet moments to the big emotions, and she writes "Ich begleite euch unauffällig, aufmerksam und mit viel Gespür für natürliche Momente" (I accompany you unobtrusively, attentively and with a strong feel for natural moments). The page is headed with an English line, "I have found the one my soul loves.", and the site closes with another: "Creating photographs that let you remember how it felt."

On the homepage she explains that she loves harmonious, light colors and puts weight on natural, emotional pictures, and that she wants to record a couple's story in a way that is real, lively and timeless. Her site also quotes Eliott Erwitt: "Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." The quote sums up her pitch: the moments are the couple's, the eye is hers.

She describes herself as a photographer from Zug and, in her own phrase, a "Geniesserin aus Leidenschaft" (someone who savors life by passion). Her homepage explains who she works for: families, couples, entrepreneurs and creative people who want to tell their story in atmospheric pictures, whether for moments in private life or for an authentic visual identity in business. Weddings, she writes, belong in her portfolio just as much as portraits, branding shoots and special occasions. Her reason for it all is simple: life writes so many beautiful moments, and time passes far too quickly.

The Wedding Offer

For newly engaged couples and wedding couples she offers several packages, so that couples can find the coverage that suits their day. The exact details and prices, she writes, she is happy to send on request. The site navigation includes an Investment page next to the wedding, couples and maternity sections, so couples may find more there before writing. Her advice on timing is plain: "Meldet euch am besten frühzeitig, denn mein Kalender füllt sich schnell" (best get in touch early, because my calendar fills up quickly).

Because the packages are aimed at newly engaged couples as well, an engagement or couple shoot before the wedding fits naturally into what she does. For couple and family sessions she notes that she gives out only a few shoot dates per month, so the same advice about booking early applies there too.

Weddings on the Blog

Her blog shows two wedding stories, both starting at a registry office: "Hochzeit im Standesamt Zürich und Shooting im Rietpark", a civil wedding in Zurich followed by a shoot in the Rietpark, and "Hochzeit im Standesamt Zug", a civil wedding in Zug. Together they show that she covers registry-office weddings and pairs them with a portrait session nearby. For a couple planning a civil ceremony in Zug or Zurich with a celebration later or elsewhere, that is a useful reference. The blog also carries a post on personal branding, reflecting the business side of her work.

Beyond Weddings

The wider portfolio covers couples, families, expectant mothers, and business clients. For entrepreneurs and self-employed people she offers branding shoots, arguing that visible brands need authentic pictures for their website, social media and a professional appearance, and that she helps clients make their values and personality visible.

The one review on the homepage, from Yolisa, is written in English and covers both sides. Yolisa had a personal branding shoot with Romana recently and a couple shoot a few years earlier, and writes that "Her patience and calm presence immediately put me at ease, creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the photo sessions." Yolisa also credits her with "great ideas for settings and poses": her wedding style is unobtrusive, but she brings ideas for settings and poses when a session calls for them.

She also sells handmade gift vouchers for a shoot, valid for all her offers except weddings that are already booked, which is a thoughtful engagement present for a couple who have not yet chosen a photographer.

Contact and Language

Contact runs through the form on her site; she invites questions and booking requests that way. The pages do not print a phone number or email address. The site is mainly in German, with English headings and an English review, and it does not say which languages she works in. The English on the site and the English-language review make it reasonable to write to her in English, but a couple should confirm that in the first message rather than assume it.

What the Site Leaves Open

The wedding pages give no figures: no hours of coverage, number of images, delivery times or package prices, which she sends on request. They do not say whether albums or prints are offered, whether she works with a second photographer, or how travel outside central Switzerland is charged. These are the questions to include in the first inquiry, together with the date, the place, the rough schedule of the day and whether an engagement shoot is wanted, so that she can suggest the right package in her reply.

Who It Suits

Romana Schönauer suits couples marrying in Zug, Zurich or elsewhere in central Switzerland who want a light, natural look and a photographer who stays in the background on the day. Her registry-office stories make her a good fit for smaller civil weddings and for couples who want a relaxed portrait session straight after the ceremony. The mix of couple, family and maternity work also makes her a photographer a couple can keep going back to.

The caveats are that everything practical, from packages and prices to deliverables, comes only on request, and that the calendar is limited, so couples should contact her early.