Sandra Ardizzone Photography - intimate weddings in Europe and beyond

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Eloping in Switzerland

An intimate celebration just for the two of you is something you desire? Not having to go through the hassle of deciding who to invite and how to match the seating-plans to the different needs and wishes of different wedding guests? You don’t want to fret over a tight schedule and decide on hundreds of tiny details that might break your budget? Then it sounds like eloping might just be for you. If you don’t know what an elopement is, I explain it in more details in this blogpost. The short version is: An elopement is an intimate ceremony where it can be with just the two of you or where a handful of your loved ones can be present. It’s often built around a small “ceremony” where you read vows to each other and can even be officiated by a celebrant. More often than not, elopements take place in breathtaking scenery. Simply because you get to chose what you want and where you want to do it.

I am a sucker for small, intimate weddings and having photographed over a hundred (mostly big!) weddings I can say that those wedding days are so much more relaxed for the couple as well. Still, weddings in Switzerland tend to have around 50-100 guests and the trend towards smaller celebrations is just slowly starting to become an option for more couples. That’s why I wanted to show you guys how incredibly beautiful a wedding day can be, even if you don’t get the whole shebang that “one has to have” for a wedding. There is no such thing as having to do something. YOU get to choose. YOU get to prioritize. And I am here for couples who prioritize themselves before agreeing to things they never really wanted to do in the first place.

In addition, 2021 marked the change of a law that was very dear to my heart: The Swiss citizens - clearly - voted on allowing same-gendered couples the right to get married. Yes, you read that right: up until July 1st, 2022, queer couples weren’t allowed to get married in Switzerland. The votation on September 26th 2021 finally changed that (Thank you, Switzerland!). But that doesn’t mean that all couples don’t deserve to celebrate their love in the same way everybody else does! So together with some amazing vendors and my friend Sarah and her girlfriend Nadine, I put together this shoot to showcase that love is love and a celebration doesn’t need much more than two (or more!) people who are deeply in love. No matter the sex, no matter the gender.

Dress: Wild Spirit Lovers, Zurich
Jumpsuit:
Tailored by Atelier Mozoma, Zurich
Hair & Make-Up: Melissa Alexandra Baumann
Florals: Blütenmeer, Brugg AG
Models: Sarah and Nadine