Planning a wedding is stressful enough, so planning one in another country can be a lot. Working with a local wedding planner can really take some of the stress off, and they can also make a lot of great recommendations that you may not have found on your own. So, skip the endless Google searches and check out a great list of wedding planners here. 

Now that you have decided on a wedding in Switzerland (good choice!) the next big decision is deciding on a location and a venue. Switzerland has an endless supply of beautiful mountains, quaint old towns, and stunning lakes. Of course, everyone knows the classics such as Zermatt, Grindelwald, and Lauterbrunnen. These are well known for a reason – they are breathtaking. However, Switzerland also has a ton of other hidden gems out there too. If you are looking more for an old-world feel, Zurich and Bern both have beautiful old towns filled with stunning hotels and venues. Switzerland has no shortage of gorgeous lakes to host your wedding. Luzern and Thun are both located on beautiful lakes, and Lake Geneva has numerous picturesque locations along its shores. Take a look to start your search or ask for a shortlist from your wedding planner.

If you have a wedding planner, this is definitely something they will help with! If not, make sure to have one anyway. There is so much that goes on during a wedding day, and you will want to make sure you have enough time for it all. Most importantly, that you have time to enjoy it all!

So, what's important to include? Starting in the morning, make sure you plan enough time for hair and makeup. Especially if you have a larger bridal party, this can easily take more time than expected. The morning with your friends is such a special time, you don’t want it to be rushed and stressed.

You should think about if you want to have a «first look» or a more traditional start where you don't see each other until the ceremony. Both options are wonderful, but it just depends on your personal preference. You can read more about the benefits of a first look below.

A great time to take your couple photos, and your bridal party photos if you didn't take them after your first look, is during the apero when your guests are enjoying some drinks and snacks. It's important though to make sure you schedule enough time for yourselves to enjoy the apero too. You probably spent a lot of time picking out the food and the drinks. Make sure you can enjoy them too!

If you or your guests plan to have some games later in the day, make sure to include this in the timeline. Then you make sure things stay on schedule, and your photographer is ready to capture any special moments or surprises!

As a photographer, I always recommend to my couples to have a «first look». One of the benefits to having a first look is being able to enjoy that moment just the two of you. Some couples also choose to say their vows in private to one another here, and then save the generic version for the ceremony.

Another benefit is from the photography perspective – since you take all your couple photos before the ceremony, you free up time during the apero. Then you can spend more time with your guests and enjoying your day! Some couples also opt to do bridal party or family portraits during this time as well.

Speaking of family portraits… for photographers, this can often be the most challenging part of the entire day. The two main benefits of having a shot list are to ensure that the family and friend photos are done on schedule, and perhaps most important, making sure you don't forget to take a photo with someone special.

Depending on the size of your wedding, it can be pretty overwhelming to try and get the family and friends photos done in a timely manner. Chances are, these are done after the ceremony, so your guests are off socializing, maybe getting a drink or a snack, and therefore, they will likely be all over the place! Having a shot list ensures that your maid of honor or friend in charge of the shot list can easily collect everyone and bring them over to the photography location.

An important tip: make sure you write down first and last names, rather than «auntie» or «grandma», especially if you have a large family with more than one aunt or set of grandparents! This will really help out your «helper» to locate all the guests!

Your wedding is about you and your beautiful love story; it is such a joy to capture that by creating beautiful and timeless photos that you can enjoy for many years to come.